8 Week Old - Dry Skin on Face

I highly recommend Aquaphor (made by Eucerin). My pediatrician recommended it and I put it on my daughter's cheeks and diaper area every night. Works like a charm and is a great barrier in the diaper area

Another option is LANSINOH lanolin nipple cream creme if you are breastfeeding you may have a sample on hand. The Aquaphor was used on my baby in the hospital though -- so I think it is the best.

I would recommend either the Eucerin which was already suggested or Auqaphor. My son was born with eczema and he was constantly scratching his face. I had to to put mittens on his hands and put the Auqaphor on and it did the trick. Good luck!!!

Euecrin Aquaphor works like a charm and it is not as greasy as Vaseline.

Good luck!
S. G.

I have had skin issues all my life and unfortunately have passed it on to my children. Before going to a dermatologist, which I suggest if nothing OTC works, I would try these few things...1. do not wash her face with anything other than warm water and we use Eucerin ORIGINAL moisturizer. I put original in large b/c Eucerin sells some many different kinds. It seems like grease in a sense, but it is great. I say put it on after baths and before you leave the house during the cold winter months. Good Luck, and if you live in the south east suburbs, we are in Lansing, and need a recommendation for a dermatologist let me know.
** I have read your other comments and according to my derma, Aquaphor is great for hands and feet, but can clog pores on the face causing more problems, also the original cream (now comes in a tube not just the jar) will NOT burn if there are any cracks. In fact it will soothe.

Good morning! Eucerin is what we used when our son was a newborn with cracked skin. Later we used Aquaphor because that is the sample we had. Good luck!

I have found that the California Baby Calendula Cream is great for the dry skin on my 3 month old. I also use it sometimes as a preventative for diaper rash and also it is great on adult skin.

We've also used Aquaphor and Eucerin. The other helpful thing with my daughter's face has been to avoid washing it with water and to apply moisturizer before baths to protect the area. Good luck!

Vaseline is a decent fix that will prevent moisture from evaporating from the area it covers. Put it on immediately after the bath (or put it on the affected area before you take her out of the bath!) Over time, this will definitely help your little one. However, if you want to use a safe product that will also add moisture (and, hence, work a bit more quickly), I use Aquaphor (by Eucerin) on my children's faces. It is thick like Vaseline so it will "seal" the area, but it also has a moisturizing property as well.

Since you are probably going to get a bunch of different responses, you may want to give your Pediatrician a call and get a recommendation!!

I see you have a lot of responses. I would like to offer another choice. My first born and my twins all had excema and various skin dryness issues. I went through all the doctors, the Eucerin and Aquafor with limited results. I started a business with Arbonne and tried their baby care line. I was amazed that it cleared it all up gently (even on my then 5 year old after so many years of trying). Rather than blocking the pores, it soothes and heals the skin. Also, make sure you use just water or a gentle wash. My OB now offers these samples for her new moms. I tend not to respond because of my obvious conection by selling these products. Even if you choose not to contact me, please consider trying Arbonne's baby care line (the oil...it is not mineral oil, but essential oils) and the wash. They have a 45 day money back guarantee. Good luck.

The only issue with vaseline is that it clogs the pores, not letting the skin breathe, which is exactly what it needs to do. Anything that has mineral oil in it will clog the pores. A simple remedy is right in your own kitchen, olive oil-EVOO. I've been putting sesame oil on my little toddler's chapped cheeks and nose since she's been sick and my husband is amazed how well it is working (sesame oil is suppose to help reduce mucous production in the sinus cavity). So try EVOO!

Congrats and Happy Holidays!
J. W. MPH
Wellness Educator/Lifestyle and Wellness Consultant

You can try putting it on twice a day, everyday. Both my children have dry skin/ecsema and see a peds dermatologist. Besides their prescription medication, they both use Eucerin and (by the same maker, Aquaphor - which is basically vasaline). Just an FYI - at their last appointment, the doctor told me never to put neosporin on the face of babies because it might trigger an allergic reaction. Good luck to both of you!

My twin boys had the same problem last winter. I used Cortizone cream and it helped tremendously. I have had to use it this year again and the dry skin has gone away. Good luck!

I use Aquaphor by Eucerin. I use it for my 10 month old daughter and myself. It's scent free but kinda sticky. However, it works great on the most dry skin. I rub it all over my daughter's body after her bath. It's like a thick Vaseline. So there is Eucerin and Aquaphor by Eucerin. They usually are displayed together. Also, it works great on diaper rash.

I just wanted to add that it could be the bath itself that is doing it. Newborns don't need a bath too often - my 4 week old just had her first real bath yesterday, and I didn't put any soap or water on her face during it. She could also be sensitive to the soap you are using even if it is just baby wash -- I to this day can't put any type of soap on my face or I will break out in a rash. Newborns don't get "dirty", and baths will totally dry them out. It's not like they have spaghetti sauce all over their faces and bodies! So I would say rather than trying to put some stuff on her face that may further irritate it, let time heal it and stop the baths for at least a few weeks.

I had exactly same issue, and our ped suggessted eucerin. Buy only the Original eucerin creme..nothing else. It works real well. You can infact use it instead of the regular lotion or creme that you might be using. All over the body!!

She will be fine.

Have u tried aquaphor? I just asked our pediatrician about dry skin this past week and she told us to try aquaphor. We have yet to try.

Hi! All 3 of my kids has dry skin! I recommend not giving baths as much, as sometimes that dries the skin out more! and AVEENO Hydrocortozone 1%. I am using it on my son, 6 mo., right now! Seems to help!

Have a Merry Christmas! Hope it gets better. It's so hard to see their skin like this. I think it's the cold weather as well! Extreme weather, hot and cold, irritate it more!

Both of my kids have really dry skin. As do I. I love the baby eczema cream from Gentle Naturals by Baby Orajel. Works like a charm. A little goes a long way. I find it at Target and Walgreens. It's about 6 dollars a tube, but lasts forever.

Aquaphor - it's even better than vaseline! You can also use the CVS/Walgreen/Osco brand - the ingredients are the same.

It's the only thing (other than prescription ointment from our dermatologist) that kept my son's eczema in check! He's three and we still use it daily (am and pm in the winter). Good luck!

Hi there, my pediatrician and dermatologist recommended Aquaphor. Please remember if her skin is broken or irrated a creme could burn and be painful until the skin is properly healed up and no longer rashy or irritated. I know because me and my 4 yr old son have very sensitive skin and fight with occassional eczema. Please be careful before using and creme based lotion on broken cracked skin especially a baby. I always use Aquaphor first to heal any cracked irritated skin on all parts of the body---face, body, feet. Then for my son, I use a Borage oil natural based cream made by Shikai. It's at Whole Foods and they have one specifically for children. It's the only creme based lotion that doesn't burn his skin when it's irritated and healing up from a rash. Good luck and happy holidays!

Hi K.,

I don't know if you heard about Melaleuca's products, but they work great for sensitive and dry skin. Also they are good eczema, psoriasis and rosacea.
I love shopping from them. Not only that, but they have laundry detergents and other products we need in our houses. I have 2 little ones myself and I am so grateful I found these products.

Your daughter could also be allergic to the detergent you are using as well.

I hope these products will work for you as well.

I have found that Aquaphor works the best!

Dear K.,
Make sure you are double rinsing ALL laundry that comes in contact with your baby, including bed linens, wash cloths etc. Babies only need to be bathed once or twice a week. I agree with keeping the room air humidified, but also keep the humidifier scrupulously clean. Good luck.

Vicki

Aquaphore is the miracle lotion! This is the only lotion we can use on my daughters sensitive skin. I actually buy a generic of it at either Walgreens or CVS because it is pricey. But, it does the trick!!!

Eucerin is your best bet. My son always gets extremely dry skin on his face in the summer (alergies) and we have tries everything. Any kind of lotion is going to burn. But the Eucerin is a healing ointment and doesn't burn at all.

Hi K.,

You should try vaseline or baby lotion on your daughter's face. Make sure you have plenty of moisture in you home. She may have very delicate skin and my need more moisture than other children and/or people.

Happy Holidays!

J.

Aquaphor--my daughter was 3 1/2 months pre-mature, so you can only imagine her skin issues & irritation due to cord bandages, plastic tubing etc. The Aquaphor is a staple in the NICU (and a staple in my home now!) My daughter is 3 & if she scrapes, has irritation etc, I just put on the Aquaphor & it goes away! It is great for everything, including my dry hands. I was windburn on my face due to Sunday & Monday, doing too many errands. I put it on at night & it was gone in the morning. A true staple to have around your house--I out a light dab on her cheeks if we are going to play in the snow. Dont worry about the baby beeing 8 weeks old, my daughter was -13 weeks when they started it all over her full body in the NICU & her skin is gorgeous now!!! I promise you will not use anything else--except for diaper rash, & then I suggest the Destin Creamy---two things I used the most!

I would go with the eucerin. My son had terrible terrible excema on his face until he was almost two and eucerin was what the doctor recommended. Hope you little one feels better!

My son experienced the same problems with his skin. The pediatrician recommended we use Aquaphor and it cleared it up instantly. I still use it on his cheeks and on some parts of his body after his bath and he's 16 weeks now. After you apply it to your little one, rub it into your hands. It does wonders for dry hands/cuticles!

My son had the same problem and still gets dry patches on his legs. I use Aquaphor. It's found in the lotion section and often times in the baby aisle. It is really greasy, but absorbs into the skin well. You only need a small amount. Hope this helps and good luck!

Aquaphor is great, it works for both of my kids who have extremely dry skin. Also, excema in babies can be linked to food allergies, you might want to ask your pediatrician about having your baby tested. I wish I would have known earlier, I could have avoided a lot of pain and itching for my kids! Good luck!

Yes that cream is wonderful. May I also suggest to you just leaving a big pan of water on your stove or counter. This will help put some moisture in your house. Your house might be dry causing your daughters face to because dry. Also may I suggest not washing her face at all when you give her a bath just wash it with the warm water. Good luck to you and Happy Holidays to you and your family.

My son was exactly the same way. Someone recommended Mustela - for dry and eczema-prone skin - it worked wonders in a very short period of time (like 2 days). It costs about seventeen dollars for a large tube (which I know is expensive), but if you just use it on the face or areas that are extremely dry it will last you quite a while. My first tube lasted about 5 months. You apply it twice a day, morning and night and - the difference it makes is amazing. It is not thick or greasy so bed sheets and cloths will not be ruined with oil marks - also it expecially made for babies. You can get it at babies r us. You probably already know this, but make sure you also change the babies bed sheets often - my son would drool all over his sheets durning the night and probably spit up too and that only adds to the chapness of the skin because the sheets aren't as soft from all the dryed up salavia. I hope you find something that works.

Aquaphor is miracle cream!!!!! I always use it on my kids and it is wonderful!!!!

my daughter's skin got so bad, that at 8 months we had to use a prescription steroid cream--and we didn't even bathe her back then. We just wiped her down with Mustela rinse-free Physiobaby. She's 17 months old and still has the scars on her legs and belly. We see Dr. Ettner, who is well known for being conservative about using prescriptions, so you know it was bad. After the steroid cream, Aquaphor was the only thing that helped. To this day, we slather it on her everywhere but her scalp after her bath. In the mornings in winter, we have to spread a little over her cheeks too, since that skin is exposed and rubs all day. It doesn't seem to block her pores. Also, Mother's Love Nipple Cream is fabulous for healing sores and food enzyme burns in the diaper. Good luck. It's so hard to know what to do.

My daughter went through something similar, and she ended up being allergic to the soy formula I was giving her. The doctor changed her formula, and told me to use Dove scent free soap, and Cetaphil cream for lotion. I wouldn't suggest using the Eucerin, when I tried that, my daughter swelled and turned red in the spots I had applied it. The Cetaphil is great... she has the softest skin and all of her little chapped spots cleared up within a few days. So maybe try using that.

Calendula is a great natural, homeopathic fix for chapped, dry skin. Find the ointment (our favorite by Boiron in pink/white tube) at Whole Foods. You can find it at other independent health food stores too.

We don't use lotions with a touch of canlendula, we use the stuff that has the only active ingredient of calendula.

Calendula solves just about any skin issue we have had on both the big and little people in our house.

Vaseline plugs the pores and can worsen the situation. Use baby lotion. It soaks in the skin and will relieve the reddness and discomfort for baby. Make sure the area remains dry from saliva and milk drools. Happy holidays mommy.

Try Cetaphil gentle skin cleanser (Walgreens or CVS). After bath apply Cetaphil daily hydrating lotion. My friend did this for a week and her daughters skin was perfect!

Good luck!

Are you breastfeeding? My youngest had the same issue, and I had to cut out nuts and dairy from my diet, but as soon as I did, he stopped getting so dry and itchy. It wasn't easy to cut those things out, but it was worth it for the improvement to my son's skin. And it didn't hurt with the weightloss too :D
Best of luck!

My kids have eczema and Aquaphor and Eucerin are what our Ped. and allegy specialist recommend. I use Cetaphil on my kids (also recommended) and it helps tremendously. Also you should use regular Dove unscented soap. I can't tell the difference it made in my childrens skin immediately! Baby soaps have to many irritants in them for dry skin.

My baby has excema and my pediatricia recommended Aquaphor made by Eucerin. It has been a miracle. Thanks.

I really like the Aveeno Soothing Relief Moisture Cream. It is for babies and is in a tube that stands on end with a dark blue cap. It's all natural and is for dry skin and eczema. I have used it on my son since he broke out with eczema at three months. There are days I have to slather it on his cheeks three times a day, but his skin is back to being silky smooth now! I also use this soothing relief moisture bath stuff too. It doesn't sting the eyes and help the skin from drying out after a bath.

Try Aquophor by Eucerin. my son has the same problem and I use that and it totally works!!!! Good Luck

Aquafor is great! Just like vasaline but kind of on the pricey side. What about a humidifier?