Baby's got dry skin :-(

[moomin35]

My newborn has dry skin, I've only bathed him a handful of times so really suprised his skin is dry. It's mostly his legs and feet. I've been using E45 but what's recommended and what should I use? Is it normal for him to have dry skin?

[fledermaus]

By dry skin, do you mean it is peeling? Both mine had that as newborns and I just left it, it didn't seem to bother them.

[GingerRodgers]

We've always used Aveeno dry skin relief cream and it got rid of any dry patches on dd.
She did peel a lot when she was born esp any creases eg ankles.

[spanky2]

I think we used rapeseed oil on ds1. He was skinny with blue eyes and looked like Gollum! Then he started peeling off dry skin... Not a good looking new born! We basted him in oil at bedtime and bathed him in the morning. We used to joke about our oven ready baby. It really sorted out his dry skin without irritating it. It is very common in newborns, apparently!

[LegoCaltrops]

DD had this, on her wrists & ankles/feet. Really terrible, actually bleeding at one point, I felt awful. We used olive oil. It healed fine.

[LouisaJF]

Grapeseed oil and a good rub down sorted this out with both of mine in a couple of days.

[CheeseEMouse]

We had this. It's normal. Midwives said to apply Olive oil with cotton wool which worked for us.

[missbluebird]

My baby peeled too. HV and midwife said it was normal. Anther vote for oil. We used coconut oil.

[Bamaluz]

I used baby oil, isn't that what it's for?

[dreamcatcher44uk]

My newborn had very dry, peeling skin mostly on wrists and feet and a tiny bit on tummy and face. Midwives recommended olive oil. We just used cotton wool balls covered in baby oil and it worked wonders. On her face we used baby oil on cotton bud and just put it on the tiny dry bits. Didn't cause any problems and was cleared up by the time she was a few weeks old.

[HomeIsWhereTheHeartIs]

When DS was days old I brushed a piece of what I thought was fluff away from his eye. Turns out it was dry skin and I just about peeled off his whole eyelid. Traumatic. But it was gone very quickly.

[unlucky83]

DD1 had this - also so bad it was cracked.
MWs gave me some cream in a tub - I can't remember the name - really basic - just aqueous cream - I think? (It had something in it for the sore bits too) Later I was told to use olive or almond oil...but that does make a mess of everything...

DD1 also got really bad 'acne' (milia - really normal ) - and I was really embarrassed - didn't want to take her out - I thought everyone would think I wasn't cleaning her face properly. I took her to the HV thinking I was doing something wrong/ she was allergic to something .

[Xenadog]

Grape seed oil solved this problem for my dd. Olive oil didn't seem to sink into her skin properly. After a couple of days things were back to normal.

[Pobblewhohasnotoes]

We used olive oil. It's good for dry skin in the hair too and cradle cap.

[fortheloveofmike]

Yes very normal for newborns to have peeling skin.. Both my ds have eczema too so id not worry about bathing baby too much. Just clean the important bits under chin n nappy area etc
Non scented cream is best but E45 was no good for us we are all allergic

[Pobblewhohasnotoes]

Aqueous isn't recommended as a moisturiser either, only as a soap substitute. My DS has eczema.

[PoppyAmex]

We used organic raw coconut oil both directly on the skin and a little blob in each bath. Both DC have amazingly soft skin now (and smells a lot better than olive oil).

[GingerRodgers]

If there's any areas that are weeping/open/ bleeding put a few drops of breastmilk (if you can) onto the area. Will heal really quickly.

[prettymel]

You can use organic coconut oil to hydrate your baby's skin, just apply some coconut oil to your baby skin. Coconut oil has nutrients and Vitamin E it repairs the skin while nourishing and moisturizing it.