Looking for Advice on Infant Skincare

Have you tried Desitin? I put it on my little guy before bedtime, and it seems to do the trick.
My pediatrician also said it was OK to use a cortizone cream for stubborn spots.

Lanolin nipple cream is great for anything skin related and safe. I have bad excema on my knuckles and only need to use this once in awhile as it clears it up so well.

If it's mild ezcema then you can probably try non-prescription methods...keeping the skin hydrated and clean. Arbonne products are really excellent (I'm not a consultant but use them) and Mustela sells some excellent ezcema products, too. They have an oil you can put in the tub to let them bathe in. Also, if there places where you are noticing moist red marks...then you could even lightly sprinkle that area with cornstartch baby powder.

100% pure Lanolin (I buy Lansinoh brand on line), will clear up any rash caused by dryness or irritation in a few days. I use it on my kids and myself for lots of minor problems. It is sticky, but that is why it works so well. Seriously, it is the most natural and best thing I have found for dryness, diaper rash, sore nipples, chapped lips, scraped knees, etc.
If you are breast feeding, you can try adding olive oil, avacado, fish oil, and a lot of water to your own diet. If you use formula, you might want to ask your pediatrition if you can give a supplement of some sort to your daughter. Good luck!

My daughter had a similar problem with my grandson. My daughter grew up on non-toxic products, products without toxins such as Q-15, antibiotic creams etc and for some reason when she met her boyfriends family, all our teaching just went out the window, down the drain etc. After none of the things friends and his family, doctors were telling her to use, she finally purchased the Renew lotion and has not had a problem since. I would be glad to send you a sample if you like, so please email me and let me know or contact me through http://workathomelivewell.com

M.

Hi A.!

My little one has the baby fat rolls that get chaffed if we don't make sure they are DRY DRY DRY. I do a really good drying games after the tub and then we air dry for at least 5 min. as part of the bath routine. I make sure all her little cracks get "air time" and that seems to help. For under the chin and arm-pits that usually catch drool and stuff I constantly pat in there with a soft cloth.

Personally, I wouldn't put any ointment in the cracks... You really want it to dry not hold moisture. I have used a tiny bit of talc free dusting powder when the redness looked raw.

Hope that helps!

V

My baby gets that sometimes in the creases of her leg where she's got some extra chub. Probably just a little excess moisture/heat rash. I simply give her a bath with some cornstarch sprinkled in, dry her VERY thoroughly in all the little folds & creases, put some Balmex directly in the crease & sprinkle over that with cornstarch directly. It doesn't get in their little lungs like baby powder, etc. And, it works like a dream every time!

Just so you know, a bath in, & then a good powdering afterward, with cornstarch works wonders for diaper rash too. My grandma used it for all kinds of stuff when I was a kid growing up & my family jokes about it to this day. We all thought that she was crazy, but it WORKS! She even made a paste of sorts out of it & slathered me in it head to toe when I had chicken pox as a child & it's very cooling and soothing, believe it or not. Try it - you have nothing to lose & it'll save you lots of money on other creams & remedies. :)

Good luck!

Try 1% hydrocortisone cream. It works for my 3 year old and my one year old.

Hi A.!

I have the same situation with my little boy and the Pedi said to use hydracortozone cream (1/2%) for a couple of days and it should clear up. We've had good success with it!

This area may need to be cleaned more frequently. (like behind the ears). The oil and dead skin cells form there and have no place to go, so they build up a scaley layer. See if it helps by cleaning the area daily with a washcloth or at least every other day and then applying some aquafor or lotion until the area heals. Then clean the area every other day. This happened with my baby, too, but he doesn't get it anymore, (he is now 11 months) unless I forget to clean behind the ears. good luck!

A.,
Take a look at your local health food store in their baby products section. There are a variety of skin care products that are gentle on baby, no artificial/no chemical additive products. I personally love Weleda products. I used calendula soap at bath time, apricot baby oil after bath, and for diaper area or any skin irritation I would use Weleda's calendula cream. My children are now 9 & 11 and I still have a tube of the calendula cream on hand for dry skin, mild rashes, and other skin issues. There are many products available in the health food industry but I recommend starting in the baby area because items are specifically formulated for baby's sensitive skin. I hope it helps!
M.

Hi A.,

My son is almost 8 months old and has patches of excema (really dry and irritated skin). I know at first I used the excema cream sold at Babies r Us which helped clear up the visible reddness. Then my doctor told me I could keep it at bay by using Cediphil lotion twice a day (especially after his bath). I use the Target brand which is cheaper and works just as well. Hope it helps.

Bag Balm, an old remedy that works wonders on any type of rash. I use it on my toddler all the time, she is not "chubby", but has very sensitive skin. You can get it at your drug store.

I used to use hydrocortizone on my kids but it kept coming back if I missed a day. I was introduce to a wellness company last Februrary. They have a lotion called Renew and now I sware by this lotion. I put it on myself and my kids and it has cleared up our dry skin. And if I miss a day it doesnt come back. If you want more information of the company you can either call me at ###-###-#### or email me at ____@____.com.

Hi A.,
My pediatrician recommended Amlactin for my son. It's over the counter and about $15 per bottle. Good luck!

sounds like eczema, which is a very common place to get it, try a little hydracortizone mixed with a little lotion, ofter it absorbs completely, maybe a bit of powder to keep it dry...good luck!

Hi!

I also have very chunky babies and have dealt with the same thing. I'm a nurse, too, so I've also had this happen to my patients!

The reason you are not having success is because you are doing the exact opposite of what you need to do. Vaseline, oil, ointment, etc. all keep the skin moist, which will compound the problem. The only way to heal these types of problems is too keep the skin DRY. After each bath, make sure the areas are dried well, and apply a small amount of powder. In between baths, you can use a cloth to clean the areas, then dry well and apply the powder. It should clear up, but if it doesn't, you may need some medicated powder, because sometimes a fungal infection can develop if it has been kept moist for too long. Nystatin powder would clear it up, then.

Good luck, and don't use any moist products!

I would also suggest drying the area as much as possible - when my daughter had raw, red skin in her neck folds, I ran the hair dryer (on the cool-shot setting) on them while gently holding them open after her bath. After a while this helped. I didn't put anything on it besides that. But the skin wasn't broken, just red from being too moist. Does she hate tummy time? Would that expose that backs of her little knees to air if she just had her diaper on? I would try nothing but air for a bit to see if that helps!

On the patches of dry skin that my daughter had, I have used the Aveeno unscented baby cream and that helps.

My oldest son had this problem too when he was younger. I ended up having to only use Cetaphil body wash/soap and lotion on him. And I had to make sure I washed his clothing seperate in a laundry soap that had no colors or perfumes in it. It took a while but it cleared up. Even my wipes had to be unscented.

Hi A.,
My daughter had something very similar and we used the Arboone products and it cleared it right up. As another writer mentioned it is a bit pricey but it works! It is all natural (herbal and botanical) with no drying agents or patrolem base. I am not a rep (you have to buy it from a rep who sells it) but I have a friend who is and could put you in touch if you were interested (they will ship the product directly to you). You can send me a personal message if you want more info.
take care,
C.

Hi A.:

I've had the same problem with my 3 month old daughter. A pediatric nurse who is a friend of the family suggested I get either Auqa4 wash or Aveeno Creamy wash and the Disney Gentle Natural Lotion. I have been using the Aveeno and the Gentle Natural and her skin is getting so much better and is not nearly as red and dry. I hope it helps.

Hi A.,

I am an independent consultant with Arbonne International and helped many people with skin issues... even BABIES! I would love to send you a sample of our baby line to try. The sample includes hair and body wash, lotion,baby oil, sunscreen, and diaper rash cream. All of our products are botanically based and do not use mineral oil (an occlusive oil that only sits on the surface of the skin), artificial fragrances, chemicals, or animal bi-product. Your baby's skin needs to have a product without mineral oil so that the natural oils can get through the skin to moisturize the problematic area.

Let me know if you are interested and I will mail one out to you.

Pam

Hi,
Try Burt's Bees (baby bee) apricot oil. You can put it on at anytime or wait until after a bath. My son has eczema and this is the ONLY thing that ever worked for him.
Good Luck

Sounds like eczema - call your pediatrician - you'll need a prescription cream.

My son had the same thing, in the "creases" of his elbows and behind his knees.

He did outgrow it by about age 2.

Best wishes!
C.

My micro-man has the same red chafing on the backs of his knees. Triple Paste got rid of it really quickly! I've used the stuff for diaper rash too and it works better than anything else I've used on any of my munchkins. You can get it at the pharmacy or Target - not sure about S&S or Shaw's. I remember finding it out on the shelves - white container. Ask the pharmacist to help you locate it. It's a teensy bit pricey but it's worth its weight in gold!

Hi A.,
My first baby had this same thing -- he also was very chubby, and I think he would sweat more in those cute little creases, which irritated him. I had to make sure that when I bathed him, I made sure to not only wash well but dry well, too. Patting a little baby powder there can help, as can the barrier of a vaseline or diaper cream. He also got it behind his ears though, and some of my others got it on their cheeks/chins. Sometimes I think it could also be excema -- those are all prime spots for that, too. My sixth had it so bad on his face, and nothing, not lotions, not coconut oil or vitamin E oil helped. Finally I tried Arbonne baby lotion, which was like $14/bottle because they claimed it would help and had a money back guarantee. It stings a little at first if the skin is raw, but it cleared it up finally. You can probably find an Arbonne consultant on line if you're interested. Good luck.

I love Weleda diaper care cream- it has the zinc oxide in it to help with yeasty rashes, but also calendula which is soothing. It works well on those "cherubic" creases. If she gets red or rashy spots on other parts of her body as well, I would also consider that she might be sensitive to something- try changing detergents to something without dyes and perfumes and give it an extra rinse cycle, use a diluted mild soap for baths.

Hi A.,

Vagisil or other feminine product lines carry a chaffing gel that works very well. I used for my daughter while she went thru the chubby phase.You can get it at your local rx store or even a walmart. It turns to a silky like powder once you apply the gel and lasts for hours. Safe and effective. Also gold bond powders work well. Stay away from creams it just adds to the moisture. Good luck with all.

D.

Have you tried any Arbonne baby products? Arbonne is know for being pure, safe and beneficial. Their products are wonderful. Please contact me and I will send you some samples to try.

Hi A. - Have you tried powder?? It sounds like she has somehting caused by moisture and all the things you are putting on it keep the moisture in....

Dear A.,
Congratulations on the birth of your daughter!
I had the same problem with my daughter-especially during the summer months. I used Aveeno antibiotic cream. It is in the first aid aisle and comes in a tube.

Good Luck!
M.

I would suggest, when you do wash her, make sure you rinse that area very well, and dry it very well, once it is dry I would apply just the vaseline or Aquaphor.

My daughter had something similiar on the underneath of her toes, where the toe bends, and I found I just wasnt drying her toes well enough in that hidden area. Now that I really straighten her toes after baths and dry them well, she doesnt have this problem anymore.

Best of Luck

There could be a food sensitivity as well. Though at 5 months old I don't know if you are feeding solids yet or if you are nursing/bottle feeding, etc. If you are nursing, foods do "travel" through the breastmilk. My son gets rashes when he eats gluten.

Another possibility could be from the clothing. I get rashes from latex and spandex. My daughter had the same red, chaffed skin your daughter has and it started to clear up when I stopped putting pants on her that had spandex in them. It cleared up further when I changed our rice milk which I found out had gluten in it.

I just wanted to point these out in case it's not just because she is chubby.

My son had horrible eczema--particularly behind the knees. The best product we found that was both moisturizing and protective was CeraVe cream (important to get the cream in the jar and not the lotion in the pump). Our dermatologist recommended it over a year ago and the affected areas are completely gone. You can get it at CVS or a site like drugstore.com.

try NIVEA creme on her rash. my daughter had diaper rash & this is the only thing that helped.

It might be excema, which is exacerbated by chafing and moisture -i would have the dr. check it out. In the meantime, use plain straight cornstarch. It will absorb the moisture, and protect the skin, leaving it much more comfortable than using talcum or lotion. It is non-toxic too. You can find it in your grocery store in the baking aisle. Good Luck!

A great product that I use in my home is Renew Skin Therapy. It's from a company that sells all eco-friendly products. This lotion uses tea tree oil which is a healer & helps with many skin issues (dryness, eczema, psoriasis, etc...) I've loved it & my kids use it all the time! You can go to saferforyourhome.com for more information. Hope this helps!