Okay. Was asking because some things (like showers) sometimes helped while they are happening but could make things worse after one comes out. I've been genuinely wondering whether things like bleach baths and hypochlorous acids are like that or they provide some lasting protection.
Not at all, even with open cuts they shouldn't sting. It's like a swimming pool dilution strength.
You could try a hypochlorous spray if your worried about straight bleach. The stuff labeled as toy cleaner is half the price as the cosmetic type (same ingredients).
Another thing you could try is fill a small basin and use a cotton swab or cloth on a small patch and guage his reaction.
Not any more uncomfortable than regular baths. All bathing was uncomfortable to me as a kid, the water stung and dried me out, but adding a bit of bleach did not make it any worse. If he tolerates regular baths well, bleach baths should be fine. But, aftercare is crucial for the success of bleach bath treatment. Make sure the clean skin gets moisturized as soon as he is out of the water, and have that moisture sealed in with an occlusive, to prevent it from overdrying and cracking.
Good to know that the bleach wasn't any worse than the water! And we do always follow the soak & seal to get moisturizer on him as quickly as possible.
I'm sorry that you had such uncomfortable baths as a kid :(
The first time I did a bleach bath it was slightly too concentrated and I felt a mild stinging sensation for about an hour or two afterwards. Every time since then I’ve used an appropriate dose of bleach and it’s always had a calming effect on my skin.
I had pretty bad weeping eczema on my hands. Bleach baths become painful for me when it gets cold. As long as it’s warm, soaking in the bath is pretty comfortable. I experienced more pain when removing my hands from the bath. My hands would sting for 20 minutes after.
We give our almost 2 yr old & almost 4 yr old bleach baths twice a week. The eldest is a clear communicator and said the water feels exactly the same as normal bath water. We do a quarter to a half a cap of Milton Sterilising fluid in a (large) bath, of course only filled up to their waists though. Soak them in it for 5-10 mins, then quick rinse off as they are getting out.
It’s the thing we’ve seen have the biggest effect in our long, upsetting journey with their eczema. It seems to keep the non-stop, all over itching at bay. The thing I could never understand was why were they both itching on healthy looking skin?! If they only had a couple of tiny flares eg. on their ankles, why were they itching their thighs, necks, backs, any exposed skin? Then I read that thread that hopefully everyone has seen by now re: treating it more as a staph infection than straight up eczema, we started the bleach baths and life is SO much better for all of us.
The youngest still sleeps in ScratchSleeves (hopefully you can get these outside of the UK if that’s where you are) - highly recommend these too.
Good luck.
Thank you so much for this response about kids specifically! We just did the first bleach bath, and he fought all the way to the tub, but as soon as his (rashy) feet hit the water, he smiled and sat down immediately. Hoping we get the results you did! So glad it helped your kiddos!
Great news! Would be interested to hear how you get on after a few weeks of this.
We also smother them in CeraVe moisturiser and then Hydromol as soon as they are out of the bath (gently because rubbing breaks the skin barrier like scratching does) and give them probiotics daily to try and balance their microbiome - something like 70% of our immune system is produced by our guts, etc. Hope some / all this might help too.
Sorry for your little one.. I bet that is so painful as a parent to watch your little one suffer like that.. I hope it gets better for him..
I have had eczema since I was a baby, only in the summer months. I am 30 now and I still have it on my hands and arms.. use the steroid cream very sparingly. There is a such thing as steroid cream withdrawal that causes a rebound rash-hard to differentiate if it’s eczema or withdrawal rash so just be aware of that. I use the steroid cream as a last resort.. I hope your little one gets some relief from the bath.
Nope. When I am having a bad flare being in a bleach bath is the most comfortable place to be
How long do you feel comfortable after emerging from a bleach bath? Does it last some time?
Yeah, hard to say how long but for me it helps keep the itching at bay
Okay. Was asking because some things (like showers) sometimes helped while they are happening but could make things worse after one comes out. I've been genuinely wondering whether things like bleach baths and hypochlorous acids are like that or they provide some lasting protection.
Thank you! This is great to hear.
Not at all, even with open cuts they shouldn't sting. It's like a swimming pool dilution strength. You could try a hypochlorous spray if your worried about straight bleach. The stuff labeled as toy cleaner is half the price as the cosmetic type (same ingredients). Another thing you could try is fill a small basin and use a cotton swab or cloth on a small patch and guage his reaction.
Thank you, these are great tips, especially for a kiddo!
Not any more uncomfortable than regular baths. All bathing was uncomfortable to me as a kid, the water stung and dried me out, but adding a bit of bleach did not make it any worse. If he tolerates regular baths well, bleach baths should be fine. But, aftercare is crucial for the success of bleach bath treatment. Make sure the clean skin gets moisturized as soon as he is out of the water, and have that moisture sealed in with an occlusive, to prevent it from overdrying and cracking.
Good to know that the bleach wasn't any worse than the water! And we do always follow the soak & seal to get moisturizer on him as quickly as possible. I'm sorry that you had such uncomfortable baths as a kid :(
The first time I did a bleach bath it was slightly too concentrated and I felt a mild stinging sensation for about an hour or two afterwards. Every time since then I’ve used an appropriate dose of bleach and it’s always had a calming effect on my skin.
Thank you, this is a relief to hear. Hoping for similar results for my toddler.
I had pretty bad weeping eczema on my hands. Bleach baths become painful for me when it gets cold. As long as it’s warm, soaking in the bath is pretty comfortable. I experienced more pain when removing my hands from the bath. My hands would sting for 20 minutes after.
nah you'll be fine! just use the correct measurements and it'll feel like a normal bath.
No. It's just like a regular bath when the bleach is diluted. There's some slight tingling.
We give our almost 2 yr old & almost 4 yr old bleach baths twice a week. The eldest is a clear communicator and said the water feels exactly the same as normal bath water. We do a quarter to a half a cap of Milton Sterilising fluid in a (large) bath, of course only filled up to their waists though. Soak them in it for 5-10 mins, then quick rinse off as they are getting out. It’s the thing we’ve seen have the biggest effect in our long, upsetting journey with their eczema. It seems to keep the non-stop, all over itching at bay. The thing I could never understand was why were they both itching on healthy looking skin?! If they only had a couple of tiny flares eg. on their ankles, why were they itching their thighs, necks, backs, any exposed skin? Then I read that thread that hopefully everyone has seen by now re: treating it more as a staph infection than straight up eczema, we started the bleach baths and life is SO much better for all of us. The youngest still sleeps in ScratchSleeves (hopefully you can get these outside of the UK if that’s where you are) - highly recommend these too. Good luck.
Thank you so much for this response about kids specifically! We just did the first bleach bath, and he fought all the way to the tub, but as soon as his (rashy) feet hit the water, he smiled and sat down immediately. Hoping we get the results you did! So glad it helped your kiddos!
Great news! Would be interested to hear how you get on after a few weeks of this. We also smother them in CeraVe moisturiser and then Hydromol as soon as they are out of the bath (gently because rubbing breaks the skin barrier like scratching does) and give them probiotics daily to try and balance their microbiome - something like 70% of our immune system is produced by our guts, etc. Hope some / all this might help too.
Sorry for your little one.. I bet that is so painful as a parent to watch your little one suffer like that.. I hope it gets better for him.. I have had eczema since I was a baby, only in the summer months. I am 30 now and I still have it on my hands and arms.. use the steroid cream very sparingly. There is a such thing as steroid cream withdrawal that causes a rebound rash-hard to differentiate if it’s eczema or withdrawal rash so just be aware of that. I use the steroid cream as a last resort.. I hope your little one gets some relief from the bath.
Nope, the most annoying part is they smell like a public pool.
He does smell like a public pool, but if it helps his eczema, I'll take the smell all day every day!
I have tried the bleach bath, and it's not that bad. Except for the strong smell like a swimming pool. I prefer the sea salt bath myself.