Winter Skincare Tips for Mums and their Babies

Text by Bhumika Vikam

Find out how to look after your sensitive skin and that of babies during the winters. 

Kanchan Rohra Bachwani, Dietician and Personal Trainer shares a healthy balanced diet along with exercise consultation, lifestyle coaching for weight loss, weight gain, pre-pregnancy, pregnancy, post-pregnancy, health problems like diabetes, high blood pressure, cholesterol and other health problems.

Winter is a time where we always hear people tell new mums about health issues or taking utmost care of health. But are we aware of the reason behind it all? Kanchan explains, “Winter has a harsh effect on a baby’s ultrasensitive skin. The central heating system and cold, dry air of winter make baby’s delicate skin dry. New mums experience dull skin post-delivery as well as dryness, patchiness and acne.

The hormonal surge subsides and the body recovers from the pressure of childbirth. The skin usually goes for a toss. Stretch marks are also one of the concern for most women. As a result, most women have skin problems by 30 years of age. Winter weather aggravates these problems. Hence the need for extra attention to be paid to skin for moms and babies as winter arrives.”

Babies according to Kanchan, are susceptible to common ailments and conditions such as constipation, diarrhea, vomiting, fever, cough, cold, diaper rash, baby acne, eczema, white bumps, yeast infections and ear infections during the winter season.

When it comes to talking about rashes and other skin ailments, babies are the most prone to these during winter season. While the market provides us a great range of products for winter skin care, some of the home remedies can do wonders.

Home Remedies

Here are a couple of home remedies suggested by Dietician Kanchan:

• Some natural products which can be used to sooth the babies skin are Natural bath oils –one spoonful of sunflower oil can be added to lukewarm water for a bath.
• Apart from this, coconut oil, almond oil and honey can also be applied to the baby.
• Desi ghee can be applied to baby’s dry lips.
• Breast Milk can be applied to dry cheeks of a baby.
• Aloe Vera can be used to apply on the dry areas of skin.

The best part being, several home remedies are now available commercially and make our work less tedious. We can get many of the traditional home ingredients in their scientific form and here are some of them which Kanchan tell us about. Mums can check the labels for these ingredients when buying bath and body products for self and babies –

• Emulsifier -allows oil to stay mixed in water.
• Stabilizer – stabilizes ingredients.
• Keratolytic -softens keratin (skin)layer.
• Humectant -moisturizes outer layer of skin.
• Preservative -prevents bacteria, mold, fungus growth.
• Emollient -means moisturizer.
• pH adjuster-stabilizes acid-base balance.

Kanchan further adds, “Coconut oil can be added to skin care products with name of sodium cocoyl isethionate. A moisturizer derived from corn sugar can be named zemea propanediol.”

Some ingredients to be avoided are Parabens, Phthalates, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Formaldehyde releasers, Petrolatum, Fragrance. If you have used a product and you notice redness or irritation or baby is crying continuously, discontinue its use.