Extremely oily skin + yukky smell

[katiek]

Hi Everyone

My little 3.5 week old girl has terrible milk/hormone rash that has gone all over her face. forehead, ears and now her back. Her face is supa oily and even though I wash it several times a day it does not get any better. Now to make matters worse, she smells quite yukky too. It is that oily "havent washed your hair in 3 days" smell but of course I am bathing her every day if not more and am washing her forehead and hair very carefully but the smell comes back within an hour. Is this normal with this type of rash? Some rude people told me my baby looked and smelt awful and didnt have that "baby smell" so I am quite offended :(

Is it worth going to the doctor? i have an appt with Child and Youth health on Thursday so I think I will just wait and see the nurse about it then. I have been told this rash will clear up in its own time but it looks absolutely terrible on her. She is not distressed by it at all though.

Can anyone else identify with the oily smell?

Thanks for reading

Kate

[MamaSage]

My daughter had a bad hormone rash as well. I took her to see a GP who prescribed Egoderm cream, which stunk of tar and was brown and stained everything. I never used it as it smelled so bad and had some pretty strong ingredients. If it is a hormone rash there is little you can do about it really. Try some calendula cream and avoid overwashing her skin. I know how you feel as it does look yucky, but it is best to let her skin do what is has to, and overwashing will only make it produce more oil. Avoid soap and anything with SLS in it as it will aggrevate it. If I were you I would wait and see what the health nurse says - but chances are it will disapear in it's own time. :kiss: I know what it's like to have a 'yucky baby', lol! You get some funny looks don't you?

[arthursmum]

Arthur had some major skin issues at around the same age and we got funny looks, too...i honestly really didn't notice it too much but i noticed the way people looked at him. It's only now when i look at photos that i can see how oily and red and nasty his skin really looked..
i was given a cream with the active ingredients
Parafin liquid 60mg
Vaseline gel 150mg
Conserving agent (?-sorry in German on label) Chlorocresolum
It really calmed his skin down. i had tried all sorts of natural products but unfortunately they didn't work for him.
Only a health professional can give a proper diagnosis..
Lots of babies have skin issues at the same age, you are certainly not alone :)

[katiek]

Thanks for your replies :)

It also seems to have spread around her neck; right around her head in a ring. I was starting to wonder whether perhaps she is allergic to the washing powder I use? But then again, if she was allergic; it would be on other parts of her body not just her face, ears, neck, and chest right??

I know i am probably over-worrying as my DH says ... thank goodness she is not distressed by any of it

[razzle]

Take her to the doctor straightaway - that sounds really bad. :no:

[nkenward]

I would take to the DR just to be certain. But if it is a 'milk' rash then it will go away eventually.

But as for oily skin - I would not be bathing her everyday. Newborns don't really need it - and when you do - just use water - no soap.

If she has oily skin - you could be washing it away and causing her to over-produce.

[arthursmum]

I would take to the DR just to be certain. But if it is a 'milk' rash then it will go away eventually.

But as for oily skin - I would not be bathing her everyday. Newborns don't really need it - and when you do - just use water - no soap.

If she has oily skin - you could be washing it away and causing her to over-produce.

Exactly, meant to suggest not overwashing on the first reply.
Let us know how you went at the dr.

[WeThree]

This sounds fungal to me, get her to the doctors asap just in case, but I would be buying some external anti fungal cream suitable for a bubs her age and using it on her, stop using all those baby bath products, they are only irritating her skin more, try just using some oatmeal (rolled oats) in a stocking tied up to clean her when she is in the bath, this will leave her skin lovely and smooth, and get rid of all the dead yucky skin on top.
Once a fungal infection clears, you need to keep using the cream for 2 weeks afterwards, or it may come back, also for the next few weeks wash everyones clothes and bedding in hot water, add some dettol, and change all her bedding regulary too, and try not to use any harsh washing powders, purity is a good one to use :)

[katiek]

Well she has only been diagnosed with a combination of heat rash and hormone/milk rash which is why it looked so horrible as she had both at once. All I have been advised to do is wash her with a little salt in the bath water and in 2 days it is already clearing up remarkably although I think it will still be a few days before its all gone.