Winter Baby Skin Care
From diaper rash to summer skin woes, follow these tips for baby skincare
Published on: 3 May 2022, 15:00 pm IST
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Contrary to what you believe that baby skin is soft and smooth, it is actually dry, flaky, and sensitive—especially when they are newborn. As soon as the little ones come into the world, they can develop numerous skin conditions such as cradle cap, diaper rash, milia, infantile acne, and others. And because the baby’s skin is extremely delicate, you have to be looked after it with utmost care. So, to find the best baby skincare routine, look no further. We have an expert to guide you.
Health Shots spoke to Dr Jagdish Kathwate, Consultant Neonatologist and Paediatrician, Motherhood Hospital Kharadi Pune, to know the dos and don’ts of the baby skincare routine.
Here’s how you can protect and take care of your baby’s skin:
1. Follow a proper bathing routine
A newborn baby’s skin is soft and delicate, so when it comes to your baby’s skin, try not to over-bathe. A newborn doesn’t need a bath every day because babies don’t get dirty enough to need daily baths. Plus, frequent bathing may dry out the skin and strip the natural oils that act as a barrier against infections and other irritants, explains Dr Kathwate. That’s why bathing the little one twice or thrice a week is okay.
Bathe your baby with lukewarm water, instead of hot. Also, don’t forget to clean the diaper area from time to time.
2. Use a gentle and good moisturizing lotion
Unlike us, babies lose their natural moisture faster because of the skin formation of the baby. Ideally, you should look for subtle and skin-friendly products. Once the skin is dry, apply them immediately especially after bathing the baby to seal in moisture and prevent skin dryness. It will be a good idea to consult an expert before using any products.
Also, when it comes to babies’ skincare products like shampoo, lotion and gel, be careful about any likely allergies.
3. Give regular massage to the baby
Regular massage to the baby will keep their skin soft and supple. Choose massage oil only after consulting the expert. You can also give a few minutes of massage to your baby while applying moisture. Massage the skin in a circular motion and try not to massage too vigorously, since it might cause harm to your baby’s skin.
4. Avoid using scented products
There are many types of products available in the market, but not all are safe. Dr Kathwate says, “Some of them contain chemicals or irritants which can cause rashes, redness, inflammation, and itchiness in babies.” Limit or avoid scented and artificial coloured baby skin products especially for the first several months, and choose fragrance-free products.
If the skin is getting dry, use only ointment or lotion to prevent or cure dryness.
5. Avoid the baby’s exposure to direct sunlight
Baby should be kept out of the direct exposure to the sunlight because it can be harmful to their skin. Dr Kathwate says, “Too much sunlight exposure is not recommended for the baby as the UV rays are harmful. You will have to cover the baby appropriately by using an umbrella, cap, or hat to avoid the UV rays.” Try to protect your baby from harmful UV rays for at least 6 months.
6. Manage diaper rash and eczema
Diaper rash is seen when the baby remains in the diaper for a longer time. Eczema is often characterized by dry, itchy skin. Use products suggested by the expert to manage these conditions.
Your baby's skin
Your baby's skin
Your newborn baby may have some changes in their skin that seem unusual to you. Most skin changes in newborns are fairly common and do not need medical treatment.
Baby acne is a red, pimply rash on the face. It usually starts when a baby is 2-3 weeks old and disappears within a few weeks. Baby acne can occur from the nipples up, but mostly on the face. No treatment is needed.
is a red, pimply rash on the face. It usually starts when a baby is 2-3 weeks old and disappears within a few weeks. Baby acne can occur from the nipples up, but mostly on the face. No treatment is needed. Cutis marmorata is a condition where the skin looks like pinkish-blue marble in cold temperatures. This will stop over time.
is a condition where the skin looks like pinkish-blue marble in cold temperatures. This will stop over time. Erythema toxicum is a common, splotchy red rash that can affect newborns. Some have firm yellow or white bumps surrounded by a flare of red skin. The rash can come and go on different parts of the body. It’s most common on the second or third day of life, but can appear at birth or within the first two weeks. The individual splotches can stay for a few hours, or for up to 8-10 days. There is no treatment – it will gradually disappear.
is a common, splotchy red rash that can affect newborns. Some have firm yellow or white bumps surrounded by a flare of red skin. The rash can come and go on different parts of the body. It’s most common on the second or third day of life, but can appear at birth or within the first two weeks. The individual splotches can stay for a few hours, or for up to 8-10 days. There is no treatment – it will gradually disappear. Milia are tiny whiteheads on your baby’s face. They will disappear on their own.
are tiny whiteheads on your baby’s face. They will disappear on their own. Dermal melanocytosis (mongolian spots or slate gray nevi) are flat birthmarks that can be deep brown, slate gray, or blue-black in colour. They sometimes look like bruises and are often found on the lower back and bottom. The spots are present at birth. Most fade (at least somewhat) by age 2 and usually completely by age 5. They are very common in babies of darker skin colour.
(mongolian spots or slate gray nevi) are flat birthmarks that can be deep brown, slate gray, or blue-black in colour. They sometimes look like bruises and are often found on the lower back and bottom. The spots are present at birth. Most fade (at least somewhat) by age 2 and usually completely by age 5. They are very common in babies of darker skin colour. Vernix is a greasy, white substance that covers and protects your baby’s skin in the uterus. Some babies are born with a lot of vernix still on their skin. It’s harmless and can be washed or wiped off. Losing vernix may cause the skin to peel during the first week of life. This is normal and will go away on its own. The peeling process is normal and does not benefit from the use of moisturizing cream.
Caring for the umbilical cord
By the time you are home from the hospital, your baby’s cord will have started to dry. It should fall off within 1 to 3 weeks. Until then, you should keep it clean and dry.
Water is all you need to clean it. Do not pull on the stump, even when it starts to come off. It will fall off on its own. You can prevent your baby’s diaper from rubbing the area by folding it over.
Contact your doctor if your baby has a fever (temperature of 38.0° C or higher) or if the umbilical area:
appears red and swollen,
oozes yellow pus,
produces a foul-smelling discharge, or
bleeds significantly (a small amount of bleeding is normal and you may find a few spots of blood on the undershirt or sleeper).
Bathing your baby
Bathing your baby is an important part of keeping her healthy, however, you don’t need to bathe your baby every day. A wash with a warm, wet cloth will help keep your baby clean between baths.
Wash your baby’s face and hands often and thoroughly clean the genital area after each diaper change using a warm, wet cloth or unscented baby wipes. You don’t need to use soap, but if you do, make sure it is mild and unscented. Rinse well to prevent skin irritation.
Bathe your baby in a warm room. The water should feel comfortable to the touch.
Make sure you have all of your supplies within reach so that you never leave your baby alone.
Remove any jewelry that might scratch your baby.
Hold your baby securely.
Use clean water to wash your baby’s eyes, ears, mouth and face.
Wipe a baby girl’s genitals from front to back. Gently wash the vaginal lips.
Keep a baby boy’s penis clean by gently washing the area. Do not try to pull back the foreskin (usually, it is not fully retractable until a boy is 3 to 5 years old, or even until after puberty). Never force it .
. Do not use cotton swabs to clean inside baby’s nose and ears. Mucus or earwax will work itself out in time. Use a clean wash cloth wrapped around your little finger to clean the outer areas.
Pat your baby completely dry with a towel.
Never leave your baby unattended in a bath, even for a moment.
Diaper rash
Diaper rash – also called diaper dermatitis – happens when your baby’s skin gets irritated from wet or soiled diapers. It can happen if your child has very sensitive skin or when urine or stool in the diaper touches skin for too long, making it sore and red.
Candida diaper rash tends to show up around the genitals and buttocks, particularly between skin folds. It’s usually very red with small red spots close to the large patches. Candida is a type of yeast that causes an infection on the skin or mouth. When it’s in the mouth, it’s called thrush.
If you think your baby has a Candida infection, contact your doctor. Candida rashes need to be treated with an antifungal cream that a doctor can prescribe.
How can I prevent diaper rash?
The best way to prevent diaper rash is to change your baby’s diaper often, especially if your baby has diarrhea. If your child has diarrhea, you can also help to prevent diaper rash with an unscented barrier cream, such as petroleum jelly or a zinc oxide-based paste, to protect the skin.
How can I treat diaper rash?
When you change your baby’s diaper, wash her bottom with mild soap and warm water (just water if there is no stool) or unscented baby wipes, rinse and pat dry. If the skin is really sore and red, it may be less painful to wash the area in a warm bath.
Use an unscented barrier ointment, such as petroleum jelly or a cream with zinc oxide, to protect and lubricate the area after each diaper change. Wipe off any stool-contaminated cream with soap and water (or unscented baby wipe) after each change and reapply.
Do not share creams and ointments with other children and don’t touch the affected skin and then put your fingers back into the jar. Use a different finger if you need more ointment.
Do not use baby powder or talc.
If possible, keep your baby’s diaper off for short periods to expose her skin to open air. This can help your baby feel better and heal the rash faster.
If the diaper rash is severe, contact your doctor.
Cradle cap
Cradle cap appears as crusty patches of scaly skin on your baby’s scalp. There may be some redness around the scales. You might also notice redness on other parts of the body, including the folds of the neck, armpits, behind the ears, on the face and in the diaper area. This is called seborrheic dermatitis and will usually disappear on its own.
How should cradle cap be treated?
Cradle cap will go away on its own and does not need to be treated. If you want, you can wash the hair with a mild baby shampoo and gently brush out the scales to help control it. However, shampooing your baby’s hair too often will also cause dry scalp.
Baby oil or mineral oil may help soften the scales. When applying the oil, rub only small amounts into the scales. Then shampoo and brush out the oil about an hour later to avoid more build-up.
If your baby has dry, scaling, thickened skin over the forehead, cheeks and behind the ears, this is called seborrheic dermatitis. An unscented moisturizer can be used 2 to 3 times a day on the skin. A mild hydrocortisone cream (0.5%) is safe and usually effective. If this doesn’t help, see your doctor. This will usually improve by 4 months of age.
Eczema
Eczema is a skin rash that shows up as dry, thickened, scaly skin, or tiny red bumps that can blister, ooze, or become infected. The rash is often itchy.
Eczema usually appears on a baby’s forehead, cheeks or scalp, though it can spread to the arms, legs, chest or other parts of the body. Often — though not always — it occurs in babies who have allergies or a family history of allergy or eczema.
How should eczema be treated?
Although there is no cure for eczema, it can usually be controlled and often will go away after several months or years.
Daily warm baths, letting your baby soak can help. After a bath, pat your baby’s skin dry and apply an unscented moisturizer to trap water in the skin.
Use a gentle, unscented moisturizer instead of a lotion on your baby’s skin to reduce dryness. You can use it 2 to 3 times a day.
Dress your baby in loose cotton fabrics. Avoid wool.
If the rash persists and your baby is not comfortable, your doctor may prescribe medication.
Contact dermatitis
Contact dermatitis can develop after your baby’s skin touches something irritating or that she’s allergic to. For example:
metallic snaps on undershirts, or
dyes in clothing.
These may cause rashes in areas where the clothing rubs or where there is sweat. Contact dermatitis rash is usually only found on the part of the skin that came in contact with the item your baby is allergic to.
The treatment is the same as for eczema but your doctor may want to find the cause of the rash by asking if there is anything new or different your baby came into contact with.
Heat rash
Heat rash causes little bumps on the skin when your baby overheats. The bumps may be red, especially in babies with light skin color. You can usually see it in the folds of baby’s skin and on parts of the body where clothing fits snugly, including the chest, stomach, neck, groin and buttocks.
Hot, humid weather promotes heat rashes, but it can happen in the winter if your baby has too many layers of clothing.
Remove any excess clothing. Keep your baby comfortably cool by dressing him in loose-fitting, light cotton clothing, especially in warm, humid weather.
More information from the CPS Diaper rash
Winter Baby Skin Care
Winter Baby Skin Care
Brrr, baby it's cold outside! Winter weather can be harsh on skin and this is especially true for your baby. A baby's skin is thin and can lose heat quickly. The dry, cold and windy temperatures can cause chapped lips, red irritated skin, windburn, heat rashes and frostbite. From a quick run to the grocery store or an outing to a friend's home, Boys Town Pediatrics offers tips on how to keep your baby's skin safe during the cold winter months.
Bundle Up Properly
The best way to prevent winter skin care problems is to to keep the skin covered and protected properly.
Just right. Be sure your baby is not too cold or too warm. Under-bundling can lead to frostbite and over-bundling can cause a heat rash from overheating. Put on the same number of layers you put on for yourself and watch your baby for sweating (too hot) or cold fingers and toes or blue lips (too cold).
Be sure your baby is not too cold or too warm. Under-bundling can lead to frostbite and over-bundling can cause a heat rash from overheating. Put on the same number of layers you put on for yourself and watch your baby for sweating (too hot) or cold fingers and toes or blue lips (too cold). Layers . Layer in light-to-medium layers (cotton or fleece) so your baby can still have proper insulation and air between layers to breath. Layers can be taken off once leaving the outside weather and entering the room temperature environment.
. Layer in light-to-medium layers (cotton or fleece) so your baby can still have proper insulation and air between layers to breath. Layers can be taken off once leaving the outside weather and entering the room temperature environment. Ample covering. Keep hands, toes and the head and face properly covered. Include hats, mittens, socks, boots and a coat or snowsuit depending on the activity and exposure.
Treating My Baby's Skin
Taking care of your baby's skin is important, especially when the air is dry.
Moisturize. Try moisturizing at least twice a day using non-scented, hypoallergenic lotion. A thicker lotion (cream) may help during the winter months to help build a stronger layer of protection. Using lotion with sunscreen before heading out (especially with prolonged sun exposures) can help prevent against windburn or sunburn.
Try moisturizing at least twice a day using non-scented, hypoallergenic lotion. A thicker lotion (cream) may help during the winter months to help build a stronger layer of protection. Using lotion with sunscreen before heading out (especially with prolonged sun exposures) can help prevent against windburn or sunburn. Petroleum Jelly. Try Vaseline or Aquaphor. Both can be found in most stores and come in travel sizes that can be placed conveniently in diaper bags and small enough for traveling purposes. Apply a thin layer on dry or cracked skin such as your baby's lips or cheeks several times a day to protect the damaged skin.
Try Vaseline or Aquaphor. Both can be found in most stores and come in travel sizes that can be placed conveniently in diaper bags and small enough for traveling purposes. Apply a thin layer on dry or cracked skin such as your baby's lips or cheeks several times a day to protect the damaged skin. Cortisone. Can help with temporary itchiness or heat rashes. Try applying a thin layer softly on affected areas after the skin has been cleaned thoroughly with warm water.
Frostbite
Frostbite is a condition that results in extremely cold tissue that manifests itself visually in a white or grayish appearance in the skin during early stages, followed by a blackening in more advanced stages when skin tissue begins to die. The skin may feel overly cold and may have a numb or prickly feeling. The cheeks, ears, fingers and tip of the nose are common places to get frostbite. If your baby has frostbite:
Use wet heat to start rewarming the frostbitten area immediately. It is important to use wet heat only because frostbitten skin can burn very easily, so dry heat, like that from a space heater or heat lamp, can be dangerous.
If the area is submergible, keep it under warm (not hot) water until a pink flush returns to the skin. This can take as long as 20 to 30 minutes. If the area cannot be kept under water, rewarm the affected area with a wet cloth. Once you have started rewarming the skin, call your pediatrician immediately for further advice or instruction.
Transcript Winter Skin Care For Your Baby A baby's skin is thinner than an adults and so it's more likely to be damaged or at risk during the cold winter temperatures and the blowing gusts of wind. As a result it's very easy for babies to develop chapped lips or dry, red, irritated skin. This can happen quickly, even a quick run into the grocery store or into church. If the temperatures are cold enough and the wind is blowing, a baby's skin can be injured in a matter of seconds. How do I treat my baby's damaged skin? For dry, red, irritated skin or chapped lips there are several good options for children. Vaseline is a perfect one or Aquaphor. That can be placed on a baby's lips several times a day if they are dry or cracked, and a lotion that is non-scented and does not have a color to it are some of the best ones to use because they will be less irritating to the skin. How do I prevent damage to my baby's skin? The best way to prevent winter skin care problems in babies is to first, try to keep the skin covered and protected from those elements, such as the cold temperatures and the blowing gusts of wind. Keeping hands and toes covered, having a baby wear a hat and layers will help to minimize some of these problems.
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