What's best for dry skin?

[artifarti]

My DS is 7 months and has several small patches of dry skin - at the base of his back, behind knees and on legs. They don't seem to bother him or get worse. I am quite prone to dry irritated skin too.

What is best to use on the patches? I have stopped using any bath products or lotions but wondered what would be best to moisturise them.

I would say try olive oil.

Just be aware of products containing Sulfar Lauryl sulfate or SLS. It's in most high street shampoos and soaps and is a chemical cleaner for industrial oils, so imagine what it does to our, let alone a babies skin.

I use aqueous cream on my boys. DS1 had severe ezcema as a baby and this was very soothing for him (and VERY cheap!!)

Aqueous cream, definitely. Just check it is suitable for babies as some say on them that they aren't.

Thanks, guys. Will give the Aqueous cream a go.

Have you tried skin salvation skin salve by Pure Potions? It's quite expensive but is totally natural with no nasties.
It's great on patches of dry skin. My daughter seems to get patches flare up now and then and this product is great.

Thanks, klinsmann, will check that out too. I've noticed it is getting a bit redder behind his knees so will mention it to the HV when I see her.

Those of you whose babies have sensitive, dry skin - what do you do about baths? Daily or less often? Now he's on solids he's a mucky little thing but don't want to make his skin any worse.

Coconut oil is great for dry skin. Completely natural too.

I don't know if dd's skin is sensitive/dry but I have sensitive & dry skin so we've been careful what we use on her. I tend to bath her every couple of nights.

Olive/Coconut oil gets my vote,too.

I ended up a bit fed up with oily marks everywhere, so now use copious amounts of Epaderm on DS1-3 as it is less mess to use. It is mineral oil based but did not cause any reactions on my DCs. DH and I steal a bit as well .

Most important thing for dry skin to recover is to put on whatever moisturizer/emollient you use generously and frequently. On the dermatology ward I used to work on (in a previous life ) the nurses would apply emollients every 2-3 hours all over body. This is obviously not reaslistic in RL, however try to put a bit of cream on with every nappychange and most importantly after bath. And, oh yes, avoid bubble bath like the plague, 'tis paint stripper for skin!