Creams and Topicals that We've Tried

I've probably mentioned more than once that we've tried everything under the sun to combat eczema. There are many days when my son is covered from head to toe in rough, thick, elephant-like skin. I'll admit that sometimes we don't give a cream a fair shot, but at times it can be hard to tell the difference between a 3 year-old being overly dramatic and something that might really sting. Here's the list of creams, ointments, and oils we've tried:

1) Nutiva Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil. This is our current favorite, it melts on the skin and then is absorbed pretty well. It's also full of Omega 3s & 6s.
2) USF Ointment from Standard Process. This stuff is thick and really coats, and since it's an ointment and not a cream it spreads well. We use this on extra rough spots.
3) Emu Oil. This one seemed to work for us for a short while. There was a rough 2 weeks where we blew through about $100 in this stuff, it's not cheap, but it's suppose to be good for healing and also has a natural SPF.
4) Jason's Vitamin E Oil. We used this for a good 5 month.
5) Eucerin Cream--we've tried the really thick stuff from the tub and the regular cream from the tube. It coats, but after a while my son's skin started turning really red when we used it.
6) Aquaphor--this is what we started with, but it became clear that it irritated his skin.
7) CeraVe--This is my current favorite. We used it for a while early on, but have come back to it and we see good results.
8) Vanicream--Also very hopeful based on others' reviews, but his face would break out in hives.
9) TriCeram--I really liked this one initially, but seemed like we hit a plateau and needed to continue with our search.
10) Native Remedies--We didn't give this one a good chance. It was $25, but the peppermint either tingled or stung my son and he refused to let us use it on him.
11) Vasoline--Same as the aquaphor.
12) Weleda Calendula Baby Cream--We tried for about a week, but didn't notice any difference.
13) Aveeno Anti-Itch Cream--Didn't seem to have any effect at all, nor did regular Aveeno cream.
14) Sesame Seed Oil--Didn't seem to have any effect at all.
15) Wheat Germ Oil--Didn't seem to have any effect at all, and has a strong odor.
16) Shea Butter--We used a whole tub of this, and after a while it seemed more irritating to his skin.
17) Desonide Steroid--This is a milder steroid which we used on his face, it had no impact on his body.
18) Betamethasone Steroid--This is a stronger steroid that we used on his body. It does work, but when we have to take a break from it his skin flare bright pink.
19) Triple Cream--This stuff is thick & creamy, not impossible to rub in like the thick Eucerin Cream. It has promise, but I think it also has some corn products. I know my son has a corn allergy, just not sure if it's topical or only internal.
20) California Baby
21) Elidel--Non steroidal prescription cream. I use this very sparingly when I need to give DS's skin a break from the desonide. This cream also has a black label/cancer warning from the FDA, although the 2 allergists we've seen disagree with the label.
22)  Protopic--Another non steroidal prescription cream with a black box warning.  I think the main difference between this and Elidel is that Protopic is an ointment where Elidel is a cream.  Protopic has worked great for eyelid eczema and other very problematic spots.
23) Atopiclair--Non steroidal prescription cream. This is shea butter/oil based. After about a month of using this cream, I really like it. I can visually watch the reddness reduce once applied, but DS says it stings. The studies on this cream are encouraging, something like a 78% success rate and the itch vanishes over time.
24)  Epiceram--This is an Rx that's worked well for my son, we use it primarily as a face cream and the CeraVe on his body.
For 1 1/2 years we bathed our child every single day per doctor's orders. The idea is that applying the creams after a bath will lock in moisture. Results were hit and miss--I think it mostly depended on what he ate and the food allergies. We also would wet wrap or put him in wet pajamas, which did work but is pretty miserable for him. We've also seen doctors that advise to bath only 1-3 times per week, with the idea that bathing removes natural skin oils and that kids need to be exposed to some germs.

You can also try adding the following to the bath water:
1) Baking soda
2) Epsom salts--Magnesium will absorb into the skin, it has an anti-histamine effect.
3) Apple Cider Vinegar
4) White Vinegar
5) Oatmeal bath soak
6) Vasoline (tub will be slippery!)
7) Olive Oil (tub will be slippery!)
8) Hydrogen Peroxide--Our bodies naturally make peroxide as part of an immune response. Our Ped recommends adding some to the bath to combat eczema, and also for colds & flu.
9) Bleach baths--Ask a doctor before attempting. Many eczema patients will develop staph infections, and this helps kill the bacteria. Only use 1-2 ounces in the filled bath tub (not infant tub, and before putting the kid in the bath.) Limit to 1-2 times per week and rinse the kid off well after the bath as this can be drying.

We went through a phase where our son's skin would turn bright red once any kind of water hit it. We started to think he was allergic to chlorine, and installed a shower water filter. His skin has improved at bath time since using the filter. Obviously this doesn't make any sense if you're adding bleach to the bath water. But controlling eczema requires a lot of trial & error.