Sheilagh Maguiness, MD
Professor of Dermatology and Pediatrics, University of Minnesota
Co-founder of Stryke Club
What are special considerations with respect to newborn and infant skin?
Spoiler alert - your baby is not born with fully mature skin! That process can take up to two years. What makes newborn skin special? Well, newborn skin is inherently much more sensitive because it is thinner than adult skin, and has lower lipid expression. These two factors predispose infant skin to more surface water loss and make babies more prone to irritation or absorption of chemicals and ingredients through a thinner skin barrier. When caring for your baby’s skin, always keep that fact in mind. I like to remind moms to keep skincare very simple for their babies. This means becoming a good label reader and avoiding potential irritants and allergens, like fragrance or essential oils. Gentle, hypoallergenic and fragrance-free products are best for baby skin.
How can we best care for infant skin prone to eczema during winter months?
There are so many myths and misconceptions about how to optimize the care of your newborn’s skin, especially during the dry winter season. Adding to the confusion is the fact that bathing practices and frequency vary widely based on culture and/or tradition. Have you ever heard of the ‘soak and smear’ method for keeping skin well moisturized? Well, there are many benefits to this technique if you are caring for an infant with skin prone to eczema - in fact, there is evidence-based data to support this method -let’s dig deeper…
Did you know there are numerous studies that demonstrate a reduction in the signs and symptoms of eczema (aka atopic dermatitis) based on bathing and moisturizer application? These studies specifically look at frequency of bathing and emollient application as ways to help manage (or even prevent!) signs of eczema in infants. Based on this kind of data, most pediatric dermatologists recommend the soak and smear technique for optimizing the health of your baby’s skin - particularly if your infant is prone to eczema. The soak and smear method is a great way to lock water into your baby’s skin and keep it there, soothing and healing the skin barrier. To follow this method bathe your infant daily or every other day, with non-detergent gentle liquid cleansers (hypoallergenic and fragrance-free). After this ‘soak’ immediately follow with application of a bland moisturizer (again fragrance-free and hypoallergenic) head to toe. This process is a tried and true, evidence-based technique to help lock water in the babies’ skin, preventing surface water loss. Moms are often surprised to hear this, as one of the myths surrounding infant skin care is that we should LIMIT bathing, but this simply doesn’t hold up when it comes to the evidence. It’s simple but effective, in the world of baby skin, a soaking tub bath and some plain petroleum jelly can go a long way to maintaining a healthy, hydrated skin barrier - especially during the winter!
Other things to consider when caring for newborns are the items coming into contact with that baby soft skin. Thinking about how you launder clothing - and making sure to use a gentle laundry soap that is also fragrance-free. Clothing itself should be soft and light - think cotton and bamboo fabrics which are gentle, and breathable. Bamboo in particular can be helpful with temperature regulation and is thought to have some antimicrobial properties too. Be aware of what you yourself are using on your own skin too - avoid exposing your baby to your perfumes or clothing exposed to fabric softeners. This is the moment to keep your own skincare routine streamlined, and as hypoallergenic as possible!
Dr. Sheilagh Maguiness is a board-certified pediatric dermatologist and Professor of Dermatology and Pediatrics at the University of Minnesota. She is a mom to two tween boys and co-Founder of Stryke Club.
