SKin Issues

[Rainbowbrite]

Just wondering what i can use on my 11 day old baby whose skin seems to be drying out and peeling, mainly around her hands and feet. I bath her in Johnsons Moisturising baby bath. SHould i change to oil baths or just massage baby oil into the affected areas? Or any suggestions of what else to use?

Also, when can i start using baby powder on her etc?

Thanks
Rainbowbrite

[lil monkey]

hiya,

we had the same problem with our bub when she was first born. The hospital recommended that we only bath her in plain water as the bath products will dry their skin out even more. Or yo can add some natural oil into the bath water but then they are nice and slippery when you get them out!! Johnsons baby oil is apparently bad to use as well as it isn't natural oil so we used plain almond oil or you can use any natural oil product including olive oil to massage into bubs skin. For moisturising cream you can use baby sorbolene cream but the natural oil should do the trick! Any pharmacy will have plain almond oil if you dont want to use olive oil!! good luck!

Lu
Tayla 02/02/05

[jamb]

My bub had very dry, peely and cracked skin for about the first 2 weeks. I was told baby oil actually dries out the skin and was told to use sorbolene cream. I avoided all "baby bath" products (even though they smelt sooo good!) and would just squirt the sorbolene cream into the bath water and break it up a bit. As I'd wash bub I'd rub it in. After bath I'd rub more into his hands, feet and wherever else was really dry.

[xkwzit]

Hi
I had this with both babies. The midwives recommended swishing sorbolene into the water rather than soap, so both babies were bathed this way until they were about 3 months old and all signs of dryness gone. It will actually bubble up a bit if you swish the bath water vigorously enough and they don't get too slippery with it either.

Then once the bath is finished and you've dried them off, rub sorbolene into all of the dry bits again.

Hope this helps.

[Elfin]

Hi

Just wanted to offer an alternative. Paw Paw ointment which you can buy from the chemist is the best stuff ever for any skin conditions. It is very gentle and non toxic. It is also great for nappy rash clears it up very quick.

I have never used talc as I understand that it is not good if it gets into your baby's lungs. I believe a safer alternative if you want to use powder is corn flour although someone else here might be able to correct me if I am wrong. Maybe check with your child health nurse before using talc.

[Kassiasmum]

I also used olive oil, almond oil or sorborlene cream in the bath. We were also told that baby powder was a carcinogenic(sp?) and not to use it on baby, we had not heard of this previously so not sure on how accurate this is, it was the hospital that told us though. I also found lansolin (pure wool fat) to be really good on dry skin, it can be bought from the chemist.

Tracey

[Chickadee]

We were also warned against baby powders containing talc for health reasons and avoided any powders, although you can get some without talc. But use sparingly and avoid getting any in the air that bub can breath in.

Fresh washed baby always smelt sweet enough to me anyways.

[Rainbowbrite]

Thanks so much for those suggestions. I'll start bathing her in Sorbelene as of now. It does seem to be helping a little though as i have been massaging it into her hands and feet whilst i bf her. She seems to be enjoying it and it keeps her awake longer.

Never knew powder was bad though glad that i know now, though i must admit it does choke even me if its in the air

Thanks again
Rainbowbrite

[Lucybelle]

Baby oil is bad, bad stuff - I don't know why they are even allowed to sell it. It's a mineral oil and actually pulls the moisture out of babys skin.

I used extra virgin olive oil on my bubs, it worked like a dream, just massaged it into his skin after a bath.