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Skincare for Tots
Shielding Baby's Skin from Winter's Chill
By Laura Cone
Not all babies or toddlers need moisturizing lotion. "Different babies have different sensitivities of skins [and] different degrees of dryness," Dr. Paller says. "I would protect the baby against cold, but that baby may not need any moisturizer whatsoever. If you have a baby who does have dry skin, you should look at other factors like are you using soap on the baby? If so, do you need to change that? Are there other factors that are drying the skin?"
Dr. Paller suggests changing the type of fabric softener or laundry detergent you use to see if it helps. Paller says many lotions contain mostly water, but thicker moisturizers such as creams and ointments are made up of more oil. And she finds Hindman's skincare choice, Vaseline, acceptable. "There is nothing wrong with using Vaseline, it's just messy," she says. "Just because it's expensive does not mean it's any better than your relatively inexpensive products."
When reading lotion labels, look for gentle preservatives such as citrus seed extract and vitamins A, C and E. Any massage oils you choose should be free of petrochemicals such as mineral oil.
Chamomile and aloe are typically found to be soothing and safe for children. "There are higher-end moisturizers that have all kinds of additives that sound great but really have not had a rigorous scientific testing and may even irritate the skin," Dr. Paller says. "For example, there is no reason to be using products that contain spices. They may be very natural but they may not be good for the skin."
Elizabeth Lunceford of Fairview, Tenn., says for her two toddlers she uses Eucerin cream, which is a moisturizer containing urea as the active ingredient. Urea is a substance found naturally in the skin and is used to help rehydrate dry, scaly skin.
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