Eczema

Some people have a problem with dairy, but not all. I was given goat's milk as a child, but it turned out that I wasn't allergic to dairy.
Try the oat based creams, Teetime (A-Derma, Aveeno). E45 and aqueous don't work at all for me (in fact I think there was a study a few years ago that said aqueous cream makes it worse.)
I think it can be cyclical; mine followed a seven year cycle until adulthood.

There is a theory that dairy products especially cheese makes eczema worse certainly does on my daughter. I have Betnovate for the large patches on my legs and lashings of E45 although that is starting to be insufficient so I may have to escalate that. I notice M & S has moisturising tights - I might try those.

Thanks for the suggestions I will get some hydrocortisone cream for the bad bits and follow the other helpful advice.

Have you got hydrocortisone, NanKate? If it is really bad I just put that on (though not round my eyes). When I was a child the only thing that worked was sea-bathing. This was before the steroid creams arrived and the creams we did have stung and did nothing to help. I had raw, scaly, bleeding patches all over me for most of my childhood; still makes me shudder to think of it!

Try Lush Dream cream - it works brilliantly on my DGD where the prescriptions didn't - recommended on mumsnet I think..

Too many baths/showers dries the skin. To combat this keep your skin as moist as possible by having a bath with a few drops of olive oil mixed in clear water.

Don't know if it has been mentioned but never use biological washing powder. We use Sure washing powder and softener for all washing now as GD2 has eczema. Also look out for anything containing MI (Methylisothiazolinone)this is a chemical irritant used in so many products. Worth googling.

Hope you find an answer and as Mamie says, experiment. Maybe keep a diary of any flare ups and what you think may have caused it. Eg diet, make up,etc

I have had eczema since the age of 6 months and all I know is that there are no simple answers. Everyone's eczema is different and what works for one person does not work for another. I use all A-Derma products. Oillatum also works for me but Aveeno and Eucerin don't. I have 1% hydrocortisone for when it is bad and have had stronger ones from the doctor from time to time. Mine is worst when seasons change and this year I have had it in my eyebrows and round my eyes (no hydrocortisone there). I am not allergic to dairy though some people are. The only answer is to experiment, but I think the oat based creams are probably best.