As many parts of India continue to experience severe winter, newborn care especially their skincare is very critical. The skin of a newborn is 30% thinner as compared to an adult’s skin, it loses moisture twice as fast and is prone to irritation and skin damage. Winter conditions with low temperature and harsh winds result in significant loss of moisture on a baby’s skin, necessitating a comprehensive skincare regime to ensure a baby’s skin remains soft, supple and healthy.
Here are some important skincare guidelines to follow during winter months.
Massage time: Choose massage oils with nourishing ingredients, avoid olive oil and mustard oils
Oil acts as a source of warmth, enhances neurological and neuromotor development and blood circulation in babies during the massaging routine. Often parents adopt traditional practices by using oils to moisturize the baby as they feel it provides long lasting hydration. Contrary to popular cultural methods, IAP recommends that olive oil and mustard oil should not be used for massages. These oils should not be considered as substitutes for moisturisers for babies. These oils can disrupt the baby’s skin barrier and may cause irritation.
Instead, parents should consider using oils enriched with pure Vitamin E for their baby’s daily massage routine. Vitamin E helps deeply nourish the skin, supports its natural barrier function, and provides essential hydration during the dry winter months. A gentle massage with Vitamin E-enriched oils not only enhances skin health but also fosters a nurturing parent-child bond.
Bathing routines: Shorter bath-time with mild cleansers
As per the Indian Academy of Pediatrics (IAP) guidelines, parents should limit bathing to once every couple of days or short baths daily. Always use lukewarm water to avoid excessive drying of the skin. While extended bath times may seem appealing, they can strip away the natural oils that protect a baby’s skin barrier. After bathing, the baby should be dried from head to foot using a dry warm towel. Parents should choose mild, pH-balanced cleansers that are specifically formulated for babies. Mild cleansers are designed to be gentle on delicate babies’ skin and help maintain its natural barrier.
Moisturizing: Choose a moisturizer which provide long lasting hydration
During the winter, the role of moisturizers cannot be emphasized enough. Choosing the right moisturizing products is an important aspect of winter skincare to protect the baby’s skin from dryness.
Choose a moisturiser recommended by doctors which is gentle, light, non-greasy and quick absorbing. Parents can consider choosing a moisturiser equipped with hydrating ingredients like milk protein, Vitamin E, Vitamin B5, Aloe, Glycerine, coconut oil, chamomile extracts to keep the baby’s skin supple, hydrated and nourished. Such ingredients hydrate the skin, act as a barrier against the cold weather as well as are anti-irritants that strengthen skin’s protective barrier to prevent moisture loss. Choose a moisturizer which provides long lasting hydration, and is hypoallergenic, however re-apply moisturizer whenever it appears dry.
While baby lotions are often used on a baby’s face and body, during winter months, it is advisable to use baby lotion for the body and baby cream for the face. The baby’s face and cheeks are more exposed to harsh weather which needs extra protection to prevent dryness. Baby creams contain more oils and emollients which provide the intensive hydration forming a barrier on the skin to lock the moisturizer.
During winter months, it is imperative to develop a comprehensive skincare regime for your little ones. Skincare products for adults often contain harsh ingredients unsuitable for baby skin. Instead, parents should opt for products which are designed to protect a baby’s skin, are effective, have no harmful chemicals but are gentle and clinically proven mild with nourishing ingredients and have undergone rigorous testing.
(The author, Dr. Dilip Tripathi, is the Regional Head, Baby & Women’s Health Research & Development, at Kenvue.)
