Reposted from 2/10/10
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| Itchy, dry skin on our kiddos is hard to watch for parents |
Any item entering my house, no matter how small, requires the most
careful consideration regarding design, tactility, and function. Seems
anal, but this is how I've always operated. When I was 8 years old and
had to pick a dress to perform piano in with the Honolulu Symphony,
nothing off-the rack would do so I picked a pattern and worked with a
seamstress. No kidding -- my poor Mother. Before I had a kid though, no
one ever fought me on my choices. I was head of Chez Nuy. That
said, for my daughter's first pair of mittens, I searched high and low for the
best pair to combat the cold air, and the dry skin it was inflaming on
her hands. When they arrived at our door, I put the selection on her and
to my dismay, she freaked out. She hated the mittens -- everything about
them. Our, my mitten meet-and-greet had gone awfully awry: my fashion remedy for her chapped hands was a no-go.
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| My daughter, A-chan, facing the winter :-). |
When we're out and about, I try to keep my daughter, A-chan's hands tucked into
her oversized, Polo jacket. But when she's snacking, playing Ring
Around the Rosy, or negotiating the jungle gym, her little mitts are
inevitably exposed to the chilly NYC air, and the area below her
knuckles suffers. Like her hair, A-chan's skin is dry, and the winters are
typically challenging -- what with the overheated, moisture-less
apartments and the icy, outside air. And maybe it's sympathy-symptoms,
but my own hands, on and around the knuckles have also been raw and
chapped, similar to hers. There are days when the pinkness of my knuckles
are akin to the prettiest spring blush, but blush doesn't, and
shouldn't burn!
My daughter's intense dry skin can act out, particularly in arid
conditions, expressing itself as mild atopic dermatitis, per her
pediatrician. Her case is far from severe, but when it's intense it has
caused tiny bumps to rise on her body (concentrated on her stomach, her
bum -- areas where clothing is most often rubbing against her skin), and
caused discomfort to the point where she'll itch the problem areas
until chafing occurs.
It's important to remember a few basics when dealing with mild baby eczema / atopic dermatitis: Use a humidifier (here's
Hello Kitty one, $39), apply moisturizer daily and liberally, don't wash the skin too often with drying soaps (use pH balanced soaps like
Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser ($6), which is safe for babies), and alternate washes with soap by just cleansing your child with water.
I was feeling victorious because I had recently gotten both pairs of hands at
Chez Nuy in tip top shape -- mostly due to the religious application of lotion (here's a luxurious one I love for Mom by
Rescue Beauty,
$42) and lots of Vaseline before bedtime. Then today, while we were out
in the tundra of the city's early February blizzard making snowmen, a
friend of mine offered A-chan a pair of white toddler gloves akin to Minnie
Mouse's or an old-fashioned waiter's. Gasp! Something I never would've
picked.
But my daughter kept them on, flashing me a satisfied smile as she gathered some snow, fully-gloved:
Yes, mama, I like these!
Dry Skin 1-2-3:
1)
Vaseline ($5):
This inexpensive classic that I use daily for A-chan, is a fantastic
heal-all and works well for both baby and mom. Put it on the raw areas
(works great for diaper rashes and chapped lips too) when you and/or
your kid goes to bed. You'll see a difference overnight.
3)
Aveeno Baby Soothing Bath Treatment ($5):
You can use this a few times a week to soothe dry, itchy skin (and it
also works for diaper rash). Just make sure to have your child soak for
at least ten to fifteen minutes in the treatment.
UPDATE (March 21, 2010):
Try
Vanicream.
A-chan and I have been having fantastic results with it in the last few
weeks. It is possibly the most irritant-free moisturizer I have found so
far, and highly absorbent.
-- N.C.
Disclaimer: Nuy Cho has no affiliation to any of the beauty companies mentioned on www.nuybeauty.com.
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