High Maintenance Mom

When my daughter was born 3 years ago I was ready with the usual sensitive skin and laundry care. I took extra care in making sure her skin was hydrated and rash free. By the time she was 2 years old I realized that she had very normal skin not prone to dryness or rashes. However, it was about that time that my son was born and he was a different ball game all together..... He had moderate eczema, severe cradle cap and seemed more prone to diaper rashes. I took stock in the products I had for my daughter and built on them. I found after some reading and trying different products that there are only a few truths needed to care for all baby skin. Use skin care and sunscreen made for babies, fragrance free and if possible organic. Unfortunately, those tend to be the most expensive. I have been very happy with Aveeno’s line of baby products. They have a sensitive skin and fragrance free line that ranked very low in toxins from the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep web site www.cosmeticsdatabase.com. Of course, California Baby gets great marks for sensitive skin and toxin free but is also pricey and has a very thin consistency. Secondly, bathe your baby only when necessary. I know it can be a great way to end the day and calm your baby down but in the winter months when my kids are indoors a lot we only bathe then every other day. I towel dry them and apply moisturizer within 2 minutes as recommended. Finally, I keep Aquaphor Baby in the living room and in my diaper bag and apply to my son’s dry cheeks and daughter’s dry lips hourly. Once you have a good line of skin care products you can take aim against dry and sometimes very painful skin. If you have any skin care products you’ve found helpful, let me know! Happy winter.