How to Help a Newborn With Drying Skin

Protect your infant's skin by using as little soap as possible.

It's unsettling for a parent to see his baby's skin become dry, rough and sensitive. The delicacy and tenderness of newborn skin makes it more vulnerable to everything that affects adults, which is why babies sunburn at the beach well before their parents. Infants with medical conditions such as eczema or ichthyosis also exhibit dry skin. The more common causes are external, however, such as weather and skin-care routine.

Things You'll Need

• Fragrance-free, dye-free gentle moisturizing lotion
• Baby shampoo/bodywash

Instructions

1. Use only gentle, baby-friendly products on your infant's skin. Adult moisturizers, shampoos and body washes contain too many dyes, chemicals and perfumes, making them harsh and irritating. Whether you're washing his hair or applying moisturizing lotion, choose products made especially for babies without any fragrances or dyes.

2. Limit exposure to uncomfortable weather. Heat, sun, wind and cold draw moisture from already dry skin. You don't have to keep your little one indoors all the time, but you must take protective measures. This means dressing him in mittens and a hat before going outside in cooler temperatures and staying under a shady tent in the summer. Keeping your baby shaded and warm protects his drying skin.

3. Bathe your infant for 10 minutes or less using warm water. Avoid hot water. Hot, soapy baths pull moisture from your baby's skin, especially during the winter. Since newborns are too young to enjoy playing in the bath, a quick, gentle soaping using a washcloth and baby shampoo saves you time and protects your baby's skin. For infants with very dry skin, limit baths to three per week.

4. Moisturize your baby's skin twice a day with thick, baby-friendly moisturizer. Thick moisturizers will leave your infant's skin a bit greasy, but they also moisturize for a longer period than water-based lotions. Massage the cream into his skin at night after bathing but before dressing. Do it again in the morning before changing his clothing. Covering your infant's skin with clothing after moisturizing reduces moisture evaporation so his skin can absorb more of the lotion.

Tips & Warnings

• Use a lotion warmer to keep your baby from screaming when you apply moisturizing cream. When his skin is still damp after a bath, cool moisturizer feels uncomfortable. A lotion warmer also softens thicker moisturizers, making them easier to apply and spread.

• Seek medical attention if your baby's dry skin appears in clearly defined patches, causes bleeding or is accompanied by other symptoms such as fever, discoloration, poor eating or changes in bowel movements or urination.

References

• Ask Dr. Sears: Eczema
• Baby Center: Dry Skin