Baby Skin Care - Take Care Of Your Baby's Skin For A Healthier Baby

Babies have very sensitive skin which needs special care. Things that wouldn't irritate adult skin at all can bring a baby out in an itchy rash surprisingly quickly. Babies' skin can be affected not only by external environmental factors - such as heat, humidity and exposure to the sun, but also by the baby food you feed him, or any allergies he may have.

Common Baby Skin Care Issues

Common baby skin conditions include rash - especially diaper rash. Having diaper rash is actually fairly normal, if not very comfortable for a baby. You may not be able to prevent your baby boy or baby girl suffering from diaper rash altogether, but you can take steps to minimize the problem:

1. Change your baby's diapers often - the younger your baby the more frequently you should change his diapers. Make sure that you change "number 2" diapers as soon as possible.

2. Try changing your brand of diaper if the one you're using is causing diaper rash. Another brand may fit better or rub less against your baby's skin.

3. Use unscented baby wipes or just ordinary water for thorough baby washing while changing diapers. Make sure your baby is dried off well before you put the new diaper on him.

4. After, you've cleaned him up, allow your baby to lay on his changing pad (preferably waterproof!) with no diaper for a while - this gives his skin a chance to breathe a little before you put the new diaper on.

Diaper Rash Creams

Try using a diaper rash cream - Your baby's skin care needs may be such that you'll have to use diaper rash cream every time you change him, or you may find that his skin requires cream only every now and then. There are two main types of diaper rash cream: petroleum-based diaper cream and white zinc oxide diaper cream.

Petroleum ointment is better for regular, everyday use, because it has a less sticky, thinner consistency than white zinc oxide cream. White zinc oxide cream is best for babies who are particularly prone to diaper rash.

Many diaper rash creams can be bought online or over-the-counter at your local pharmacy without a prescription from your doctor. However, it may be a good idea to talk to your doctor about your baby's diaper rash if it's persistent, or if you think it may be another type of baby skin care problem that might require treatment.

Diagnosing Baby Skin Care Problems

If your baby's skin is showing signs of itchiness and irritation there are a number of baby skin conditions which could be the culprit. If your baby's face has pimples, he may be suffering from baby acne. If he has red, flakey skin elsewhere on his body, he may have baby eczema. If he has a particularly nasty diaper rash that doesn't soothe after you apply ointment, then he may be afflicted by a yeast infection diaper rash. Although there's plenty of baby care information online about the symptoms of these conditions and their treatment, as a non-professional, you may not be able to spot the subtle differences between them. That's why it's best to consult your pediatrician or a baby dermatologist.

Baby Sun Protection

The best way to protect your baby's skin from the harmful effects of the sun is to prevent his skin from coming into direct contact with the sun's rays. By all means, take your baby out during summer time, but keep the canopy on your stroller up. Put a hat on him and dress him in lightweight summer clothes with long sleeves and legs. If you stop for a picnic in the park, to find a shady spot under a tree where your baby can sit on a rug and enjoy being outside, but still be out of the sun.

Baby Sunscreen

If your baby must be directly in the sun, and sometimes this isn't avoidable (during a trip to an outdoor swimming pool, for example) try to keep the time his skin is exposed to sunlight as short as possible, and use baby sunscreen.

Baby sunscreen is generally recommended for infants over 6 months, but it can be used on younger babies if absolutely necessary. There are special brands of baby sunscreen available to order online or to buy in pharmacies, as well as hypoallergenic brands for babies with particularly sensitive skin. See your doctor if your baby develops a rash after using baby sunscreen.