Treating Your Baby’s Dry Skin: A Paediatrician Explains

It’s a typical day with your baby. Sorry, what day is typical with a baby? But just imagine, you’re taking care of your little one and you notice some dry skin. We all get it sometimes, especially when the environment gets to us. But don’t worry; it’s not that uncommon for a baby. Nine months in the womb with just amniotic fluid and now they have to withstand the air? Dry skin is the body’s natural response.

Now, what should you do? Treat the baby like you treat yourself? Is that okay? Or is that unsafe? According to Dr. Gina Posner a children’s specialist in California (1), you’d want to use something without fragrance and something mild for your baby. Apart from that, she says coconut oil works just as well if you’re looking for a more natural way to treat your baby’s dry skin.

Some options for very dry skin are moisturisers that we use ourselves. These products have a segment made especially for babies so make sure you get the right one. Refrain from using your regular moisturisers. The ingredients in baby products are a little different, less harsh so that your baby is safe. Hence, go with the baby version for your little one.

What’s the root cause of dry skin? Well, babies are born with it. As we said, going from nine months in a fluid to the natural atmosphere isn’t easy. For preventing it, moisturizing regularly is the only way to go. According to the Mayo Clinic, dry skin is usually caused by a gene variation (2). Which hinders the skin from doing its proper job of protecting itself from bacteria, allergy-causing particles, and irritants. Sometimes, dry skin in babies can be the result of a food allergy. So, watch what they eat!

There is no all-out cure, unfortunately, but it can be alleviated. Dry skin usually breaks out on the feet, hands, ankles, wrists, neck, upper chest, and the pits of elbows and knees. The Mayo Clinic says we, and the babies for that matter, should stick to shorter baths, avoiding harsh soaps and detergents, and simply just pat the skin when it’s still damp, till it turns dry.

Sometimes, the dry skin looks reddish or starts to look like a rash. That’s when you need to see the doctor, explains Dr. Posner. Don’t wait till there are signs of infection, swelling, or pus. At other times, you’re doing everything right but the dry skin just won’t go away. It might even be affecting the baby’s sleep. That’s when you need to see the doctor. Get that baby looked at!

What you should watch out for is dry skin, itching, red or brown patches, thick or scaly skin, swollen skin from scratching, and similar symptoms. That’s when it’s really time to see the doctor because your baby has gone from just dry skin to atopic dermatitis (eczema) (3). The treatments are usually the same but make sure to get a proper consultation with your doctor. If left to progress unchecked, it could lead to complications such as asthma, hay fever, skin infections and sleep problems (4).

If there is a family history of eczema, your baby might have it too. If there isn’t any family history of it, it’s plain old dry skin. Try getting an evaporative style humidifier for your home to make the environment more conducive to non-dry skin.

At the end of the day, it comes down to moisturising the skin. Make sure your baby gets this treatment at least twice a day and it helps if the skin is still damp from a bath. Dry the baby carefully and use only gentle soaps. Keep that bath short; anything longer than 15 minutes is way too long.

We wish you the best!

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