Safeguarding your child’s skin health starts at birth. You will probably be given lots of lovely little clothes for your new baby and although it is tempting to just get them out of the packaging and pop them on the baby – don’t! Wash them first, preferably in something with very few additives, such as Skin Salveation’s laundry powder. Now go through the clothes carefully and cut out all internal labels. If that leave a stiff edge, unpick it and remove the label completely. If this sounds like a big faff when you have got a baby to look after, don’t skimp on this job. Clothes that have been stored in the shop are often contaminated with preservatives and labels can cause chafing, which can cause a lot of trouble later.

When you come to bath baby, also keep to non-perfumed soap or soap-free body wash. Although babies are not born with allergies and sensitivities nor are they born with skins which have been weathered by the sun and a few years. Their skins react very quickly to anything harsh and it is best to keep things gentle for a while.

Babies are gorgeous, we all agree there, and when you are out and about with yours there will be lots of well wishers who want to kiss and smooch the little one. This is not a good idea, although it can be a tricky path to tread when it comes to preventing kissing. Even if a person has no discernible scabs, spots or pimples, germs lie dormant on the skin until they come into contact with a new surface where there are no antibodies and then an infection can easily break out. Saying no is hard, giving your baby a lifetime of fighting cold sores is even harder.

Sometimes it is difficult to work out what the allergen is in allergic dermatitis but occasionally the culprit is clear because the dermatitis literally mirrors the shape of the product, in the case of a bracelet or ring. If it is a real favourite, some people paint the back of the item with clear nail varnish, but it is generally better to avoid contact altogether if possible.

Filed under Eczema