After an emergency visit to the pediatrician, my husband and I found ourselves visiting the drugstore to buy some prescribed items. You see, my little one has been having allergy attacks and it has been off and on for the last two to three months. About three months ago, another doctor diagnosed my daughter as having Atopic Dermatitis. She advised us to change her milk to a hypoallergenic formula. So we did. We switched from S-26 Gold to Nan H.W. to Similac H.W. Plus but nothing seemed to help. We also changed her soap from Johnson’s Top to Toe Wash to Cetaphil Gentle Cleanser but to no avail. We noticed that her rashes are getting worse especially on her scalp and behind the ears — there was a watery discharge, especially when she goes on a scratching fit.
Atopic Dermatitis or Eczema is a condition that requires proper care and attention. Unfortunately, this kind of sensitivity runs in my side of the family. I had Atopic Dermatitis ever since I was a kid, and I remember having allergy attacks or hives that lasted for weeks and months. My dermatologist advised that I can only use very mild and fragrance-free products and I have some sort of ointment or cream such as Betamethasone that I always bring with me. My eldest son had this as well when he was a baby, but not as bad as my daughter’s. My second child, my 1 and a half year old boy never had this, though, so I guess he was lucky enough to inherit his Dad’s allergy-less genes. However, my youngest, my daughter, suffered the most and it was painful to see her cry because of the itchiness of her rashes. The rashes started on her scalp, face and now she has hives on her chest, arms and a little at the back of her legs.
While I was waiting for the pharmacist to check on their stock of Cetaphil Restoraderm, I silently prayed that this will work on my baby girl. This is different from the basic Cetaphil cleanser. And it was not cheap: the body wash was P835 and the moisturizer was P1,550, both at 295 ml. I was told by the pediatrician that this will help restore moisture and rebuild or restore damaged skin. The doctor also prescribed a cream, Elica, to be used once a day and Allerkid drops. I bought another can of Nan H.W. and my bill rang up to almost P3,000.
I’m only on the 3rd day of using Cetaphil Restoraderm Body Wash and Body Moisturizer on my daughter and so far the results are great! We noticed that she scratched herself less (on the scalp, near the temple) and she was less fussy at day and especially at night when she slept. Due to the severity of her rashes, she would often wake up in the middle of the night and start scratching and crying. It has only been a few days but we saw a noticeable improvement to her skin — it looked more supple and less dry. I also tested the moisturizer on my face and arms and it was relieved of tightness and dryness. We will continue using and implementing Cetaphil Restoraderm Body Wash and Moisturizer as part of my daughter’s daily regimen until her skin becomes healthy and smooth again.
