When traveling with a child who has eczema, it’s crucial to take special care to manage their condition and minimize potential triggers. Especially during a long flight when flare-ups are more likely to occur due to the dry cabin air and other potential irritants on the plane.
Eczema, aka atopic dermatitis, is a common chronic skin condition in babies and toddlers characterized by dry, itchy skin that can become irritated and inflamed. Eczema often flare-up in response to triggers like allergens, irritants, and changes in weather or humidity.
Lennon has had eczema since he was a few months old and it’s something we have been managing for the last few years. We usually carry an “emergency eczema bag” with us at all times (on airplanes and during travel) filled with the below items:
Eczema Creams and Medication
Pack your child’s essential eczema skincare routine, which might include a variety of medicated and unmedicated eczema creams, ointments, natural oils, gels, petroleum jelly. etc.
Allergy Medicine
Have allergy medicine on hand to manager flare-ups triggered by allergens. Consult your child’s pediatrician accordingly.
First Aid Kit
Include a first aid kit with all the essential aid supplies including plenty of Band-aids. If you have a child with severe eczema, you’ll know exactly why Band-aids are a necessity.
Travel Hand Soap
Public restroom hand soap can be especially harsh on your child’s eczema. We recommend this Fomin travel size, unscented, dissolvable paper soap sheets. You take a sheet of paper for each use and it immediately dissolves under water and turns into soap suds. It fits in your pocket or wallet and convenient to carry around.
Eczema-Friendly Clothes
Ensure your child’s clothing is comfortable and made of eczema-friendly fabrics that are natural, hypoallergenic and breathable. Avoid abrasive fabrics such as polyester or wool. We recommend fabrics like 100% cotton, bamboo, and notably TENCEL Lyocell.
TENCEL Lyocell is a natural, sustainable, breathable, and moisture-wicking fabric that is extremely soft and gentle on sensitive skin. Lennon mainly wears our brand Tangerine Rêve pajamas on flights and under his clothes during our travels.
Alcohol-free Hand Sanitizer
Don’t forget to pack children-friendly alcohol-free hand sanitizer. A child with eczema will tend to have dry hands with open cuts and the last thing you want is to accidentally irritate it with adult hand sanitizer. We love the Babyganics hand sanitizing wipes.
Eczema-friendly Bath & Body Wash
Pack their gentle, hypoallergenic, fragrance-free, moisturizing bath and body wash. We pack a travel size of the Aquaphor Baby Wash and Shampoo.
Detergent for Sensitive Skin
If you plan to do laundry while traveling, don’t forget to bring their special hypoallergenic, fragrance-fee, dye-free detergent made for sensitive skin.
Portable Humidifier
A portable humidifier can help maintain adequate moisture levels in the air especially in hotel rooms where the air-conditioning can dry out their skin. We loved this portable travel-size humidifier for traveling.
Sunscreen
Last but not least, don’t forget to pack their sunscreen to protect from harmful UV rays. We recommend Thinkbaby sunscreen lotion.
Considering all the above travel essentials to manage your child’s eczema, here is a complete travel packing list when traveling internationally with a toddler.
