DISCLOSURE: THIS POST IS SPONSORED BY AVEENO CANADA. AS ALWAYS, OPINIONS ARE ALL MY OWN.
Winter can be a challenging time for our skin! When the temperature drops, so do the humidity, making the air both inside and outside drier. How much water we store in our epidermis (the outermost layer of our skin) tends to be reflective of how much moisture is in the air.
Imagine the epidermis as a patchwork quilt, with each section being stitched together and held by a lipid infused “glue” that helps the quilt lay flat and smooth. Winter’s low humidity can damage the glue, causing moisture loss, and the outcome of dry, itchy, flaky skin.
How can you prevent this?
- Consider using a humidifier in your home during the winter. Keeping the air moist will help keep your baby’s skin from drying out.
- When it’s cold, we are tempted to turn our heat way up in our homes. This can be as drying to our skin as the cold winter air! Instead of cranking the heat, consider a warmer, cotton sleep sack over the baby’s pajamas.
- When dressing baby for winter, use soft cotton threads and layers, instead of thicker wool-like materials. These can be itchy and irritating to your baby’s skin.
- Make sure your child is hydrated! As mamas, we are great at thinking about this when it is hot out, but it matters in the cold too! Babies under six months of age do not need water above and beyond the breastmilk or formula they consume. Offer water throughout the day to your older infant or toddler using a cup with a straw, they will take more volume, helping their body’s (including their skin) stay hydrated.
- Bathe your baby daily for no more than ten minutes in warm water. Use AVEENO® Baby® Eczema Care Wash to cleanse your baby (pour it into the bath in the last two minutes). Made with colloidal oatmeal, it gently cleanses the skin without over-drying.
- Lock in the moisture after a bath with thick cream or balm. The trick is to not dry the baby all the way prior to applying. Consider using AVEENO® Baby® Eczema Care Moisturizing Cream; it can add and lock in moisture with its Triple Oat formula with Ceramides, helping prevent dry and itchy skin that are a result of eczema.
- Moisturize the baby’s skin before heading out into the cold, letting it act as a barrier to relieve minor skin irritation and itching due to eczema. Try AVEENOR® Baby® Eczema Care Moisturizing Cream before leaving, giving it time to absorb.
- If your baby is teething, carry a soft, cotton cloth to gently dab and dry when out. Wet skin in the cold caused by drool can be uncomfortable for the baby and can make dry skin worse.
- Try to avoid placing your baby in the direct wind. Cold wind can further irritate dry, chapped skin. Consider using an approved stroller or car seat cover.
The beautiful part of our seasons is that they come, and they go. And after a long winter of bundling baby and braving the cold, comes spring, and bare chubby baby feet.
Sending you so much love and support as we move through this winter. You got this, mama!
Always read and follow the label.