Preventing Dry Skin in Children: Home Remedies and Tips for Healthy Skin

Preventing Dry Skin in Children

When winter is round the corner, you can see it coming. That dryness of skin that can wreak havoc on your child’s overall sense of well-being. While skin dryness is not limited to winters, it can worsen during this period due to the reduced moisture content in the air.

Nobody wants to see their children repeatedly using moisturizer, to keep that undesirable dryness at bay. Dry skin in kids might have several underlying causes, like extreme weather conditions, inadequate hydration or even an underlying health condition.

Looking for some home remedies that will help prevent your child developing dry skin? Read on to know more!

The Common Causes for Dry Skin in Children

Unbeknownst to many, there are more causes for your child’s skin being dry, than meets the eye. Here’s a look at some of them.

Change in Weather

Whether it’s extreme hot or cold, both weather conditions could cause a fall in humidity levels. As your child’s body loses excess water, dryness of skin sets in. This might cause cracks to develop on the heels, and skin start to peel off from the soles of the feet.

Air Conditioning

You might not wish to have your child spend an inordinate amount of time in an airconditioned environment. Children that do are more susceptible to dry skin. Not only air conditioners, but even heaters tend to suck the moisture out of the air.

Tight Clothing

Another common reason for dry skin in kids could be their wearing tight fitting clothes. The friction between the skin and clothes could well aggravate that dryness of skin.

Dehydration

Does your child have chapped lips? That’s one of the most common signs of dehydration, which could be a leading reason for your child developing dry skin.

Sunburn

Your child’s skin could develop dryness simply on account of them playing in the harsh sunlight for way too long. Further, that exposure to the sun’s UV rays could cause unwanted redness, itching and pain.

Child Skin Care Tips

Looking for tips that will help safeguard your little one’s precious skin? Here are some invaluable home remedies that will ensure their skin is protected from dryness.

Avoiding long baths

Firstly, baths are preferable to showers where it comes to preventing dry skin. That being said, ensure you keep bath time limited. The longer the bath, the greater the chance of your child being prone to developing dry skin. Tip: To that effect, limit bath time to not more than 10 minutes.

Patting instead of rubbing

One of the best child skin care tips, this one. When your child emerges from their bath, pat them with a towel instead of rubbing them with it. Tip: You might wish to apply oil or perhaps Shea Butter to their skin after that bath, to keep dryness at bay.

Petroleum Jelly

Petroleum Jelly could work wonders for that dry skin. It works by trapping moisture in the skin, thereby hydrating it. Bonus: Petroleum Jelly also helps with diaper rash, since it can act as a barrier between the diaper and the skin.

Cotton clothes over Synthetic ones

Cotton clothes are best for children to help them prevent unwanted dryness in their skin. It’s best to stay away from synthetic garments that irritate the skin and cause rashes.

Limiting Swimming Time

Just like it is with their baths, one must also limit the amount of time their children spend in the pool. If you can, ensure they swim for twenty minutes tops. Tip: You want them to take a bath immediately after swimming. This is to wash off the excess chlorine, which will only contribute to that skin dryness.

Use liquid bandages to seal cracks in the skin

Those shallow and deep cracks that come with dry skin, can be effectively sealed with the use of liquid bandages that you can get at your local pharmacy. Note: You do not wish to use ointments and liquid bandages together.

Using mild detergents to wash clothes

When it comes to washing your kid’s clothes, it’s best to use natural detergents or mild ones. That soap residue that gets left in the clothes after washing might just be one of the factors contributing to that dry skin.

Changing diapers frequently

If your toddler is still wearing diapers, no problem! Just make sure that you change them frequently. This will not only help prevent skin dryness, but also keep them away from that unwanted diaper rash. Tip: You might want to change their diapers every couple of hours, for the best possible effect.

Apply moisturizer in the right places

Of course you should use moisturizer, but make sure that you pay special attention to where it is being applied. Apply it well to places like the abdomen and armpits, where there is more friction from the clothes children wear.

Keep them well hydrated

This is one of the most important things you can do to prevent skin dryness. Keeping your kids well hydrated means they should be drinking plenty of water every day. Tip: Eating juicy fruits rich in fiber helps greatly, too.

The Best Baby Wipes for Kids

In addition to keeping skin clean, baby wipes can help nourish and moisturize it, too. When it comes to baby travel, it’s essential to choose the best baby wipes for all skin types. Here’s a list of the top-rated wipes that provide gentle care and help prevent skin dryness in children.

Himalaya Gentle Baby Wipes

Mamaearth India’s First Organic Bamboo Based Baby Wipes

Himalaya Gentle Baby Wipes

Johnson’s Baby Wipes Pack

Little’s Soft Cleansing Baby Wipes

Mother Sparsh (Unscented) Baby Wipes

Pampers Baby Gentle Wet Wipes

Supples Baby Wet Wipes

Bodyguard Baby Wet Wipes

LuvLap Paraben Free Wipes

We at EuroKids cannot overstress the importance of safeguarding your children’s skin from dryness. While it is mostly harmless, when left untreated, that dryness can lead to children developing eczema. Kids will develop a rash and experience their skin cracking, with the onset of this disease. So, it’s best to use the home remedies we have outlined for you here, to keep their skin well and truly hydrated.