Chapped lips: Managing kids’ winter eczema

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 by the cold weather and central heating. Layers of clothing plus hats, gloves and scarves which can irritate the skin present a new challenge. In this article we look at the problem of chapped lips. And how these can trigger eczema flare-ups on the chin and cheeks.

We’ve previously written about how to manage your baby or child’s eczema in winter. We’ve also written specifically about caring for chapped hands in the cold weather (and when playing in the snow). Since then, many parents have talked to us about preventing chapped lips. Not only are chapped lips terribly painful, they can also cause eczema to spread from the mouth area to the chin and the cheeks.  Hopefully, our winter eczema tips will help you prevent your child suffering from chapped eczema-prone lips this winter.  

Visit our sister site, tepso.co.uk, for more adult focused information on preventing and treating chapped lips.

Prévenir les lèvres gercées

Use a lip balm

Prevention is always better than cure. So protecting the skin from the cold and damp is perhaps the best way to keep chapped lips at bay. Vaseline smeared over lips and around the mouth works a treat as a barrier for the skin. However, some children are put off by the taste.

If, like our 5-year-old, your little one makes out that lip balms taste disgusting, try making our honey and coconut oil balm. It takes only a few minutes to make. The honey taste is great for kids who are prone to licking their lips when any sort of cream is applied.

If you don’t have time to make your own, there are plenty of lip balms available from your local supermarket or pharmacy. These will range from major brands like Nivea and Vaseline to the more niche Burt’s Bees and Cowshed. As with all skin treatments for children with eczema, it’s best to try a little on your child to make sure they don’t have an allergic reaction.

Try to find an off-the-shelf product which is available in a tub rather than a stick or make sure the stick version is nicely pliable.  Sticks can drag the skin on application especially when they are cold, which can open up partially healed cracked lips. Balm in a pot are typically softer and can be applied more gently with the tip of the finger.

Once you’ve found a brand that suits, stock up on supplies. Put them in your coat pocket, changing bag, your child’s coat pocket, school bag, bedside table and leave another in the kitchen. Having the balms ready to hand means you are more likely to apply before your little one’s lips get dry and cracked.

A word of warning

While Carmex contains a local anaesthetic, which can help with very sore lips, it also contains menthol which makes them tingle and it’s not easy to remove lip balm from a distressed toddler…

Discourage your child from licking their lips

While, licking chapped lips can bring short term relief, it is only short term. In the longer-term, when you lick your lips, you’re coating them in saliva. Not only does it evaporate very quickly to leave lips drier than before, your saliva is also full of enzymes. These enzymes can remain on the lips and cause them to feel even drier and even more uncomfortable.

We all know just how difficult it is to not lick sore lips. Our tactics include gentle reminders whenever we catch the kids in the act, regular use of lip balm and covering faces with scarves.

Keep moisturising

Veillez à hydrater tout le visage de votre enfant matin et soir. Les émollients habituels contre l'eczéma sont parfaits pour cela, plus ils sont gras, mieux c'est.

Our kids aren’t keen on having a heavy emollient smeared over their faces. However, they can usually be persuaded to paint on a moisturiser moustache and beard.

Check your toothpaste

Another good tip is to check that your child’s toothpaste is free of SLS (sodium lauryl sulfate). This is the chemical used to create the foaming action. SLS can dry the skin and is a known eczema trigger.

Most supermarkets stock a small range of SLS-free toothpaste. Sensodyne is one of the best known brands with an SLS-free range. Less well known, but recommended by our dentist, is Oranurse which is both SLS free and unflavoured.

Stay hydrated

Finally, make sure your child remains hydrated. It’s so easy to get dehydrated in winter because you feel thirsty less often.

Encourage your child to drink plenty of fresh water throughout the day. Send them to school with a full water bottle so you can monitor how much they’ve had when they get home.  We also make sure our kids have a water bottle by their bed so that they have a few sips before sleep.

Conclusion

Les changements soudains de température, lorsque vous rentrez du froid dans une maison ou une salle de classe bien chauffée, peuvent également affecter la peau sujette à l'eczéma. Lorsque vous êtes à l'extérieur, encouragez votre enfant à protéger sa peau du froid et du vent à l'aide d'une écharpe ou d'un foulard.

S'ils sont particulièrement sensibles, faites attention aux matériaux portés à même la peau. Une écharpe ou un snood en coton sera probablement moins irritant que de la laine pure. Essayez d'éviter les matières synthétiques, car elles ne permettent pas à la peau de respirer.

Nous avons ici un excellent article sur la façon de choisir des vêtements d'hiver pour la peau atteinte d'eczéma.

Quand obtenir une aide médicale ?

If you find you’re fighting a losing battle between chapped lips and eczema, it may be appropriate to use a steroid cream for a short time in order to bring the skin back under control. However, it’s best to check with your GP first as only very mild steroid creams are appropriate for use on the face. You can find more information on using steroid creams to control eczema here.

Nous espérons qu'avec un peu de prévoyance, vous pourrez éviter les lèvres (et les mains) gercées cet hiver. Si vous avez des conseils ou des astuces à partager avec nous et d'autres parents d'enfants atteints d'eczéma, n'hésitez pas à nous en faire part ou à visiter notre page Facebook - nous serions ravis d'avoir de vos nouvelles.

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 and PJs for itchy babies, toddlers and children. We now stock sizes from 0-adult years in a range of colours. Visit our webshop for more information.