Protecting Your Little One’s Skin as the Weather Gets Colder

Nothing feels quite as soft and delicate as your baby’s skin. But their seemingly flawless skin is far from actually being perfect. Babies’ skin needs around 2 years to fully develop as a protective barrier. Until then, their skin is highly sensitive and prone to irritation especially when it comes to contact with chemicals and other irritants in their environment.

With the winter season fast approaching, the cold temperatures, lower moisture, and harsh winds can leave your poor baby’s skin dry, chapped and windburned as their skin is less able to retain moisture. As a new mom, you may feel overwhelmed trying to protect your little one’s skin from the elements, especially as the holiday season approaches. But with the right knowledge and care, you can keep your baby happy, healthy and cozy through the colder half of the year. Luckily, we have just that knowledge for you! Let’s check it out.

Bathe with care

To protect your newborn’s skin, avoid too-warm of water. The temperature should range between 96.5°F and 100°F, as warmer water will dry out your baby’s skin and potentially scald them if it’s too hot. Dry skin feels uncomfortable and itchy and may even break if the drying is severe enough, leaving your baby open to infection and greater discomfort.
If you don’t have a thermometer handy, place your elbow into the bath and ensure that the water is not cooler or warmer than your elbow. The elbow is much more sensitive to heat than your hand and better suited to test the bath water.
Your baby’s first bath should be within 6 to 24 hours of delivery and should last no more than 5 minutes, to keep them from getting cold. Ensure that the tub is sterile and that the water and washcloths are clean beforehand.
Steer clear from bathing your little one daily, as this could cause their skin to dry out even with the right water temperature. Instead, a bath every few days or as needed should suffice.

Choose baby soaps and lotions carefully

Soaps and lotions can irritate a baby’s skin if they contain certain allergens or have a pH range disagreeable with their skin. Unfortunately, the soaps and lotions you use for your skin are most likely not a good fit for your baby’s skin. Adult skin has a pH value of between 5 and 5.5, while newborns’ skin surface is alkaline, with pH values ranging between 6.34 and 7.5, meaning what works for us may oftentimes be too acidic for babies.

When choosing the right soap for your little one, ensure that you select those with a pH that matches your baby’s skin. Not all soaps show their pH value, but you can check baby soaps labeled as having a ‘balanced pH’ or being ‘dermatologically tested’ as they are likely to have a pH above 5. Your best bet is to choose soaps formulated explicitly for newborns, as they exclude ingredients like sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) that can damage the skin’s protective lipid layer.

Baby lotions are great for locking in moisture to your baby’s skin after a nice warm bath, especially during the dryer fall and winter seasons. Keeping your baby’s skin moisturized is important to keep it from drying out and getting irritated, especially during the winter months. However, there are some ingredients that you should avoid when choosing your baby’s lotion, like parabens or polyethylene glycols. Now, don’t panic; you don’t need a chemistry degree to buy baby lotion. Just pick a fragrance-free lotion formulated for newborn skin with the shortest ingredients list.
Only the best diapers for baby’s bum

Purchasing comfortable diapers for newborns is essential since they go through so many. Not all diapers are created equal though, so choosing the right diaper is a must. While not always the primary cause, a low-quality diaper is oftentimes associated with one of the most common skin ailments known to babies. The dreaded diaper rash. While not the only factor, choosing a diaper that is both gentle soft to the touch and breathable, can do a lot to help avoid any kind of contact dermatitis.

BabyCozy Bouncy Soft diapers are an excellent choice for parents looking for a diaper that’s gentle on their newborn’s skin. As a sub-brand developed by Momcozy, the #1 selling wearable breast pump brand in North America, BabyCozy brings that same level of comfort and care to babies. Made with ultra-fine nonwoven microfibers an embossed cocoon pattern that reduces skin contact by 45%, and lined with over 20,000 micropores, the diapers are exceedingly gentle to the touch and highly breathable. Likewise, the diapers are free of irritating chemicals and additives such as chlorine, fragrance, parabens and phthalates.
While choosing a good diaper certainly helps, waiting too long between changes can also create adverse conditions leading to rash and infections. To avoid such issues, your little one’s diaper should always be changed at first whiff.
Use quality baby wipes

Between diaper changes and wiping down a messy face, baby wipes come in frequent contact with your newborn’s skin. Thus, finding the best baby wipes for your precious little one is imperative. Like with lotions, choose nourishing baby wipes with a short ingredient list that excludes alcohols, harmful chemicals and additives like fragrances and phthalates. In addition, find wipes with all-natural ingredients that will not irritate your baby’s sensitive skin.

The best baby wipes not only clean your baby’s skin but also nourish it in the process. Such wipes should also have baby-safe moisturizers like zinc oxide, coconut or avocado oil, and chamomile so that your baby’s skin does not dry out after using them. Made with natural plant extract (coconut oil, vitamin E, witch hazel and chamomile extract), BabyCozy’s Coconut Nourish baby wipes bring that extra layer of protection and nourishment while effectively cleaning your baby’s skin. With all-natural coconut essential oil, these sensitive baby wipes create a “nourishment barrier” on your baby’s bum, locking nourishment deep into the skin to prevent or reduce allergies and rashes. Plus, the wipes have a tinge of fresh coconut scent- great for covering the smell of your baby’s poo.

Protect your baby’s skin from the elements

Especially when venturing outside, protecting your baby’s skin from the harsh autumn and winter conditions is a must.
Since you can’t really clothe your baby’s face like the rest of their body, always moisturize their lips and cheeks before and after going outside, to keep their skin protected from the dry cold wind.

Following common sense, dress your little one in multiple layers throughout the winter months. However, make sure these layers consist of soft, breathable fabric that won’t irritate their skin. Over-layering can create sweaty conditions and excess friction, causing the same issues that you’d normally associate with the summer, such as heat rash. One nice thing though about layering up is if your little one starts to sweat, all you need to do is remove a layer to cool them down.
One final thing easy to overlook is the use of sunscreen. While the sun doesn’t pack quite the same punch as it does during the summer, its UV rays can still give your baby’s extra sensitive skin sunburn regardless of the temperature. This is especially true on sunny days when the sun’s rays reflect back from snow cover. Make sure to use infant-friendly sunscreen with physical blockers like zinc oxide with a rating of SPF 30 or higher.

Above all, avoid exposing your baby to the elements for too long. Your baby should be kept inside most of the time, especially when the weather is too harsh.

Final thoughts

Regardless of the season, your baby’s delicate skin requires special care to prevent irritation and infection. These tips will help you keep your baby’s skin protected, but as with anything in life, there are no 100% guarantees. “Most likely, your little one will experience some kind of minor skin issue at one point or another, states Cherry Yeow, representative at #1 selling wearable breast pump brand Momcozy’s sub-brand, BabyCozy. “You will need some time to figure out what products and fabrics work with their skin, or if they have any allergies or other genetic skin issues.” Yeow adds, “Try not to worry about it so much! All your baby needs is all your love and attention, so do the best you can and take everything else in stride.”