Welcoming a new baby into the world is a magical moment that fills you with so much joy. No matter how many children you’ve already had, it’s always special to give life to another. Of course, you’ve also got to start thinking about all the various concerns a parent should think about when they have a newborn.
Newborn babies are…well…they’re strange! That’s not meant in a cruel way, it’s more of a comparison to more developed children. Newborns are very new to the world and are still developing so many aspects of themselves. Physically, they will present different issues compared to some of your older children. As an example, many newborns struggle with dry skin problems. This is perfectly normal, and you’ll see why in a second. For parents, your main aim is to help your newborn deal with any problems and reduce the symptoms as much as possible. With that in mind, here are some tips to help you cope with dry skin in babies.
But first, there’s an important question to address:
Clearly, adults and children can get dry skin as well! It’s not a condition that’s unique to babies, though it is something you’re more likely to see in newborns. Why is this the case? It all comes down to your baby’s skin. Unlike adult skin, a newborn’s skin is super thin and hasn’t developed a proper defensive barrier yet. This makes it very sensitive, and it also lacks the ability to maintain its moisture.
Consequently, it’s much easier for a baby’s skin to dry out and become cracked. They lose hydration far quicker than adults and are more sensitive to things like water and creams. Thankfully, there are lots of things and tactics you can do to prevent dry skin in babies, or to calm down the symptoms if your baby suffers from it.
Keep your baby moisturised
The simplest place to start is by adding lots of moisture to your baby’s skin. To do this, you need a baby moisturiser – the baby part is crucial as it means the moisturiser has been formulated to treat baby skin. Don’t use the same products you use on yourself as it could irritate their skin and make the problems worse. Ideally, baby moisturisers should be hypoallergenic and fragrance-free – this helps to avoid as much irritation as possible.
As far as the frequency goes, you should moisturise them at least twice per day. If you are bathing your child, be sure to apply moisturiser after that as well. This helps to flood your child’s skin with all the moisture it needs to retain hydration and avoid drying out. Of course, if you notice their skin looks a bit dry or flaky, you can apply more moisturiser as you see fit.
Don’t bathe your newborn baby more than twice a week
Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need to bathe your baby every single day. A lot of parents think this is necessary, as you want to keep your child as clean as possible. After all, they can get pretty messy during the day! Nevertheless, a daily bath isn’t required when they are a few weeks or months old. In fact, if they wash too frequently, you will most likely exacerbate the problem of dry skin.
Why? Because water isn’t actually that brilliant for your skin if you suffer from dryness. Or, more accurately, hot water is bad for it. It can harm your baby’s delicate skin and make it more sensitive. If you look up how to bathe a newborn baby, you’ll notice that most experts suggest doing it no more than twice a week. Exposure to too many baths and too much soap can be bad for your child and make their skin even dryer. So, keep the sponge baths to a minimum, and find other ways to clean your child. For instance, using special baby wipes to remove any mess they make, and so on.
Keep the baths short and warm
Following on from the point above, make sure your baths aren’t long and hot. Long baths for a baby will dry out their skin even more, particularly if the water is too hot. Getting the right temperature for the bath is probably the hardest part. If it’s too cold, your baby will become too cold and this can cause some health problems. If it’s too hot, you run the risk of a) scalding your baby, and b) drying out their skin. Ideally, the temperature should be lukewarm – not overly hot, but still not cold.
Likewise, you don’t want to keep them in the tub for too long. Make the baths as short as possible, while still ensuring you clean your baby thoroughly. Try to avoid using too much soap and creating too many bubbles – it’s unnecessary and will irritate their skin. Keep it fragrance-free as well for added protection, and take your baby out as quickly as you can.
Watch the humidity inside your home
Indoor air humidity is a huge factor that plenty of parents forget about. Don’t worry, it’s perfectly normal to not be concerned with your humidity when you have a newborn to look after! You’re understandably distracted by everything else, though it is worth looking at the humidity in your home, particularly in the room the baby sleeps in.
You see, many homes will suffer from dry air, which is basically air that lacks moisture. When this happens, it can cause issues like dry skin to occur – especially if you have a newborn with their already sensitive skin. The biggest mistake people make is turning the heating on in the baby’s room to keep them as warm as possible. When your central heating is on, it tends to sap lots of moisture from the air. While you think you’re keeping your baby comfortable, you’re actually making their dry skin problem a bit worse.
Instead, keep the temperature down a bit lower, so your baby can still feel comfortable without it being overly hot. Secondly, get a humidifier for your baby’s room. This adds moisture to the air, which can really help with their dry skin. It’s an interesting tactic as it doesn’t involve anything directly to do with your baby’s skin. However, it could be the most effective way of reducing the effect of dry skin.
Always keep your baby wrapped up
Babies love to be kept warm, but they also need to be wrapped up when you go outside. This is most important in the colder months as the air is very cold and dry. As mentioned above, dry air is bad for a baby’s skin! Well, it’s bad for everyone’s skin, so if you seem to suffer from dry skin during the winter, now you know why.
Anyway, you need to wrap your baby up to protect their skin from the air. It also helps to maybe moisturise them or use a balm on their face before you go out. Essentially, you’re protecting them from the cold weather and stopping their skin from drying out. Plus, this can also stop your baby from crying – many babies cry when they’re subjected to cold weather or feel cold. It’s a reflex reaction as their body knows it needs to be warm, so they’re trying to get your attention.
Change your laundry detergent
This is another one of those things that people don’t tend to think about. The detergent you use to wash clothes can have an impact on your baby’s skin. This is because it can contain chemicals and things that irritate their skin and might dry it out. So, when you wrap them up in blankets and clothes, you’re actually possibly harming their skin.
Instead, you should change to an option that’s made for babies. Yes, these do exist! They are specially designed for sensitive skin, meaning they won’t irritate your baby. It is well worth looking into these detergents as they won’t change much about your life or routine, but can help your baby’s dry skin.
Mop up any spillages
Finally, be on-hand to mop away any spillages caused by your baby. As you feed them, they could dribble milk down their face. Similarly, they can have snot dripping from their nose or drool from their mouth. These are all normal aspects of being a baby, but leaving these things on the skin for too long can cause irritation. Lots of babies get dry skin on their faces as a result.
So, you need to be vigilant and look for things like this as often as you can. Mop them up with a soft cloth or baby wipe, keeping your baby’s skin nice and clean.
Remember, dry skin is relatively normal in newborns. Most of them will suffer from it, but you can still prevent it or reduce any irritation. The advice in this guide is excellent at doing both of those things. Keep your baby’s skin protected, and they will also be less irritable!
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Clare
Hi, I'm Clare (Emmy's Mummy). A former Nanny and Mother of 2 - Emmy (born February 2010) and Harry (born October 2012). We are Essex based and share our adventures and misadventures of a busy crazy life.
