A guest post as part of our cooperation with Nutrischlau
Neurodermatitis is a complex, multifactorial disease – meaning that many different triggers and influences work together. In addition to genetic factors, environmental stimuli, and psychological stress, nutrition also plays a central role. Therefore, anyone who truly wants to bring their skin back into balance in the long term should not only care for it externally but also support it from within.
Precisely for this reason, KAMI skincare collaborates with nutrischlau.de – a blog and consulting service specializing in holistic, everyday nutrition for skin issues. Behind nutrischlau is Romy, herself a mother of a child with neurodermatitis and a certified nutritional consultant. She knows the daily challenges faced by affected families not only professionally but also from her own experience – and understands how important individual, loving support is on this journey.
In this guest post, Romy shares her knowledge, personal experiences, and practical tips on how nutrition and skincare can go hand in hand – for strong skin and fewer flare-ups.
What to do during a neurodermatitis flare-up? Tips from nutritional consultant Romy Löffler of nutrischlau
A neurodermatitis flare-up can be as distressing for babies and toddlers as it is for you as a parent. Suddenly, everything seems worse again: the skin is inflamed, your child is constantly scratching, sleep suffers – and often the nerves of the entire family too. In such moments, it's important to recognize the situation quickly and act specifically. This article shows you how to identify a neurodermatitis flare-up, what immediate measures you can take, and how gentle care like KAMI SOS Skin Care Oil can soothe the skin.
1. Recognizing the signs: How does a flare-up manifest?
A neurodermatitis flare-up often comes on suddenly – or creeps in. The skin of an affected baby or toddler goes through different stages that parents can observe well with a little experience.
Typical signs:
• Nodule formation and dry skin in typical areas (e.g., cheeks, torso, arm creases, back of knees)
• Increasing redness and flaking
• Increasing itching (especially at night, when changing diapers, and dressing)
• Scratch marks and skin injuries with oozing, crusting, and cracks in the skin
• In acute cases, superinfection with acute inflammation and pus formation, as well as impaired general well-being (severe restlessness, fever)
Possible triggers for a flare-up:
• Weather changes (e.g., cold, dry air)
• Sweating
• Infections, teething, start of complementary feeding
• Food reactions (e.g., to cow's milk, eggs, nuts)
• Contact with irritating substances (e.g., wool, unsuitable care products, fragrances)
• Psychological stress or changes in daily routine
If you feel that your child is suddenly reacting "differently," is more restless, or is repeatedly scratching certain areas – it's worth taking a closer look at the skin. A flare-up doesn't mean you're doing everything wrong, but that the skin needs extra support right now.
2. First aid for a flare-up – what helps now
As soon as you notice signs of a flare-up, you can immediately counteract it with targeted measures. Important: Not all skin areas need the same treatment. Different care is needed depending on the stage of the skin changes.
The skin care principle helps you with this:
• Moist on oozing: If the skin is oozing, i.e., secreting fluid or forming crusts, moist compresses (e.g., with black tea or saline solution) and shake lotions help to relieve acute inflammation and itching.
• Fat on dry: Dry, flaky, or cracked skin areas need oil-based care, ideally without irritating additives.
Neurodermatitic skin is usually in a state between these two stages. The challenge for you is to choose a coordinated skin care that includes an appropriate amount of fat and moisture. With the KAMI 2-phase care spray and the KAMI SOS skin care balm, you have the choice between a light, moisturizing and a rich, nourishing product.
Further tips for the acute phase:
• Avoid injuries from scratching: Get it out of your head that you can prevent your child from scratching. These attempts will fail and only cost both of you unnecessary energy. Instead, use scratch mittens or special neurodermatitis clothing at night to reduce the depth of injuries from scratching. (Further information here in the blog post.)
• Gentle cleansing: In acute phases, daily short bathing or showering with lukewarm water to reduce germ load and loosen crusts. For soiled areas, use KAMI Nourishing Washing Fluid for cleansing if necessary. Gently pat dry and then immediately apply appropriate care. Alternatively, KAMI SOS Skin Care Oil can be mixed directly into the bathwater.
• Loose clothing: Cotton instead of wool, no tight cuffs or rubbing seams. If necessary, temporarily wear undershirts and shirts inside out.
- Review nutrition: Acidic fruits (e.g., citrus fruits, currants, pineapple), strong herbs and spices (e.g., onion, garlic, ginger, pepper), and foods high in histamine (e.g., very ripe bananas, aged cheese, canned goods, and pickled foods) additionally burden the skin in this phase and should be avoided.
- Stay calm: Stress, including yours (!), transfers to the skin. Ensure a calm daily routine and sufficient sleep. Take regular breaks and let your child be looked after by other caregivers. Consistently stop negative thought spirals and consciously direct your perception back to the pleasant things in your everyday life. Caution with inflamed skin:
If you notice yellowish crusts or blisters, severe redness and warmth of the skin, or even fever in your child, please go to the doctor immediately (!). In such cases, a bacterial infection may be present that requires medical treatment.
3. KAMI SOS Skin Care Oil – Gentle Help from Nature
In the acute phase of a flare-up, it is crucial to soothe the skin, relieve itching, and strengthen the natural skin barrier. This is exactly where KAMI SOS Skin Care Oil can be valuable support.
Why this oil in particular?
The special feature: It contains high-quality marmot oil, which is traditionally used for inflammatory skin conditions. Marmot oil is often described as a gentle alternative to cortisone-containing preparations due to its natural anti-inflammatory effect – without their side effects.
Application:
• Apply gently to still damp skin directly after bathing or showering, or add to bathwater.
• Particularly suitable for reddened and severely itchy skin areas.
• Also for sensitive baby skin – without fragrances or synthetic additives.
Many parents report that the skin feels softer, more relaxed, and less irritated after just a few applications. As always, it's important: Every skin is different. Therefore, first try it on a small area of skin and observe how your child reacts.
If you are unsure: Get support
Especially when flare-ups accumulate or you feel that you are constantly reaching your limits in everyday life, an outside perspective can be very relieving:
- Which trigger factors play a role?
- Does my child perhaps have an intolerance to certain foods?
- How do I find the right care so that we can finally get the skin under control?
Through my Neurodermatitis Emergency Consultation, I offer you an individual and quick way to discuss the situation with an expert who also knows all this from her own experience. Because I know: every child is different – and sometimes a little external support is simply needed to take the next and right steps.
This is how you can contact me: I offer conversations and support, here you can find me: nutrischlau.de
I also share my tips on Instagram, follow me!
Thank you for your time, all the best wishes
Romy Löffler
