'Tis the Season for Eczema

Oh my poor children (and their poor mother)! I married an asthmatic with hay fever and I have food allergies. Not a good combination genetically speaking. My children all have eczema. I was hoping our baby girl would be spared, but she just got her first red patches.
My son was born with eczema. He's mostly outgrown it, but when winter comes his hands look like he's been dragging them on pavement for a mile. And they just keep getting worse. Since his 2 week checkup we've had to use special soap, laundry detergent, lotions.... and it's getting old fast! He was also diagnosed with mild asthma yesterday, a related condition.
My oldest daughter got it at 4 months and has it the worst. Hers is less severe in winter and is out of control in the spring. She absolutely cannot go swimming or she gets weeping sores. Her skin was the main reason I switched to cloth diapers. Her breakouts are mostly on her bum cheeks and backs of the legs.
I left the doctor's office yesterday with three prescriptions in hand feeling helpless. I'm always a fan of alternative medicines, but hadn't had much success in that department. I renewed my efforts earlier this month and I had my mom pick up some emu oil in California. It's sort of helping my daughter, but not so much my son.
It soothes the skin great, but it isn't getting rid of it. The only other thing my son can stand to have on his skin is Eucerin. So now I have a prescription. I'm loathe to use it and the doc really doesn't want me using it much either. He suggested lathering Eucerin on my sons hands last night then wrapping saran wrap around them and putting socks over them before trying the prescription. That only lasted 4 hours and helped about the same as the emu oil. Guess I'm off to the pharmacy.
But I have 2 more options: Food elimination and Hazelwood.
My niece has found that gluten triggers her eczema and has gone gluten free to control it. I'm suspecting dairy might be a sensitivity for my oldest daughter and also for my baby. She is so gassy you guys and I am exhausted! I'm starting to get depressed and I need to do something to fix her tummy so we can sleep!!!! So I'm gonna try switching to goat's milk. I really, really don't want to do food elimination again though (I had to while nursing my son-milk, wheat, and eggs. He ended up being allergic to eggs)
So that leaves hazelwood.
Have you heard about this? My neighbor sent me an email this morning after seeing my facebook post about eczema. Her SIL used hazelwood necklaces for her kid's eczema and it got rid of it! I know. It's just wood. But it worked for her. And if it means I can keep baking bread, it's worth it to me.
I'm skeptical. Because I hate the acid/alkaline diet stuff. I don't think it makes sense physiologically unless you have kidney disease. But I'm willing to give it a shot. I'm not sure who will be the guinea pig yet, so I ordered a gender neutral one. If nothing else, I just got a cute necklace, right? Too bad I hate wearing jewelry....

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