I feel as though I’ve been cooped up in the house for forever and 12 years, and I haven’t done a ‘Photo Friday’ in just about as long. This is just a little photographic experiment having a dark subject in front of a bright background.

I really dislike Winter for two reasons: first, I despise the winter weather we get. Last year over a big part of the Midwest, we had a vicious winter storm leaving many people without power and water for days, weeks, even months. I shudder at the memories of huddling around a kerosene heater with my parents, trying to cook soup on top of it. This year hasn’t been so bad, but I could still do without snow, ice, and the cold, grey dampness of the season. I need sunshine and warmth!

The second reason I despise Winter really less to do with the weather and more to do with our family’s curse of having dry skin. I’m itching right now just writing about it. However, my itchiness really doesn’t compare to Dylan’s problem – he has eczema. And it’s almost unmanageable in the winter time. His constant scratching eventually makes him bleed, lose sleep at night because he wakes up to scratch, and generally makes him miserable. A problem that isn’t nearly as severe in the warmer months, when the air isn’t so void of moisture.

He was diagnosed when he was around 5 months old, so I’ve done my share of reading about the condition and talking to his doctors about what to do. Eventually, the prescription ointments clear up his skin and I use them until we run out of them. To compensate for having to go to the doctor all the time, I’ve scoured drugstore shelves for the perfect lotion/moisturizer to aid in the healing (though they all claim to be the BEST OF THE BEST OF THE BEST). Eventually it always comes back. The thing about eczema is that when you start scratching, it’s extremely hard to satiate that itch because the more you scratch, the more inflamed and irritated the skin gets, making it itch even more. Even after it begins to bleed and weep, I’ve seen my son scratch until he’s on the verge of crying. It’s heartbreaking. And there’s no cure.

Last week when it was particularly bad, I decided to do some extra research online to see if there was anything I could use at home or buy in a bottle to help. In a perfect world, the prescription ointment his doctor always gives us would be available over-the-counter, however just with every other kind of prescription out there, they’re hesitant to keep supplying it over and over again. Prolonged use could be damaging. I knew there had to be other ways. I came across several adult sufferers of eczema online that suggested taking oatmeal baths. Yes, the kind that you eat for breakfast! I was skeptical at first, wondering why something so cheap and readily available hasn’t even been mentioned at any of his doctor visits. I gave it a try, grinding 1 cup of oatmeal in a food processor until it was powdery and adding it to his lukewarm bathwater. I wasn’t expecting any results, but amazingly even after one 30 minute bath, he told me that he didn’t itch as bad and the redness was already clearing up a little. I was surprised, to say the least.

Since then, he’s been taking them regularly, and I’m happy to be able to say that it’s almost completely under control again. Further reading on oatmeal baths informed me that it’s good for the skin because it acts as an anti-inflammatory, soothing the skin while locking in moisture. After the baths, I’ve been moisturizing his skin with a cream lotion. The combination of the two work wonders. I just wish I’d searched for these answers sooner.

Though I’m still yearning for the day that the sun peaks out and warms this place up, at least this winter has been a little more bearable, especially for my little guy.

To anyone that has eczema or dry winter skin, are there any other home remedies that you’ve found effective at soothing the skin? What’s your favorite, most effective lotion or moisturizer?