Best lotions for kids who hate lotions

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My son has begun balking about getting lotion rubbed on his skin. He says it feels awful and really hates it. The problem is he has eczema on his legs and they need to be kept moisturized or it will flare up particularly in winter. He is also having some OCD issues right now and washing his hands very frequently. They are dry and chapped, and the only thing he will accept on them is some polysporin on the cracked areas between his fingers, but this will not do the trick for healing them up completely. So I told him that not all lotions/creams feel the same and we can try some different ones, until we find something that doesn't feel so bad to him. We need something unscented, and non-stinging that does not contain nuts (allergies), and doesn't feel too heavy and greasy on the skin. I would appreciate any suggestions that fit the bill. Thanks.

Goat's milk lotion? No spefic brand, just something made with goat's milk. I used to get this horrid rash on my hands every winter and this lotion made by a local goat farmer really helped. I think if it was not sented, it would have helped even more. I would have made my own goat milk lotion had I known it helped my hands so much but my goat was a boy.

baby lotions maybe? something with avacado?

You could also use udder cream or scentless petroleum jelly.

We use Vanicream, however it is quite thick. The trick is to put it on right after bath so that the water still on the skin tends to thin it out a bit. After a few minutes of having it on and feeling somewhat sticky, it dries a bit and feels more natural. It doesn't ward off the eczema, however, but perhaps because my daughter has an especially severe case. I think in a milder case it would work fine. It is endorsed by the Eczema foundation and has no dyes, lanolin, fragrance, parabens, or formaldehyde.

Cetaphil lotion? Bag Balm (because the container is so funny, that may get him!)

uddercream works good but if he doesn't like the creams, have you tried putting baby oil on him when he is still wet after the bath instead of towel drying him? it's supposed to work really well. mine don't like cream either but i don't give them a choice. pretty much do it or else, but they think i'm mean because for some things they just don't get a say weither they like it or not.

My hands crack and bleed in the winter, I use Badger Balm after I wash my hands and that works. I like the original (smells like wintergreen and includes aloe), but there is an unscented one as well (but that doesn't have the aloe)

I've also used Burt's Bees "After Sun Soother" on my son's skin with good results (he's sensitive to a lot of things too). That's naturally scented because of the aloe though and if he wants no odor whatsoever that might not work.

I was going to post links to the products but I'm too new so it won't let me.

Thanks for the suggestions! Aveeno Skin Relief cream is the product we have used for a long time (it smells kind of minty, is very thick and worked well), but he now hates it with a passion. I am going to start running down the list of suggestions and see if we can find something that'll work. I saw that Udder cream one when I was at the store tonight. I thought the cow packaging might amuse him, if he didn't get upset about the idea that the cream was supposed to be for cows and not him...could go either way with that one.

the aveeno bath additives are usually good as well, as an extra bit to help the skin. if he will take baths, that is =)

i have a tube of "Thoroughly Therapeutic Honey & Grapeseed Oil Hand Creme" from burts bees that i really like. not too greasy, and works very well for me. the smell isnt too overpowering and i rather like it, its not flowery or perfumey, smells a bit like honey.

i am also a big fan of the "wait until they go to sleep and then slather them good" method =P its the only way we can put chapstick or carmex on our son. he is a lip licker, and is often chapped all around his mouth, in winter especially. he wont let us put anything on to help the chapping. but they dont object when sound asleep =)

Baby oil often works for us - it's another one you can put in the bath, or you can put it on before a shower - most of it won't wash off. If it's the scent, and polysporin works, what about a petroleum-jelly-based unscented salve? We've used Eucerin with success, it works on chapped lips, too. You can target the spots that need it.

My son's got pretty bad eczema too and while he doesn't hate the lotions (he doesn't like them either), we just haven't found any that work well. The best defense we found, so far, is to use the most mild and natural soap possible and to bathe less frequently - depending on the stink factor, of course . When an outbreak does occur, we've found oatmeal baths to be helpful.

My mom used to use vanicream (I think) on me when I was a kid and I hated it. I've found the Burt's Bees products to work well, but they can sort of sting. I generally love goat's milk lotions. It's light and soft and quick to absorb. I first discovered goat's milk lotions at Cracker Barrel, but I'm pretty sure other places sell it too.

Baby oils and bath additives are a no go. He has never been able to stand the feel of them.

We had a strict eczema care regime for many years, including lukewarm baths (no soap), Protopic ointment and then slathering in a thick, non irritating cream right after the bath, and then protopic and cream again every morning. Doing this faithfully every single day made a world of difference in their eczema (which used to be quite bad), and although he never loved it, there was no choice and he tolerated the regime. Over the past year or so, their eczema has improved dramatically. We don't have to do much of anything over the summer except for washing thoroughly after swimming, and a little protopic & moisturizer here and there. But in the winter we need to go back to the regime so it doesn't get really bad again (plus the chapped OCD hands need attention), and he has been very upset and resisting. We tried combining a nightly slathering with a massage. He loves the massage part and tolerates the cream along with it (I think the massage distracts his senses away from that sticky, greasy creamed up feeling), but we don't always have time for this, and certainly not in the morning, hence the hunt for a new cream that he doesn't hate as much.

When I was at the store last night (before I had a chance to read this thread), I picked up a store brand cream called "Exact Kids' Intense Moisturizing Cream for skin prone to eczema". It is the store brand of the Spectro Gel kids eczema cream. Both are expensive, $11.99 & $14.99 for 100g respectively. The one we tried is not going to work. It has a thick consistency and doesn't feel too greasy on, but it has a strong, almost medicinal smell that will bother him (and me too...ack!). So the hunt continues...

@azurecrayon Alas, they are now too old for the sleep-sneak approach. He is a light sleeper, and would feel utterly betrayed and like we'd invaded his privacy. That did used to be a handy method for when they were little though!

I really like Body Shop's peppermint foot cream. I mainly do use it on my feet (which get horribly dry and cracked), but it's also nice on hands. My husband has been using it on his hands for an eczema like condition and he likes it also. it's not as greasy as cetaphil and it seems to really do the trick. It does smell of peppermint.

These are the ones endorsed by the Eczema Association:

* Aquaphor® Healing Ointment
* AVEENO® Advanced Care Cream
* Crisco Regular Shortening
* CeraVe™ Moisturizing Cream
* Cetaphil® Moisturizing Cream
* Eucerin® Original Creme
* Moisturel® Therapeutic Cream
* Mustela® Stelatopia Moisturizing Cream
* Vanicream™ Moisturizing Skin Cream
* Vaseline® Petroleum Jelly
Most of these you will find are greasy or heavy but some will be absorbed by the skin and stop being tacky after a few moments.

We tried Aquaphor, AVEENO, Cetaphil, and Eucerin. All of these were not tolerated by my daughter-some were too heavy, some burned or made her itch more. The Vanicream is the only one that doesn't burn or stay heavy feeling and it can be applied over the Elidel which we use to treat the eczema. We apply after bath at night which seems to work and I allow her scratch in the bath then distract her while the lotion is drying and sinking in the skin. It does feel awfully thick going on so he may not like it. It has no odor at ALL. We also tried an AVON product which was highly recommended called Liquid Glove (or something like that) but my daughter couldn't stand it-it felt like literally she had a glove on and burned going on.

Here is more info (which you probably already know) from the Eczema Foundation:

What are proper moisturizing techniques?

Just as it is important to use proper bathing techniques, it is important to properly apply moisturizers to your skin within three minutes of showering or bathing.

While your skin is still wet, apply prescription medications, and then apply a moisturizer to all your skin.

A thick bland product is best.

Take a glob of moisturizer from the jar, soften it by rubbing it between your hands, and apply it using the palm of your hand stroking in a downward direction.

Do NOT rub by stroking up and down or around in circles.

Leave a tacky film of moisturizer on your skin; it will be absorbed in a few minutes.

Everyone has different preferences concerning how products feel on their skin, so try different products until you find one that feels comfortable. Continue use of the moisturizer(s) even after the affected area heals to prevent recurrence.

How can I reduce skin irritation?

After bathing and moisturizing, the next important step is to attempt to reduce skin irritation.

Don’t scratch or rub the skin. These actions can worsen any itch. Instead, apply a moisturizer whenever the skin feels dry or itchy. A cool gel pack can provide some relief from itch.

Wash all new clothes before wearing them. This removes formaldehyde and other potentially irritating chemicals which are used during production and packing.

Add a second rinse cycle to ensure the removal of soap if you are concerned. Use a mild soap that is dye-free and fragrance-free.

Wear garments that allow air to pass freely to your skin. Open-weave, loose-fitting, cotton-blend clothing may be most comfortable. Avoid wearing wool.

Wet wrap therapy can effectively rehydrate and calm the skin. Soak in a bath, and then apply moisturizer. Medication should also be applied if currently prescribed. The bandages, moistened in warm water until they are slightly damp, are then wrapped around the area. Dry bandages are wrapped over the wet bandages. In place of bandages, moistened pajamas worn underneath a set of dry pajamas can be used with children and infants.

Work and sleep in comfortable surroundings with a fairly constant temperature and humidity level. Cooler temperatures are preferred but not so cool as to initiate chilling.

Keep fingernails very short and smooth by filing them daily to help prevent damage due to scratching.

Make appropriate use of sedating antihistamines, which may reduce itching to some degree through their tranquilizing and sedative effects.

Use sunscreen on a regular basis and always avoid getting sunburned. Use a sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher. Sunscreens made for the face are often less irritating than regular sunscreens. Zinc oxide or titanium dioxide–based products are less irritating.

Thanks MamatoGrace for the very thorough reply! But you are right, we are very familiar with the appropriate routines for caring for eczema, just looking for some personal recommendations on creams that may work better for those with sensory issues. Even if we have to move to a lighter lotion, I think that will be better than nothing or the stress of fighting him on the creams every night, since his eczema is now fairly easy to control.

Vanicream is one that we have not tried. I am going to see where I can find that one locally and give it a go.

Many of the others on the list we have tried at various times without success (2 thumbs down on the Aquaphor, that one caused more skin irritation for my son!). And I think he would DIE if we smeared him with Crisco or Vaseline. I can't even imagine, my skin is crawling just thinking about it!

But we will start experimenting and report back. There has just got to be something that moisturizes adequately, doesn't sting, doesn't smell funny and soaks in instead of leaving the skin feeling greasy and heavy, and of course no nut ingredients (which pretty well rules out all the lovely natural products), and hopefully doesn't cost a fortune either.

That's not too much to ask is it?

Yikes, someone made me try Aquaphor on my hands a few years ago, my hands turned bright red and I had to run to the sink to wash it off it burned so bad! I also tried Vaseline on chapped lips ... bad idea, very irritating stuff. He's not the only one. I think I also threw out a bottle of Eucerin sensitive formula 2 years ago because it gave my son a rash .... one of the ingredients was DMDM hydantoin, aka formaldehyde (I guess that's ironically not in the original formula?).