The NoScratch Routine: How to Reclaim Your Peace
When you are in the middle of a flare-up, every extra step feels like a burden. I know how it feels to be exhausted and just want a solution that works without a fight. When I designed NoScratch Baby, my goal was to make a product that was "Dad-proof." It had to be easy to put on, impossible for a baby to take off, and tough enough to handle a normal life.
This is how we integrated the sleeves into our daily life to finally end the scratch cycle.
The "Houdini" Proof Design
Before I made my own, we used other sleeves that were basically just a band of fabric. Because we wanted them to last longer, we bought them a size bigger. That was a mistake. Our son figured out how to pull on one side of the sleeve and wiggle his way out of it completely by the time he was nine months old. It was incredibly frustrating to walk into the nursery and find the sleeves on the floor and his face bleeding.
Our sleeves go on just like a jacket. Because the Modal material is so smooth, your baby’s arms slide right in without any friction. I added a snap button on the front specifically to stop the "escape act." It keeps the sleeves secure on the body no matter how much your baby moves or pulls at them. It is easy for a parent to snap, but my son was not able to figure out how to open it himself until he was nearly 20 months old.
Comfort in the Details
When a baby has eczema, every little bump in a garment can feel like a needle. I made sure to address the small things that most brands ignore.
First, we use flat stitches throughout the entire sleeve. This means the seams do not protrude or stick out from the fabric. They are seamlessly flat, so there is nothing to rub against or irritate an already itchy patch of skin. Second, we took the tags out. There are no scratchy labels on the neck or the arms to cause more itching. It is just smooth fabric from top to bottom.
The Glove System
The biggest problem with typical scratch gloves is the opening. Many brands make the gloves too big and the closures way too tight. It makes checking your baby’s hands a chore.
Our gloves are designed to be easy to open and close. The smooth fabric helps the closure move freely so you can check hands or trim nails without a struggle. We also made sure the opening is secure enough so that tiny fingers don’t poke out and start scratching in the middle of the night.
Built for the Real Laundry Room
If you read the fine print on bamboo or silk sleeves, they often tell you to hand-wash them or lay them flat to dry. As a father, I did not have the time for that.
I have never done a special wash for our sleeves. I throw them into a normal wash cycle with everything else. The sleeves we bought on Amazon made of bamboo and silk were destroyed by this process. The material weakened and my son’s nails poked right through them.
Because Modal is a very strong fiber, our sleeves are durable as heck. They can endure rough washing cycles and vigorous scratching. I am still using the samples I bought over a year ago. They are still in great shape and I believe they could easily last through to your next baby.
Moisturizing and Care
We use these sleeves as a tool to help manage the itch. Throughout the day, we apply lotions or whatever moisturizers our son needs at the time. I am not a doctor and cannot give medical advice, but I can tell you what worked for us.
The sleeves do a great job of keeping the moisture in. They prevent our son from wiping his creams off on the furniture or the carpet. This allows the skin to actually stay hydrated so it can begin to heal. Our son wears his sleeves all day and all night because they have become a part of his comforting routine.
— Daniel, Founder, NoScratch Baby
