2 questions....Baby's Dry, Cracked Skin and C-section Scar?

Hi! I have two bi-racial daughters who as soon as weather changes or gets cold their elbows,legs and such are so cracked. i tried baby oil lotions and it is great! I give my 1 yr old a bath at night{same thing before bd} and rub her down and put socks on her in am she looks great and i also reapply it in am. everything else i tried i just wasted a ton of money thinking i needed the best because of their skin types i was so wrong. baby magic is what i buy it's 4.95 for a nice size bottle

I like the Baby Aveeno products - baby wash, lotin, oatmeal bath. I also like Aquaphor. My son had eczema and the doctor suggested putting lotion on at every diaper change and limiting baths. I use these products on both of my kids for dry skin.

Good luck with the c-section scar. :)

Hi S.,

I used to work in a pharmacy. A very good product for dry skin and/or eczema is called Acid Mantle Cream. It is fairly expensive - like 8 bucks for a small tube, but you only need a very small amount. It helps to restore the right PH level of the skin. I've used it on both my children for eczema and it really helps. I've even used it on my eyelids when they got very dry. So it's really gentle. Anyway...if the cheaper stuff doesn't work, you may want to consider this. Hope it helps! Also, it is non-prescription, but they often carry it behind the counter or they can order it for you.

Both of my children experienced the same thing, even with the whole house humidifier. It is the season unfortunately. My husband and I were fortunate enough to find a lotion and bath washes that cleared it up almost immediately. We were introduced to Melaleuca products about 5 years ago and love them. You really need to watch what you use since there have been links to cancer from some eczema creams available. Most of the top brands of lotions that are available for children/infants also have toxic chemicals in them too. This was a true eye opener to my husband and I when we had out first little one.

Also, I had to c-sections and you can barely see my scar. I used Melaleuca oil, which is an essential oil for healing. Works wonderful! I have my whole family hooked! Email me or call me if you are interested in learning more or if you would like to set up a time for lunch. ____@____.com or ###-###-####.

Looking forward to talking with you.

PS... I nursed both my children too - they are both very healthy and I feel it is the best thing I could have done for them so keep up the good work!

For your newborn - try Aquaphor (sp?). It's basically the same as Vaseline, but I swear it's got some magical ingredient in there. My son had some issues with dry skin behind his knees when he was around 4 months old and I would slather the Aquaphor on before putting him in his pjs at night. I figured if I used it at night under his pjs, there was no risk of him putting his fingers in the Aquaphor and then the fingers into his mouth. Most grocery stores carry Aquaphor Baby in the baby product aisle, although I always just used the regular Aquaphor that you found in the skin cream/lotion aisle.

On her elbows, try a little vaseline or a good lotion or cream like Eucerine or Nivea (look for something hypoallergenic). Also, with a baby that small, you only want to bath them every couple of nights especially in cold weather. Make sure you don't take her outside for an hour or so after bathing, too. Bathing opens the pores and can leave you vulnerable to chapping especially in the cold. Sometimes, though, in spite of everything we do to prevent chapping it still happens. I usually try vaseline at night and some lotion or cream during the day when it happens. My sister (a nurse) recommended the nivea or eucerine creams to us. The creams usually work a little better than the lotions.

Also, if you are looking for a supportive environment to meet new friends, I'm part of the MOMS Club of Pittsburgh East. It is a wonderful place to meet a diverse group of women. I have yet to find a member of the group who is not friendly and supportive. If you want more information, please email me.