Emiria I really understand how you’re feeling.
Fairy & Ecover were both problematic for us too. Like Frankie's Mum says - getting rid of the stuff ones it's in there is near on impossible! I've washed 2nd hand clothing over 10 times in soap and my little boy still can't ware the items.
We use old fashioned soap flakes for the family washing, it's recommended for baby laundry too.
Best thing is its cheep... you pay more ordering it online due to the cost of posting it, but you can pick up 'Grannys' Soap flakes in a big Tesco’s for £1.99 a box.... so far cheaper than even shops own detergents.
We use the Soap, a little spoon of soda Crystals (also from Tesco’s for under £1 a bag, it lasts for a couple of months and we wash every day)
White vinegar to rinse - just put little bit into the fabric softener draw. - Everything has an extra rinse cycle.
The only problem with swapping over and trying different washing solutions is that a build up of many different products can be more irritating than just 1. - I didn't manage to stop Josh reacting to his old clothing.
At first the organic vests I bought were more of an experiment to see if they helped, I was amazed how soon his skin settled to be honest. Like Frankie’s Mum mentioned, any new vest will probably be better than an item you have that's been washed a few times.
Japanese Study - that study demonstrates how the detergent from the clothing is transferred onto the skin, and it's this that can cause the itching in these little ones. The more an item is washed, the more residue is left in the fabric.
Dose anyone in the house use bubble bath? Shampoos in the bath? Or harsh bath cleaners’? - This can be another source of skin irritation. Even if you’re not using it in your little girl’s bath the traces of these products all remain in the tub when the water drains away.
When you fill the bath these products are now in the bath water again so in wet contact with your little ones skin.
One Mum who went detergent free is amazed her little one can now sit in the bath splash an enjoy it and not just scratch his skin non stop.
Swapping away from detergents is more a lot of hard work than money and when you’re tired it's really hard going. If you want to know more about going detergent free I'm happy to help in anyway I can and point you to info and things we found helpful.
Now were detergent free, it's much cheeper and no diffrent to using detergent based cleaning products, aside from the health benafits to Josh (and also me).
If your worried about your little ones development have a chat with your Health visitor, they should also be able to give advice about skin care and eczema, it's possible your heath centre has an eczema clinic or nurse that might be able to help you too.
Have you tried any dietary changes? I know that not all professionals agree on this, but people - us included have seen real improvements cutting items out of the diet.
Suspect foods can be removed carefully for 6 weeks to see if there’s an improvement. If there is then you can re-challenge (test) whether the food is a problem by feeding it again and seeing if the symptoms return. Again this is something your health visitor may be able to help you with, if not
Foodsmatter Site has a helpful and informative forum covering food sensitivities and allergies.
I hope things are a little bit easier for you this week; it's such a frustrating and heartbreaking condition for everyone to live with.
Sorry, what a long post!
I've herd the Evolve cream mentioned by another Mum too, I must have a better look at it!
