Baby, it’s cold outside and you can tell it on my babies’ dry, itchy skin. Sure the winter months are a blast when you have a ton of snow, school is cancelled, and you get to spend the day sledding, building snowmen, and drinking hot coco. However, it’s the cold air and dry heat in the house that wrecks my kids’ sensitive skin in the winter. Here are some of my mom hacks that help soothe and protect their precious skin in the wintertime.
Dry, itchy scalps are no match for a mixture of a tablespoon of sugar and a half a tablespoon of coconut oil. Massage the mixture into their scalp for a minute or two (be careful that the oil doesn’t get into their eyes) and let it sit on their scalp for a few minutes. An inexpensive shower cap is a great way to keep the mixture on their scalp, plus their body heat will help melt the oil and let it seep into their dry scalps. After a few minutes, rinse and shampoo when done.
Stay away from scented lotions and cleansers that can irritate their sensitive skin in the winter. Instead use products that are free from harsh scents, dyes, or chemicals and are listed as hypoallergenic. Before bed, lotion up your kids with a thick moisturizer. Don’t forget their cute faces and lips!
Bathing every night can really dry out your child’s skin in the winter. Try to space out bathing to every 2-3 days and just wash them off with a wet washcloth on the days they aren’t headed into the tub.
Since hot water can strip away moisture in sensitive skin, limit your child’s time in the tub to under 10-15 minutes and be sure the water isn’t hot. Before they dry off with a towel, apply a thick moisturizing lotion to their wet skin. This helps the lotion seep into their skin rather than the lotion just sitting on top of their skin.
If their skin is particularly itchy, try adding two cups of white vinegar to their bathwater. The vinegar helps to naturalize the redness and itchy skin. Use a gentle cleanser on their skin before they get out of the tub.
For really dry and cracked skin, petroleum jelly over lotion can help lock in moisture and give some relief during the winter months.
Before your kids head out the door, be sure to dress them in breathable materials like cotton. Wool can irritate skin and cause them to itch and sweat.
Even though it’s winter, don’t forget the sunscreen for everyone’s face. The sun’s harsh rays can still damage that precious skin even in the dead of winter.
For more information on how to soothe and protect your families skin in winter months, check out this site from KnowYourOTCs. Here are a few more of their great tips:
So bundle up and get outside with your kids. Enjoy those winter months, and if snow isn’t your thing, there’s always hot coco and that really fixes everything!
This post is sponsored by the CHPA educational foundation,KnowYourOTCs.org but all opinions are my own.