6 Must-Try Baby Health Care Home Remedies To Cure Dry Skin

Come winters and the concern of dry skin becomes paramount. Taking good care of babies, especially ensuring their skin stays healthy and glowing is of utmost importance. Since the baby’s skin is extremely delicate and sensitive in comparison to that of adults and requires more attention and care. The cold dry winter air and indoor heating can play havoc on the little one’s skin. Though there are innumerable options available in the market for baby care during winters, the best is to work out your own skincare treatment and method best suited for your baby.

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Instead of turning to easily available products in the market, look inside your kitchen and your child’s daily routine, to figure out a way to beat the cold this winter and save your little one’s skin from winter dryness. In consultation with our in-house paediatrician and grandma onboard, we bring to you some relevant tips.

6 Baby health care home remedies:

1. Moisturise twice daily

Ideally, during winters, a baby’s bath time should be minimised, as bathing removes the skin’s natural oils and dries the skin. A lot of mothers prefer skipping daily baths for their little ones. But if proper care is taken then daily baths are not a problem. A quick bath in warm water with a fragrance-free and soap-free cleanser followed by a proper moisturising schedule takes care of the dryness problem. Using oil that suits your baby’s skin is a good option. From Coconut oil, olive oil, almond oil, or even a mix of these three oils, it can be used as a good moisturiser. Pure mustard oil is also good as it keeps the body warm. Choose the one that suits your baby’s skin the best. It is recommended to pat dry your baby with a towel instead of rubbing the body and moisturising while there is still some bathwater left on the body.

2. Honey (optional)

This is nature’s gift to mankind in the purest form. An ideal and safe moisturiser, honey can be applied on the dry red patches of your baby’s cheeks. It is safe without any side effects and will not cause you concern if your baby happens to lick it. Apart from an external application, honey mixed with warm water can be given to the child for internal hydration as well.

3. Water – The elixir of life – Mandatory baby health care tip!

If the intake of water is optimal, then most of the winter dryness will never even make an appearance. Make sure your baby stays hydrated. When can babies drink water? The water intake process can only be activated when the child reaches a certain age and milestone. But, once you have introduced boil water, make sure to give enough, even if it means winter!

4. Breast milk/cow or buffalo milk

Breast milk is a boon for every child. It not only keeps the child health in every sense but also takes care of other problems as well. A few drops of breast milk applied on patched cheeks is a sure-shot treatment. Lactic acid present in cow or buffalo’s milk helps in exfoliating dead skin cells. The inflammatory property of the milk soothes dry and itchy skin. It can be mixed with rose water and applied on the dry patches for relief.

5. Food

What goes inside the body as nutrition also determines the skin condition. Watch what your child is eating. Nutritionally-dense and vitamin-rich food keep the skin hydrated while sugary food leads to dry flaky skin. Try including colourful fruits and veggies of your baby’s choice. Include super grains, like millets in his/her diet.

6. Homemade lotions/Home remedies

Apart from the oil that you can use as moisturisers, you can also make your own lotions from natural products. Olive oil mixed with honey and aloe vera makes a good hydrating mixture. Desi ghee is another natural miracle available in our kitchens. A light massage before bedtime can make your little one’s skin soft and radiant. A little bit of desi ghee applied in the navel is believed to keep the dryness away.

Try your own combination based on your baby’s skin requirement. Apart from these, make sure your baby is not exposed to too much cold air directly nor is exposed for too long to the heaters inside. Using a cool-mist humidifier during extreme cold dry weather can help as well.

Disclaimer: Kindly consult your paediatrician before applying anything natural or exposing your baby’s skin to any specific home-remedy for the first time.