How to care for baby's skin in summer: treatment of diaper rash, prickly heat and dermatitis

Children already have very delicate and sensitive skin, but in the heat it needs even more careful care. Our advice will help you with this.

Features of baby skin

The child's skin performs important functions: protective, barrier, receptor, heat-regulating. However, children have a different skin structure from adults. That is why she is much more sensitive and tender. In the first months of a baby's life, high permeability, poorly developed fat layer and abundant blood supply can provoke the development of irritation, inflammation and redness of the skin. This is why the risk of diaper rash, prickly heat and diaper dermatitis increases in summer.

Summer prickly heat in a child

In hot weather, children sweat heavily, which causes prickly heat. The skin is covered with small rashes ranging in size from 1 to 4 mm. With prickly heat, babies begin to sleep poorly, to be capricious.

To prevent prickly heat, parents need to bathe the baby more often and check the skin in places that are poorly ventilated. These are the areas behind the ears, back of the head, armpits, bends of the elbows and knees.

If the rash has already appeared, then you need to proceed as follows:

temporarily stop using baby cream or powder;
bathe the baby in water with the addition of a decoction of chamomile or a string or an infusion of thin currant branches;
dress the child only after it is completely dry;
lubricate the rash with zinc-salicylic ointment (if prescribed by the pediatrician).

How to apply cosmetics for newborns in summer

In the summer, as in the rest of the seasons, it is necessary to carefully choose the cosmetics for children. It is important that they have a natural composition and are hypoallergenic. The main function that cosmetics for babies should perform is to protect the skin from the influence of negative factors.

The following types of cosmetics for babies are conventionally distinguished:

for bathing - foams and soaps, gels and shampoos, sea salt with various additives;
for daily hygiene - powders and balms, diaper creams, skin milk, moisturizing oils;
for protection from the sun and bad weather.

We will give you some recommendations on how to properly use cosmetics for babies in the summer to prevent diaper rash, prickly heat and dermatitis:

Look for creams with a light texture.
Use soap no more than 1 time a day.
If the skin begins to peel off, lubricate it with a baby cream with an organic (natural) composition.
In hot weather, minimize the use of cosmetic oils and petroleum jelly, apply them only to dry skin. Care should be taken when using these products because they clog pores and prevent natural perspiration, which can irritate delicate skin.

Rules for caring for baby skin in the heat

How to bathe a child

In the heat, the baby should have water procedures 2-3 times a day. If you are staying in the city, wash your baby in a warm shower. Or prepare a bath if he likes to splash and play in the water. For outdoor trips in hot and calm weather, a shallow children's pool or a special bath will be an excellent solution. Make sure that the water temperature is not lower than +38 degrees. If there is no way to bathe the baby, then wipe it with a towel or wet wipes.

How often to sunbathe

In the heat, you should often leave the child undressed, but only in the shade, and not in the open sun. It will be pleasant for the baby, and his skin will be ventilated in a natural way. Air baths reduce the risk of diaper rash and prickly heat in a baby, and it is also an excellent hardening, because this is how the body adapts to regulate body temperature in different conditions.

How to avoid overheating

In summer, the baby's skin can overheat, and this is dangerous for the child's body. Therefore, do not wrap up the baby and often leave him without a diaper. Choose clothes and diapers from natural fabrics that allow air to pass through.

Hygiene procedures

Every time after bathing and when changing a diaper, lubricate the skin on the baby's buttocks and thighs with a barrier cream with an antiseptic and light drying effect. This is another way to prevent diaper rash. To avoid diaper dermatitis and prickly heat, keep the diaper area dry and clean. Always allow your skin to breathe before dressing your baby.

How to treat baby diaper rash

Diaper rash appears in children for a variety of reasons, including:

untimely change of diapers;
rare washings;
overheating of the skin;
using detergents with excessive alkali content;
the presence of coarse seams on children's clothing, which chafe sensitive skin;
diarrhea or frequent urination;
allergic reactions.

Most often, diaper rash in babies occurs behind the ears, on the bottom, in the perineum and in the folds of the skin.

The following tips will help you to cure the diaper rash that appears:

Wash your baby thoroughly after using the toilet.
Add a decoction of chamomile, oak bark or string to the baby's bathing water.
Arrange air baths for your baby.
Do not dress your baby until he is completely dry.
Change diapers often.
Choose baby clothes with soft seams.

Skin care

In summer, special attention should be paid to caring for the skin of a baby's face. Wipe it with a cotton pad dipped in thermal or mineral water, not forgetting the folds behind the ears, in the areas of the nose and neck.

Sun protection

For newborns, you need to choose sunscreens with a high degree of protection - at least 30 SPF. Also, the funds must correspond to the conditions in which the child is. If you are walking outside, lower the stroller's visor or use a lightweight cape. Do not allow the delicate skin of the crumbs to burn.

Air and sun baths

It is useful for a baby to be in the sun and take air baths. This is an axiom. It is necessary to carry out these procedures from the first days of life, but, of course, it is important to take into account the weather conditions. A baby who is only 1 month old can be left undressed for several minutes, gradually increasing this time. When the baby is six months old, the duration of taking air baths per day should already be at least 20 minutes. Children aged 9-12 months are recommended to be left undressed for 20 minutes already 2 times a day. Be sure to make sure that the child is not cold or covered with goose bumps.

It is important to regulate the duration of sunbathing. Children can only take them at an air temperature of at least +23 degrees. At the same time, the child should be in the lacy shade of the trees. Remember that it is dangerous to leave your baby in direct sunlight - it can cause overheating, as well as sun or heat stroke.