A Surrey-based mum has captured hearts online after revealing how she eased her baby daughter’s severe eczema, amassing millions of views in the process.
Lottie Darwen, from Staines-upon-Thames, had explored countless remedies to help relieve her daughter Arabella’s painful eczema before finally discovering a solution.
Wanting to help other parents, Lottie took to social media to share Arabella’s journey, uploading a video that showcased the dramatic difference made by a product called ScratchSleeves.
The clip, showing Arabella’s comfort after using the sleeves, has now drawn over nine million views on TikTok.
“I never expected the video to go viral,” Lottie said. “It’s been incredible to see the video resonate with so many people. If it means even one more baby gets some relief, and one more parent gets some rest, then I couldn’t be more grateful.”
ScratchSleeves are cardigan-style garments with integrated mittens, designed to prevent babies from scratching irritated skin. Favoured by thousands of families, they offer a gentle and practical solution to help manage eczema flare-ups.
Lottie, a beautician and founder of LotaBeauty based at No.9 Boutique in Egham, admitted the experience of juggling motherhood and her business while searching for a cure was overwhelming.
She shared: “Being a mum and running a business is a challenge at the best of times. When your child is unwell and you’re not sleeping, the stress becomes overwhelming. Finding something that worked for Arabella didn’t just help her – it really helped me feel like I could cope again.”
“We’d tried everything, and I was exhausted, worried, and feeling helpless. Within minutes of putting ScratchSleeves on Arabella, she stopped scratching. It was such a relief, both for her and for me.”
Lottie’s heartfelt story not only touched fellow parents but also moved Jae Rance, the creator of ScratchSleeves, who personally reached out following the viral success.
“We created ScratchSleeves because we lived through that same nightmare with our son, Max. To see another family find the same relief we once needed so badly – it’s just incredibly moving. I’m so proud that our solution could make such a difference for Arabella.”
“We also started the ScratchSleeves blog to share our experience of bringing up a child with eczema. We write about day-to-day practicalities which the medical professionals typically don’t know about, like what prescribed eczema creams can do to the innards of your washing machine, as well as providing well researched evaluations of the many myths about the condition. This blog has now been published by Souvenir Press as ‘The Calm Skin Guide’.”
“Everything we do is designed around making life easier for parents during what can be a really rough time. Lottie’s story is exactly why we started ScratchSleeves in the first place.”
Although the overwhelming majority of feedback has been positive, Lottie’s video has also drawn some unkind remarks online, including unfounded suggestions linking her pregnancy diet to Arabella’s condition.
Experts stress that eczema is influenced by a range of factors, including genetics and environmental triggers, and that blaming parents only causes unnecessary distress.
“We’re really sorry that Lottie’s very sweet video of Arabella attracted such unhelpful and ill-informed comments,” said Jae.
“They may have been well meant but eczema is such a variable condition that what works for one person, can have the opposite effect for another. As my grandmother was fond of saying: ‘If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all’.”
