The Skin You're In

I have been on an elimination diet for just about a week now, after taking Ava to the pediatrician and her concluding that it was eczema that was covering her face. I immediately started using Cetaphil moisturizing cream (this was recommended by Asher's dermatologist and allergist for his eczema and has always worked very well for him) twice a day. Her skin was sooo dry and was just screaming for lotion, so I am so glad I took her to the doctor when I did so that I could get right on that.

Within a few days of being on the diet, I could see a difference in Ava's skin. You can see it for yourself!

Here is Ava last week (poor baby!):
It was all over her face, her ears, her neck, and was starting to move down to shoulders and back.

Here is a picture from a couple days ago:

And this is from today!I just can't get over how awesome she looks! Her skin does still fluctuate, and sometimes it will be more red and irritated, but wow, what a difference! What I've eliminated is the top five allergens: dairy, wheat, soy, eggs, and peanuts. I won't say it's been a joyride to be so restricted, but the difference this time around is that I pretty much know exactly what I can eat since I prepare food for Asher on a daily basis (the only difference is that he is not allergic to soy) and am so used to reading labels and whatnot. It's not this super crazy adjustment like it was before. That's not to say that I'm still not lusting after bread, brownies, ice cream, and pretty much anything that is super delicious, but it's totally doable this time, which is great.

And really, when you see results like this, it's so completely worth it! The upside is that her skin is looking amazing. The downside is that it's obvious she must have food allergies since it has cleared up so quickly. And she is most likely highly sensitive. We're heading to the allergist later this month, so we should have a better idea of what we're looking at. If she does have allergies (which is probably a given), I really hope that she is only allergic to one or two things rather than the whole gamut. Keeping my fingers crossed!