Seasons & Holidays

Looking for a gift for a little one with eczema? Our eczema gift guide has plenty of great ideas to help you find the perfect gift. Here at ScratchSleeves, we don’t just share our experiences of bringing up an eczema child and favourite allergy-friendly recipes, we also manufacture and sell our unique stay-on scratch mitts […]

Love it or loathe it, trick or treating has made its way over the Atlantic from the US and is now the Halloween highlight in most kid’s year. It doesn’t take teenagers long to realise that having cute little kids in tow substantially ups their success rate. And for younger kids, a big part of

The colder winter weather can aggravate eczema, and with the need to layer up the clothes, you may find you’re facing a particularly difficult few months. Adding gloves to itchy, painful fingers or trousers to scratchy legs isn’t easy for parents of children with eczema.  So how do you keep your child warm without making

Winter is with us once again and while the children look forward to Christmas and snow. We parents need to prepare for those dreaded eczema flare-ups which are inevitable at this time of year. If your child is susceptible to seasonal eczema or suffers year-round, you’ll know only too well that the condition can be aggravated

The current cold snap may be a great excuse to light the fire and cosy. However, it’s not without its problems for sensitive skin. One of the issues at the moment is chapped hands. Here at ScratchSleeves HQ, we’ve decided it’s time to write down our tips on dealing with this particularly painful problem. When hands

Commonly, baby eczema flares up in winter. The cold weather and dark evenings mean that babies spend more time inside where the central heating lowers the humidity and dries the skin. This drying also makes delicate skin more vulnerable to other triggers. When we do make it outside, the biting northerly winds can dry their skin further.

As the weather starts to get colder and we start heading indoors for the coming winter, many eczema sufferers find that their skin is becoming drier and more itchy. There are a number of reasons for this including the drying effect of the central heating and harsher weather; increasing mould and fungi spores (both inside

Over the years we’ve learned that a successful family holiday all boils down to planning and preparation.  It’s hard work though. Just thinking about the kit that everyone in our little clan needs for a fortnight away is enough to put me in a bad mood.  Inevitably I can’t find the favourite swim suit or the

Summer: the time when all kids (not just the itchy ones) get covered from top to toe in white gloop! The sun is really important in the creation of essential Vitamin D, but it also emits harmful UV rays and dries out the skin. With the skin’s moisture gone, eczema is more prone to flare

While hot summer weather is lovely and a welcome change to the damp British weather, keeping an eczema baby comfortable and safe from the sun can be a real challenge. These are tricks that we use to keep our eczema baby healthy and happy in the heat. How to keep your eczema baby happy during

Taking a family holiday with a child who suffers from eczema can add a further layer of complication to your trip. There is so much to consider, and even more to pack, to keep your child comfortable. A trip to the snowy ski slopes can be even more tricky, as the cold air outside and

Christmas time can be magical but it can also be a time when eczema flares up. Colder weather, seeing relatives and even Christmas trees can trigger children’s eczema. Christmas can have an effect on your child’s eczema, but it can be avoided if you pinpoint the hidden triggers. Here are some ideas for avoiding eczema

This Halloween will be different, no doubt about it. With a little creativity, your kids can still have a spooky and exciting Halloween! Our eczema son was never been able to have his face-painted. He and I are both allergic to parabens which are found in all the face-paints I’ve found (and most make-up).  This

Most parents of children with eczema are understandably wary about putting anything on the skin, sticking to tried and trusted shampoos, soaps and emollients only. However, when the summer insects are on the move here in the UK, or you’re going on holiday where there may be mosquitos, you will probably have no choice but

The summer holidays – for children a lovely long break from school, for parents a seemingly endless round of sibling bickering, cries of “I’m bored!” and delving into the wallet time and time again. If you are struggling to think of suitable things to entertain your scratchy child this summer we have put together our

Building sandcastles, digging moats, skimming stones, burying Dad in the sand: a day at the beach can be great fun for everyone. But did you know that visit to beach can be really good therapy for babies and children with eczema too? As well as the wealth of anecdotal evidence, there’s mounting scientific research supporting

Let’s face it, for the vast majority of kids, Easter means chocolate. But the sweet milk chocolate beloved of children contains milk, so for a dairy-free kid, Easter can be really disappointing. We share our top tips for making sure that your dairy-free kid has as much fun as the next child. Dairy-free kid’s Easter

Swimming is great for all babies. For an eczema baby there are additional long and short-term health benefits. These include better sleep, stronger lungs (eczema babies have a higher risk of developing asthma) and reduced bacterial infections in eczema damaged skin. But we know from experience that the thought of taking an eczema baby to swimming lessons can be