Dry Skin

Hi Maria! When my kids were babies they too had very dry skin. I was ebside myself. My pediatrician recommended Eucerin cream. It is a very heavy, sticky cream. My son's feet were particularly dry and looked almost cracking. I greased those little feet witn Eucerin cream after I bathed him and put socks on his feet. The stuff is miraculous. I would definitely recommend you try it. I still use it today and keep in mind, my kids are now 16 and 18, but I know Eucerin is still on the shelves. It works great. Good luck!

We used Aveeno lotion, the one that states is good for baby eczema as well on the tube. That stuff was great! I still use it at times for one of my triplets.

Both My son 2 and daughter 1 and I have super dry skin. I use Vaseline in them after every bath and that seems to work great on all of us. I bath them every other day in the winter too. That works for us. Hope that works for you.

I would listen to the doctor. Sounds like they know what they are talking about. Sometimes if you use anything it can mess up their PH. I would make sure he gets alot of water too.

Our Dr. told us to use Eucerin - the plain kind. It has worked well for our 4 week old - it goes on a little oily but it works well for his skin and mine!

Hi MariaMao,

My son was also born with a mild form of eczema and I used Aveeno baby products from the beginning. Its light enough and works wonderfully. Since he was born in the spring, I used this all spring and summer. I live in the NE, so once the temperature dropped, I only use petroleum jelly. His skin is great and lasts 24 hours with no more dry patches. Best wishes.

Try aquafor it's great!!! Three of my four children have very dry skin and it works great!!!

My oldest, now 5, had really dry skin and eczema as a baby. The best thing I found was Aveeno Baby Lotion for eczema. It is in a tube in the baby aisle with a dark blue cap. I hope it helps.

Use mustela body wash. My 5 mo old has light eczema and I used mustela shampoo and body wash. It is a little $$, but not too offensive. I give him a bath every night and he is much better when I use it all of the time.

Dry skin is usually itchy and can be uncomfortable, I would definitely do something about it! You could drizzle some baby oil into the bath water. I would moisturize him daily with a mild lotion; I like Aveeno products. Good Luck!

This could be exzema. My daughter had it when she was born and it is where the baby gets patches of VERY dry itchy skin, usually in a patch-like pattern. Though at it's peak, my daughter had it all over her body. The dermatologist reccomneded rubbing the areas with a 1% hdrocortozone cream (you can get this over the counter)until it clears up. It is usually at its peak in the dry winter months.
Hope this helps!

Try offering a water bottle - fast growing babies needs lots of fluids!

hi. when my daughter was an infant she had the same problem and regular baby lotion just didnt help. her skin would just flake off and was so crusty everywhere! her wrists and ankles were the worst! my sister ended up reccomending aquaphor made by euricin. we bought a jar of it at a local pharmacy. i think it was about 10 dollars and my daughter is over a year old now and i still have half the tub. i didnt have to use very much for very long and she was healed. be warned if you try this though... its like the texture of vaseline. very sticky. so i would put it on her lightly and then dress her right away and it would just absorb into her skin. it only took a few applications. and now i just put it on her bottom once in a while before bed if i see a little diaper rash starting and the diaper rash is gone by moring. this stuff is super great and i hope you are able to find it!

Hello there. California Baby makes a great product called Calendula Cream. My baby has dry skin on her legs and it works wonderfully.

Maria,

I'm surprised your doctor said to do nothing! My pediatrician recommended baby Aveeno or Baby Aquafor for my daughter's very dry skin. It all cleared up within 2 days. I hear California Baby and Burt's bees lotion works well too.

My son also had dry skin, especially around that age and during the winter. My pediatrician recommended baby aquaphor soap. I also use eucerin cream (sold in the tub) for his lotion. I hope this helps!

Well, I'd say don't listen to the doctor, but that is me. Also, I've used body wash/shampoo and lotion from a company called Earth Mama, Angel Baby. The products are organic, all natural, and free of a lot of bad stuff other products have. Their baby wash isn't drying like soap and the lotion is wonderful. www.earthmamaangelbaby.com

They smell like a creamsicle afterwards.

Oh, the other thing is if you are in to infant massage, the oil you'd use would really help.

Hi! I use Dove soap in the bath (2 times a week) and Aveeno baby lotion on my daughter (morning and night). She had some dry patches on her skin and there are far fewer now. Both were recommended by my pediatrician. You could also use aquaphor instead of the lotion. That works too, but it's a little greasier. Hope this helps!!

What's really helped my son's eczema, on top of all the other excellent suggestions that have already been made, is putting oil in his bath. I use olive oil, so as to avoid fragrance (he's sensitive), and it's improved his skin texture a lot. Also, do keep the baths lukewarm, hotter baths dry the skin more.

Hi MariaMao. I agree about the olive oil. Also, try some probiotics (good bacteria for the gut) from the health food store. These bacteria are so beneficial for our bodies and should be totally safe to give to your son. they come in a powder form that can be easily dissolved in liquid. just ask the nutritionist working there (whole foods, i have found, is a great place full of people willing to give info)for the amount to give him.
good luck!

When my babies get really dry skin I use either Johnson and Johnson's lotion or vaseline on their skin. It seems to work.

Hi! My son will be 3 in May, he has eczema so I use the Aveeno line of skin care products, their hair & body wash is awesome for dry skin as well as sensitive. Hope this helps!

Maria, My ped suggested using Eucerin Calming Lotion. My son (now 5 mo old) had very very dry skin also. Too the point that it was red all over his arms back and sides. I used this 2x per day (morning and at bedtime-esp after bath) and it cleared right up! I do bathe my son everyother day and I thought the same thing , that I was bathing him too much. Its a very thick lotion and I think that's what helps. It doesn''t have any fragrance or anything. Good luck!

Along with the bathing recommendations, etc. you should maybe think about installing a humidifier that runs with your furnace and also run a col mist humidifier in the baby's room at night.

(I have also tried both the Aquaphor and Eucerin and olive oil and have had good results with all three).

I am not sure why the doctor said no lotions, but both my children have eczema and I have to put lotion on them 2x's daily and it has to be something like aveeno for extra dry and eczema skin and everything has to be hypoallergenic. Have you asked about eczema? Does your child have a special skin condition that you can't use lotion. That just seems very odd.

I have incredibly dry skin too. So do both of my sons. I put lotion on them every day. I would also check your laundry detergent and make sure you are using Dreft or some other hypoallergenic, dye and perfume free. I have also used Eurcerin cream on them with good success. There are Eurcerin creams that are labeled for children. I would try one of those. Good luck!
*Are you breastfeeding? I was just reading about Probiotics for my self and they were stating that there is a reduced incidence of eczema when the nursing mother or baby is taking a probiotic.

I'm just repeating but my daughter has ezema and my son now has it to and the one thing that isn't prescription that works is eucerin aquaphor. It's gentil and drys not greasy.Once the summer months come it prob won't be a problem but with all the weather changes you need to do somehting about it. I can't believe your ped said to do nothing. Good luck and let us know how it turns out!!!

my baby had dry skin alot and I tried everything. The best and I mean best thing I ever used is aquaphor. It really worked and I use it for diaper rashes also and for our older kids and for us too. I think the baby lotions are really a waste of money and they do not work. I love it and wont use anything else. I hope I was a help to you.

Arbonne International sells ABC (Arbonne Baby Care) products and they work wonders. I'd be glad to mail you a sample so you can try the products. Check out the website and let me know if you're interested! :)

http://www.arbonne.com/products/baby/ - the products are full of natural ingredients and most importantly, NO petroleum or mineral oil.

Maria,
A friend of mine had a little boy with the same types of issues. Her son had such severe eczema that she took him to Duke University hospital as well as many other places over the course of several years. Someone gave her a sample of the Arbonne baby care and she was skeptical to say the least. Her son, who once had horrible welts, dry skin and painful conditions is now symptom free!! She uses all of the Arbonne baby care system because they are so effective. Please check out Arbonne.com or contact me with any questions. I have seen a huge difference in my son's skin too, even though his symptoms were mild compared to most.
Take care,
M.

I have had great results using plain old extra virgin olive oil. It does not have any chemicals or anything harsh in it at all and it healed very dry cracked skin of my 3 week old baby.
Hope this helps.
A.

When my son was an infant, he also had extremely dry skin. His pediatrician recommened Baby Aquaphor, which you can buy over the counter at any grocery or drugstore. I don't know why your doctor told you not to put anything on your son, but this stuff worked GREAT for my son. He skin healed within a few weeks and he never suffered from dry skin like that again. He is 2 1/2 now and I still use it for dry skin and diaper rash. Good luck!

Both my boys had dry skin. The ypunger one had excema. I found that Cetaphil lotion (and I only used that soap on him, even on his hair) kept his skin from getting so dry. I only use dye and perfume free laundry detergent, I limit baths (like you) and I put Cetaphil on him 3 times a day. He is over 2 now and I only have to put the lotion on him 2x each day, he seems to be outgrowing it.

My oldest son also had very dry skin as an infant. I tried everything and nothing work until my grandma told me to give him a good rub down with some olive oil. This worked for him. It is safe enough to use from head to toe. I hope this information will help you out.

I would try www.faceofthewave.com or www.earthmamaangelbaby.com for your baby bath and lotions. My son has very sensitive skin and from research I've done, a lot of the baby bath products at the store (Johnson and Johnson, Huggies, etc) Here's a link to the ingredients of just one brand and why it may be harmful. http://www.theecologist.org/archive_detail.asp?content_id...

My son had very dry skin when he was a baby, as well as keritosis pilaris (little red bumps on arms & legs). I found the usual baby wash stuff (especially Johnson's!) to be very drying and had better luck with the Aveeno line of baby bath products. Keep in mind that your baby is not really "dirty" and probably warm water is enough to freshen him up! My son is turning 5, and I've never used soap on his face! Good luck to you!

Personally I think your Doctor is quacky. I have 2 adopted african-american daughters and one bi-racial. I have attended several tngs in ethnic hair/ skin care. They taught us the first ing. in most lotions is water which is a natural drying agent. I have found the best lotions (which most wall-marts carry or drug stores (esp. around cities) contain shae or cocoa butter. Euricin is also fantastic. Any natural oil will work well but is oily. (such as olive, rosemary, etc.).

Hope this was helpful.

Lin F

As my husband's grandmother keeps telling me to do...
give your baby a baby oil bath. That's all she ever did with her kids. I've never used the stuff, personally. But it's worth a try. Use a cottonball and dab away! (as per grandmother's instructions)

Good luck.
R.

ps. do you run a humidifier? and remember, it's winter time which drains our skin of moisture, keep your chin up as the weather gets warmer, hopefully it'll help your little ones skin stay a little bit more hydrated.

Aquaphor works beautifully on my son's Exzema. I recommend getting the tub rather than tube (consistancy is better). It is sticky like another mother pointed out. I lather it on at night and get his pj's on right away. Works like a charm!

Eucerin makes a product called Aquaphor (its sold in the lotion aisle). It works wonders. I bathe my kids every night, but noticed that my daughter was getting a rash/dry skin around her mouth and my son's cheeks were always dry. I tried this and in a matter of days, all better.

Both my son and my husband have sensitive skin and we use Melaleuca products (lotions, laundry detergents, etc). They don't use any harsh chemicals in their products and it has made a huge difference in their skin. Good luck!

My daughter was diagnosed w/ eczema at 3 months old. I was told to use Cetaphil lotion and soap(no perfumes or drying agents) and to use Tide or All Free detergent no Dreft (it has perfumes in it). We eventually found out she was allergic to milk protein, wheat, and eggs. Good luck! Check w/ M.D. first everyone has a different opinion.

Maria,
I have been using Johnson & Johnson Oatmeal bar soap on my little girl since she is and infant. She had dry skin too from bathing . And also eczema, runs in my family. Her skin is soo soft. I follow her oatmeal soap bath with J&J shea and cocoa butter lotion. I have used it faithfully every day and I put it on her from her face right down to her toes. And there has not been anymore dry patches at all. Hope my advice helps.

HI! Please check my ____@____.com carry a wonderful baby line of products for skin. I had very sensitive babies also. The doctor perscibed various medicated creams for my middle child only to waiste money! My friend started selling Arbonne and she introduced me to the baby line and I fell in love! I decied to start sellling it so I could help other people too almost 2 years ago! All 3 of my kids still bath in the wash and use the lotion and diaper rash cream! I'd be happy to send you some samples!

My son has extremely dry skin. We only bathe him once a week in the tub. Our ped. suggested using Dove unscented to bathe him and lather him with aquaphor the creme everyone else mentioned immediately after his bath. We started doing that even before three months and we continue today. He'll be two in April. His cheeks get real bad so I have to put creme on them daily in winter. For shampoo I though she was crazy but she had us use head and shoulders which we have also continued but you can't get it in the eyes then.

Hi! Our son had the same problem - very dry skin. I found that the Johnsons and Johnsons shampoo made it a lot worse. So for him, Aveeno baby wash was the key and we would also use the Aveeno lotion when needed too - the lotion worked great and the baby wash didn't dry his skin out hardly as much as the regular Johnsons and Johnsons. So that worked for us!

Try Virgin Coconut Oil that is good for vegans to eat.

From birth, I used Eucerine (not sure of spelling) on both of my children. It seemed to work great. I hope your son gets some relief. Good luck!

The makers of triple paste (diaper creme) make triple cream. It's the only thing that helps my childrens dry skin.

Hi,

I'm surprised that your pediatrician would say to let it go! Poor baby! Dry skin is no fun. I have dry skin on my face and I use Burt's Bees Baby Bee Buttermilk Lotion on my face at night. It's very nice and light, smells like honey. I used to slather it on my baby when she was tiny- she's 6 now! I also used to get the Burt's Bees Baby Bee Skin Cream(I'm not sure of it's exact name as I haven't had any for ages)- it's very thick and great for really dry patches- my daughter used to get excema really badly on her legs and it always cleared that up in a day or 2. I also would give her a bath in the Burt's Bees Baby Bee ButterMilk Bath and use their soap. Her skin was very dry and prone to excema- and this stuff kept her skin soft and luscious! Try it- it works and it's natural.

As an aside- I just noticed that lots of mom's are recommending Aquaphor, Eucerin, Vaseline, and Cetaphil. Those all contain petroleum products. You don't want those on baby skin. You'll want something all natural. It's not good for anyone's skin to use petroleum products. It works by locking moisture in with a film of petroleum. I'm sure it clears up dryness- but it hurts in other ways. Especially babies who put hands, feet, etc into their mouths- you don't want their insides coated with petroleum, YUCK, If you use anything, go to the organic section at the Giant and check out the Baby Lotions there- Burt's Bee is there and it is excellent- also California Baby Products, and several others. Walgreens and CVS sometimes carry Burt's Bees too. But not always the full line with the Baby Bee Products.

A.

I stick with plain dove soap on my kids and after I rub ucerin cream on their skin. It works wonders. That is what my doctor recommended to me. Aquaphor also works really well. It is a little thicker. You can find both at any store.

my babies were all the same, and I used the Aveeno lotion for babies, my doctor said to put it on and leave it on without rubbing in and dress them in their pajamas. Shea butter is great too from La'Occitane. Just lather it on, your baby will eventually outgrow this dry skin.

Both of my children have really dry skin as well. The only thing I found that works without leaving your baby greasy or oily is Renew lotion. It is proven to work even on Eczema. Plus as an added benefit it doesn't contain any of the harsh chemicals found in most baby lotions, shampoos, etc. Please send my friend Stephenie, ____@____.com and email and she will get back to you asap on how to get this product and more like it! Hope you find what you need!

E. L

I have three kids the older two have exzema when my oldest first was diagnosed with the condition the advice the doctor gave me was the best ever. it cleared within a day and after a few treatments he never had the problem again. this is what we were told to do I dont know if it will work for your little one but worth trying. limit the bath to twice a week no sponge baths get rid of any soaps, shampoos, and detergents that have a fragrance it just iritates the skin and try limit the baths to just long enough to wash since water tends to increase the driness. give an oatmeal bath once weekly. aveeno makes a great oatmeal product it comes in a box of six packets. then after the bath is over to slather him up with vasoline. and give the vasilne treatments before bed. it worked for my kids. hope it works for you to

My daughter also had very dry skin at this age, and we started using Aveeno Cream (not lotion). It is made for babies and helps prevent dry skin. It worked like a charm...after a few days, her peeling, scaly dry skin was baby soft again :-)

Aquaphor or Eucerin Plus. Can't beat it. It's greasy but it works. Aquaphor is more mild. GOod luck.

All 3 of my kids had dry skin. I used Aquaphor which can be found anywhere. It works wonders and doesnt irritate their skin.
Best of luck- C.