Baby has extremely dry

[Hope54321]

My baby has had extremely dry skin since birth. He is now 3 months and still has really bad dry skin. I’ve tried coconut oil every day, multiple times a day and bathe him once a week, but his skin is still so dry.

Anyone with similar experience? What worked for your baby?

Yes sae experience here, turned out to be Ichthyosis. I'd read up in it, there are several different forms then ask for a referral to a Dermatologist.

Apparently breast milk is great for dry skin!

Weleda bath stuff. Still only bath 1-2 times a week, but its almost a cream like wash that makes water all milky looking and keeps oils in the skin
Then use a baby oil after bath. A oil spray is easiest.

Ours cleared up naturally around 2-3 months so maybe your need the end

Don’t use coconut oil. Try something like aveeno cream and use 3-4 times a day, if after 5 days there’s no improvement talk to the pharmacist about something greasier. Be careful in the sun though with emollients as more prone to burning. If baby clinics are back in your area you could go and ask there and the HV might be able to prescribe something.

My advice by the way is from an eczema nurse.

My baby’s skin went terrible on her face, neck and upper back/shoulder area and it turned out to be eczema. I use the Aveeno baby range and her skin is lovely and silky smooth now - it turned around in less than a week! I hope you find something that works well for your little one.

Coconut oil may not be good for newborn skin- it's not been researched extensively enough to say either way. Avoid olive oil, there are mixed opinions about sunflower oil so I wouldn't use it.

I've heard good things about Aveeno and child's farm moisturisers.

I wouldn't use coconut oil either.

The baby Aveeno cream with the dark blue lid is really good (the lotion with a light blue lid is too thin to be useful).

Some other things that are worth a try:

Make sure you're not using fabric softener at all and not too much detergent. I use Persil non-bio and use the powder and slightly less than it says on the box. Make sure you do a full wash cycle rather than a quick one as you want the clothes to be really well rinsed.

Avoid clothing/bedding that has polyester/fleece.

Make sure your house isn't too warm. Central heating is very drying.

From my experience:

Change your laundry products, research very gentle products and wash babies clothes in those.

Cotton clothes only, so skin can breathe. No woolly or non-natural fibres. Hot dry skin gets sore and itchy, and can turn easily to eczema in my experience.

Cool to warm baths; hot water makes dry skin itch. Pat dry don't rub.

You are right to restrict bathing, the water is drying. Use Oilatum Infant bath additive, NO soap or bubbles EVER. Use Childs Farm shampoo.

Apply lotion to skin every time you change, if possible. As a minimum all over body at bedtime. I have tried various things. When it gets awful we use Diprobase Ointment which is incredibly yucky but magic (recommended me by a Pharmacist who had bad eczema). Rest of time we use Aveeno lotion.

Consider diet, some dry skin is caused by allergies, but start with the above steps first.

@Planningobjection

Don’t use coconut oil. Try something like aveeno cream and use 3-4 times a day, if after 5 days there’s no improvement talk to the pharmacist about something greasier. Be careful in the sun though with emollients as more prone to burning. If baby clinics are back in your area you could go and ask there and the HV might be able to prescribe something.

This first before doing all other measures.

Also there is no proof that putting oil containing products in bath water helps. However there is proof that applying products directly to the skin does.

Thanks for the advice guys. I’ve tried Vaseline over the last few days and it’s working. Baby’s skin hasn’t ever been so smooth.

Aquaphor is also good (like Vaseline but better)