Welcome back to our seventh installment of SKIN Journeys: a series where we spotlight members of our community for their incredible eczema success stories. Here, in their own words, they get real about their personal experiences with eczema and the impact it’s had on their lives — as well as how Gladskin ultimately changed the game for them.
Meet Sarah, a loving mother and inspiring member of the Gladskin community. Below, Sarah shares her journey of finding treatment for her son, Evan, and his persistent baby eczema.
Battling Eczema From the Very Beginning
“Evan’s four now, and his eczema started when he was a tiny baby, so maybe two to three months. We thought we were just cleaning too aggressively for his baby acne, but once we stopped, what we now know was eczema was still there.”
“He’s always had eczema worse at the creases, like hands, feet, knees, and elbows. The typical itchy red skin and the patchy dryness were kind of his norm, and then when it flared, he would scratch it badly enough that the skin opened.”
“Evan’s eczema bothered him, but he had never known not being itchy. The biggest thing it affected was his sleep. I was literally reapplying creams overnight, because he truly needed it.”
“It took us a little bit until we were referred to a dermatologist. We’ve ultimately tried maybe three different steroid creams, along with all of the over-the-counter products. We had a basic moisturizing cream that worked really well for us, but the steroids were just getting stronger and stronger. Then they also needed to add in an antibacterial cream for when the eczema started bleeding.”
“I really wasn’t comfortable with being at a point where we knew the eczema was going to bleed, so we were waiting for that to happen and then we were ready. So I never stopped looking for other things, because I didn’t love the idea of getting stronger steroids on such a little guy.”
Finding Gladskin — A Gentler, Steroid-Free Solution
“Within three or four days [of trying Gladskin Eczema Cream], we could tell an improvement. We had to wean off the steroid we were using. I would do a little steroid and a little Gladskin at the same time, because when I tried to go cold turkey, it actually got worse. But then after about a week of weaning off, we were able to stop using the steroid all together.”
“We’re getting really similar results with Gladskin that we were with a pretty strong steroid. So for me to be able to use something steroid-free and still have it manageable is a really great thing. I apply the Gladskin Eczema Cream daily in the evening, and then if Evan seems itchy, I’ll do it in the morning as well.”
“Evan’s eczema has improved pretty significantly. He still has some mild patches on his hands and feet, but he’s literally never had none. He also has food allergies and the whole deal, so I’m not sure Evan will ever be completely eczema-free, or at least until he’s much older, but it’s the best shape he’s been in in his life, for sure.”
Sarah’s Words of Encouragement for Other Parents
“In the allergy and eczema community, there’s a lot of criticism that parents must be doing something wrong if your kid has this problem. I’ve had people tell me a dozen reasons why my kid must be allergic to milk, or if you just do this he’ll get better. Every parent I’ve come across is absolutely doing the best they can.”
“Something as simple as changing to the Gladskin Eczema Cream has made a really big difference. So it wasn’t about anything anyone was doing wrong. It’s just that the technology really is changing and we learn new things every day.”
“It’s nice when there’s a company like this that really supports what parents are doing.”