I wasn’t expecting to do a part 3, I really thought I was done testing Coconut oil. I started to notice pin needle bumps popping up everywhere on my daughter’s torso and back, then on her thighs. I had been giving her several oranges a day (those little cuties) and thought those could be the culprit. However, I stopped giving those to her for a few days and the inflamed itchy areas didn’t change. Then it dawned on me, that it’s a reaction to the Coconut Oil! Crazy because these itchy areas took days to pop up (over a week). Delayed reaction!!
After further research, coconuts could be related in some way to tree nuts. Since she has a tree nut allergy, this could explain the itchies!? So what now?
Before I can continue with Calendula cream, I have to allow her skin to heal. Which means we are back on Aquaphor. About 3 days after I stopped using the Coconut oil, the red inflamed bumps started to dry up and no longer itch. Lesson learned!
Verdict:
Some allergic reactions do not show up immediately, it may take days for the reaction to surface.
Have you tried coconut oil? How has it worked for you? Leave a comment below!
Coconuts are nuts only in name. Do a little research. We asked our Dr about using coconut oil and she mentioned that there have been cases of sensitivities developing. So, we probably won’t try it. Though our daughter eats it often. Aquaphor is mostly
petroleum jelly so we just use that. Our doc actually recommended to try it in place of lotions. It helped in our case to rotate off the lotions. One negative though was petroleum jelly is it makes it hotter in warm weather. Some sort of barrier like aquaphor/petroleum
jelly over clean skin/meds seems to work well.
I thought if coconut oil is organic and virgin then it’s very unlikely to cause allergies. Some coconut oil that is not organic may be processed using chemicals that could be allergens. Take care!
@Anonymous, I did research as mentioned in the post. There are ways the two could be related although a coconut is not a true nut. The coconut is difficult to classify, and even botanists frequently disagree on its classification. Therefore, this could
explain the mild allergic reaction or perhaps she’s just allergic to coconuts. Either way, it’s a no go for us. Thanks for your thoughts! @Mei Hua Yee, I used Organic, fresh pressed virgin, unrefined coconut oil. Seems to have been processed the best possible
way. I’ll steer clear of coconut oil and move on to the next one!
We tried virgin coconut oil on our son and it seemed fine at first and he suddenly (a few days after applying it) he became itchy after applying it. The same thing happened with extra virgin olive oil and many other oils. Shea butter used to break him
out, as did petroleum, but those are ok now. Since our little ones have damaged skin barriers, anything can seep into the skin and therefore can create an allergy or sensitivity at any point. As parents we just have to keep our guard up. It’s great to keep
trying new creams, but just watch for reactions, even days later. Patch tests are great like you mentioned Andrea. I too have a closet full of creams that we’ve tried on recommendation. What works for one child, may not work for everyone. So, we keep trying.
When we find something that works, we use it until it no longer works. Then it’s on to something else. Rotating creams helps too. Find a couple of good ones. Use one for a few weeks, then switch to another for a few weeks, then switch to another, and start
the cycle over again.
I’m curious if you were able to try the Calendula cream and if so, what were your findings.
We did! It worked really well for my daughter’s eczema around the ankles and on her feet. Yet, it was to strong for places like her calves. I’m not sure which ingredient triggered a reaction (cracking of the skin on her calves) but we are only able to use it for her feet & ankles. It worked extremely well for those areas.
Good to know. I was going it buy coconut for my little one, but I am not going to waste my money anymore! Thanks