Stop the cycle of your child's dry, itchy skin
WHEN it comes to time spent as a family, having a third child has been a gamechanger for TV3 star Anna Daly and husband Ben.
“Having three boys is keeping me on my toes. It’s pretty hectic with monster trucks flying across the floor. Going from two to three really was a gamechanger,” says the Weekend AM host, whose youngest, Rhys, is six months old, James is five and Euan four.
“When Ben’s around at weekends, it’s much handier to split up. He does a lot with the older two, and I kind of break away to look after the baby. It’ll likely be short-lived but it makes sense for me to hang back. It keeps everyone’s sanity.”
Anna was speaking following a new Oilatum Junior survey that found 90% of parents worry about products they use on their children’s skin.
Anna’s second son, Euan, has a touch of eczema but it’s “nothing to be overly concerned about”.
“He’s the only one of them with any issue. It usually arises after swimming. He gets little patches on his legs because of the moisture and the wet togs.”
The busy mum uses Oilatum Junior which was developed by scientists for regular use. She adds it to Euan’s bath.
The survey found over 30% of parents have to distract children while applying cream — tactics used include cuddles, electronics, books, food and games. With summer underway, Anna’s a stickler for applying sunscreen.
“I pick plenty battles but the kids lose that one,” she says.
She herself suffered a scare. She’s forever grateful to the healthcare worker who queried a mark on her arm.
“She said ‘that’s not a freckle, it’s very dark’. I had a mole removed – they took out the roots. I’m left with a sizeable scar on my arm. A consultant said it was on the cusp of being something bad.”
While 80% of parents read the ingredients list when selecting skincare products for children, Anna isn’t surprised that nearly two thirds have limited/no understanding of the function of ingredients listed on a product.
“We try to be good parents and read the list of ingredients to ensure we’re putting the right thing on children but you’d have to be a rocket scientist to understand it all,” she says.
In total, 1,100 parents participated in the GSK-commissioned online poll as part of the Take Comfort in Our Science campaign.
Dermatologically-tested, Irish-made Oilatum creates a protective layer to prevent dryness and helps stop cycles of dry, itchy skin.
* Fifty-five percent of children experienced dry skin – just over 50% of those surveyed suffered from eczema.
* Symptoms include physical discomfort, inability to participate in physical activity, interrupted sleep.
* Almost one-in-four parents feels they’ve little understanding of science behind treating conditions like eczema
* More than seven-in-10 parents rely on GPs for advice about child’s skincare condition; 60% have asked pharmacist; 25% admit going online.
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