What can you do for dried skin on a 2 week old baby?

[TillyGrace26]

Well our little princess is 2 weeks old tomorrow and she has really bad flaky dried skin all over her body and legs. We have not been using anything at all on her skin or in her bath, as the midwife had advised not to so we don't have a clue what could be drying her skin out. She gets bathed every night, and her face/hair is cleaned with hot water and cotton wool. We have loads of johnsons products but haven't used any of them, do u think maybe using some baby oil would help the dry skin? any advice would be great x

[Hidden]

Yh I would hun, will probs do the trick and you can give her a little massage at the same time

[2princes1princess]

Yea hun I use baby oil on all of my bubas xxx

[cheekymonkey3791]

I did nothing, I saw it as a skin shed like a snake having gone from water environment to dry air and after a period of time, no more dry skin

My HV suggested Sunflower oil of I really wanted to do something xx

[xanon]

My LO was the same but I just left it and it stopped on its own. I think general advice is only really to bathe them every 2-3 days and just wipe over with water and cotton wool in between it affects the oils in their skin. I tried baby oil but just appeared again later on!

[Hidden]

We had the same with our son. We used nothing but water for first 5 weeks or so and then started using Johnson's products at about 6 to 7 weeks. It's pretty much all cleared up now.

Would suggest bathing every 2 to 3 days though

[lunarkim]

Good old fashioned olive oil from the chemist, ( I only got it from there as the stuff I had in my cupboard was Extra Virgin Olive Oil and he would of smelt funny lol). My Son was 4 weeks early and had really flaky peeling hands and head etc. A wipe over and a massage of olive oil and it cleared up in a day or two. Also worked a charm on his cradle cap!! Try and avoid Baby Oil and other bath products as they can have the opposite effect or, in my Daughter's case, go on to develop eczema patches

Either way your baby will eventually grow out of it, like PP said it's a bit like shedding.

Good Luck xx

[ritz21]

my LO got her two times a day olive oil massage from her very first week and she just loves it - now the moment i say Baby massage she would light up with a big smile ... even when she is in one of her occasional crying fits !!

[DrFluffy]

Organic sunflower oil is what's most commonly suggested today. Olive oil now out of vogue as linked to allergies, and mineral oils (I.e Johnson's) are a big no no on a neonate. X

[Hidden in reply to DrFluffy]

Remember u saying about sunflower must remember glad u mentioned again

[PJ2013]

My son was the same. I bought oilatum cream and smothered him in that. I also put oilatum bath lotion in his bath. This cleared his skin up in days. I still use oilatum in the bath for him

[NatalieK]

Olive oil and bathing every other day helped my LO. Once I changed to this it stopped within a few days. I used olive oil as recommended but also because he had flaky skin on his hands and was always putting them in his mouth and didn't want to use anything unnatural

[mommyme]

Even my baby had dry flaky skin when she was 2 weeks old. After I have started to give her an oil massage, then a war bath, pat dry, apply baby cream.... her dry skin started to recover.... I have been using Johnson and Johnson baby products only. Hope this information helps.

[Marim]

My baby is 2 weeks old today. I am been using sunflower oil worked really well. It work like magic