Child Eczema Skin Care Management with Ceradan Products

October 29, 2020

It is distressing when your child suffers from inflamed, red, itchy, cracked, and rough patches of skin due to eczema or atopic dermatitis. While there is no one single solution to manage eczema, help is at hand with many dermatological products available to help soothe the inflammation, moisturize the skin, and build the natural protective barrier of the skin.

But before choosing the products for your kid’s eczema skincare management, it is important to understand the basic anatomy of our skin, how they help to retain the skin pH and reduce the flare-ups.

Basic Anatomy of the Skin

Our skin covers every inch of the body from head to heels, making it the largest and one of the most complex organs. Our skin has a completely different terrain at the eyelids, elbows, hands, palm, foot, back of the heels. It has three layers- epidermis, dermis and subcutaneous tissue that together keep our insides in while protecting them from what’s outside, stores fat, and water, regulates the body temperature, and more

1. Epidermis

The topmost layer of the skin is the epidermis, having a flat, scale-like squamous cell from its surface that is our first barrier against the bacteria and injury. It is shedding continuously as the skin regenerates. Below them are the round basal cells that divide and push older cells towards the surface of the skin, and melanocytes that are responsible for making the melanin give colour to the skin and protecting against the UV rays.

It consists of four layers of which the stratum corneum or dead skin cells is the topmost that’s made up of corneocytes. It has a brick and mortar arrangement and is interspersed in a lipid-enriched extracellular matrix which continuously sheds from the surface. It has major physiological lipids containing 50% ceramide, cholesterol and free fatty acids.

2. Dermis

Next, is the dermis that makes up the personality of the skin made up of fibrous and elastic tissue that provides strength and flexibility. It also has the touch and pain receptors that we rely on to avoid injury. The dermis is held together by the collagen and contains the blood and lymph vessels, nerves, oil and sweat glands, hair follicles, etc.

3. Subcutaneous Tissue

The subcutaneous tissue is the bottom layer of the skin that has a network of fat cells, collagen, nerves and blood vessels. The thickness of this layer varies in different areas of the body and is vital in regulating body temperature. It serves as a shock absorber that protects against damage and pain.

Skin Barrier

The four functions of a healthy skin barrier are permeability, photoprotection, antimicrobial and immune response. The skin barrier works in three ways- physical, chemical and immunological. The compromised skin barrier in the atopic barrier has inadequate ceramide and lipids to hold the skin cells together in the epidermis. Further, it leads to increased moisture loss, penetration of allergens, pathogens and irritants, and incomplete desquamation or dry skin patches.

Skin pH

pH is the measurement of a fluid’s acidity and alkalinity. The average pH of healthy skin is pH of 5.3. Lighter skin has less skin pH which can spike up to pH 8 to 9 with use of harsh soap that could trigger eczema symptoms.

Some factors influencing the pH of the skin include:

1. Internal or Endogenous Factors

Genetics
Age
Skin Moisture
Race or Ethnicity
Anatomic Locations
Sweat and Sebum regulates skin pH

2. External or Exogenous Factors

Skin Irritants
Detergents, cosmetics and soaps
Topical antibacterial
Occlusive dressings

Atopic Dermatitis (AD)

As per the National Skin Centre, Atopic Dermatitis is the commonest type of eczema, also referred to as inflammation of the skin due to allergy. It is a chronic skin condition characterized by recurrent, dry, irritated, and itchy skin that is common among young children worldwide. The skin of AD individuals is deficient in ceramides, filaggrin, and natural moisturising factors that lead to increased transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and microfissuring. Filaggrin regulates the skin pH and has a role in protecting the skin barrier. Around 20% of patients in Asia have a deficiency of filaggrin.

Though a single cause of AD cannot be pointed out, it can also be caused by overactive immune systems.

Treating Atopic Dermatitis

Moisturisers are used as a topical treatment of AD as it helps to improve the barrier function of the skin by increasing stratum corneum hydration. However, skin irritation is one of its common adverse effects.

As per a study conducted on participants for potential irritation of two commercially available skin moisturising products for treating AD, most of them preferred ceramide-based cream as the daily moisturiser for children to minimize their skin irritation and also proven to reduce the repeat occurrence of flare ups.

The ceramide dominant lipids penetrate the stratum corneum, the topmost layer of the skin. Then it is processed in the lamellar bodies within the keratinocytes and then secreted back into the topmost layer of the skin, as shown below.

Skin Care Management for Eczema with Ceradan Products

Using a ceramide-based moisturising cream and body wash products from Ceradan® is preferred to manage and treat AD. Ceradan® products are scientifically proven to reduce the occurrence of eczema flares for all ages. Made in Singapore, this homegrown brand knows about the skin conditions of people living in tropical weather conditions.

There are many types of Ceradan® products on our online store, you can go through the list here:

1. Ceradan® Gentle Cleanser

It is hypoallergenic, free from paraben, sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS)/SLES, colourant and fragrance. Comes in 500ml and 1L sizes and can be used with/without water as it is pH-balanced. Ceradan® Gentle Cleanser is suitable for all ages and all skin types, including dry, sensitive skin.

2. Ceradan® Moisturising Body Wash

It is hypoallergenic with no sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS)/SLES, fragrance, paraben and colourant. It can be mixed with water for bathtub use. Ceradan® Moisturising Body Wash is suitable for all age groups with dry, sensitive and eczema-prone skin.

3. Ceradan® Skin Barrier Repair Cream

It is clinically-tested and hypoallergenic cream that strengthens the protective barrier of the skin. It is used to manage skin conditions such as atopic dermatitis. This cream is free from steroids, fragrance, paraben and colour. It is suitable for people of all ages and all skin types including dry and sensitive. Know more about Ceradan Skin Barrier Repair Cream here.

Ceradan is a Singapore homegrown brand that understands the Asian skin types to provide clinically proven range of products for eczema skin care management. You may also check out our Ceradan subscription plans for eczema management regimen with other member benefits. Shop at our online store for other Ceradan range of products to manage the eczema flare ups in kids.