Elle & Ivy’s Denim Rompers: Zara | Elle & Ivy’s Floral Bows: Victoria Grace Vintage | Wipes: WaterWipes
When your baby or child has dry or chapped skin it can effect both their sleep and yours. Andrew and I are no stranger to this. We have been trying to combat Ivy’s baby eczema since she was a newborn.
At first, we were lost. So we took her to the doctor, then the paediatrician – they both recommended 1% hydrocortisone cream on affected areas twice a day. This worked to an extent, but she needed something stronger. So we were given a gentle prescription to combat the eczema effected areas on her body and advised to continue to spot treat with the hydrocortisone on her face and scalp. (Important note: please have a doctor see your child to diagnose the skin issue and take their advice. I am not a medical professional and only sharing my daughter’s experience as a mom).
When Ivy was a baby we had to apply the prescription at least twice a day to affected areas (which was mostly her back and a few spots on arms and legs). Now we can go a few days, at times, without applying, even during winter. Hoping and praying this is possibly due to the fact she is also growing out of the skin condition. However, I also feel we were able to give her some relief and kept dry and inflamed skin at bay by implementing some tried and true tricks we picked up along the way (these are great for all babies, as drooling can cause chap lips, especially during winter months).
Here are some things we found helped us in protecting her skin and combating dryness:
1.) Dress baby in breathable layers: This will help prevent baby from overheating, which can make baby’s skin dry and worse skin conditions). Choose clothing made from breathable cotton. Some of my favourite brands with both kids were: Burts Bees and Mori (these are So soft and this set is such a great gift for new baby!)
2.) Always make sure baby is earring hat & mittens: Hats act as a lid to keep your baby warm and mittens protect their fingers from frostbite. Check those areas regularly to ensure baby isn’t over heating.
3.) Keep baby’s skin moisuturized and hydrated: Use a fragrance-free moisterser and lip balm on baby. Regulary lock in hydration and prevent dryness. I would slather Ivy’s face with vaseline several times throughout the day. I still use this around her mouth when she eats and such to act as barrier for food and drool. I also love Evereden brand for face cream (this is a great bundle by them for a great price) and Aveeno makes a great cream for baby ezeema.
4.) Bath baby less regularly: Too much water can strip the skin of it’s natural oils, causing it to dry out more. I bath the girls every other day (sometimes every third day in winter). The absolute best wipes I have used for their skin are WaterWipes. They are made with 99.9% water and a drop of fruit extract. They re safe to use all over baby’s face, hands bottom and in-between bath times. They don’t dry out and are by far the best wipes we have tried. I haven’t been able to find them at shoppers drug mart, but I have ordered them from walmart and amazon by bulk. So easy, as they come straight to your door!
5.) Last but not least, be very careful with laundry detergent. We have tried so many, but the one that seems to be best so far is Tide Clean & Free, or The Laundress (baby detergent). I would like to try Tru Earth as well (if you’ve tried it let me know!).
So there you have it. Some quick tips to help you sooth your babe’s dry or chapped skin during the chiller months! If you have any other tips that I haven’t included, please feel free to comment below! I would love to hear from you.
