Let's dive right into an often overlooked aspect of your child's skin rash struggles... their skin microbiome!
Ever wonder about the community of bacteria, fungi, and viruses living on your child's skin?
If not, I bet you do now
Let's talk skin flora - the heroes (and sometimes villains) of those tiny ecosystems we call kids!
What's the Deal with Skin Flora?
Your child's skin is an active ecosystem of millions of bacteria, fungi, and viruses – collectively known as the skin microbiome. When these guys (and gals) are harmoniously balanced, life is good!
They work together to create a protective shield, guarding against unwanted invaders from the outside world.
But When the Balance Tips... Houston, We Have a Problem
When the skin flora gets out of balance, it can get itchy. A dysbiotic situation (when the flora is out of whack) can break down the skin barrier, making it leaky and, you guessed it, itchy.
Different Strokes for Different Folks (and Body Parts!)
Interestingly, the makeup of skin flora varies in different locations!
Moist spots (hello, elbow and knee creases!) might get overrun with Staphylococcus, the uninvited guest known to worsen eczema and itch.
On the other hand, fungal flora, like Malassezia, is more likely to cause problems on the core, armpits, feet, and even the scalp (cue cradle cap).
And those viruses
Viruses like Molluscum and hand, foot, and mouth disease can add their own flavor to the mix. These party crashers are more about the person than the location on the body.
What you can do about it
One of my all-time favorite strategies for helping to balance the skin microbiome is using probiotics on the skin.
MegaSporeBiotic can be used on the skin! Open a capsule, use a moisturizer of choice on the skin, sprinkle on a little MegaSpore, massage it in, and leave it on.
Raw fermented sauerkraut juice can be used on the skin, too. Dab a cotton ball moistened with kraut juice on rashes.
There are also a variety of commercially available products that contain probiotics and even prebiotics for the skin.
Respond to this email and LMK...
Have you tried probiotics on your child's skin?
Your guide to healthy skin,
Jennifer
PS. I'll be totally transparent here, this is one of the hardest parts of the journey. That's for two reasons:
1) Everyone is different, and
2) Skin problems are more than skin deep, and an “inside-out” approach can be necessary to get to the root cause of the problem
If you need help, I've got you covered. With Conquer Your Child's Rashesᵀᴹ (CYCRᵀᴹ) Online, we dive super deep into what's going on with your child's skin from the outside in! The first module is dedicated to this, and we start there because when I've asked what your biggest challenge is, for most, it's managing your child's skin symptoms.
*Always read labels to make sure it’s safe for your child. Try options one at a time, and spot-check before using broadly.