Toddler Sensitive Skin -- Skin Care Advice Needed

Updated on August 30, 2010
J.R. asks from Washington, DC
19 answers

Dear Mommas, My almost 2 year old has very sensitive skin. Very pale. I use SPF 50 sunblock when we go out and bathe him with cetaphil.

My questions:

1. Is it normal that sometimes his skin gets a little rough and has little dry red patches, the size of a penny. Sometimes small bumps as well. Ironically this all occurs in the areas on his face not covered by his hat. (lower cheeks).

2. Also, what soaps or facial washes do you recommend for sensitive skin?
3. Should I moisturize his skin every day?

I am not concerned; I just want to make sure that I should not be doing anything else for him.

Thank you as usual for your advice.
Jilly

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So What Happened?

Dear Mommas, Thank you for your input and advice. I started applying a moisturizer and his dry rough red patches on his face disappeared. I used something a friend brought from Europe called Bepantene by Bayer. I need to see if they sell it in the US.
In any event, I wish everyone all the Best.
Jilly

Featured Answers

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M.J.

answers from Seattle on

Hi - My little ones had really sensitive skin also.
The red patches are totally normal!
I swear by Eucerin. The Aquaphor is AMAZING for those little dry patches.
We also use the Eucerin body wash and lotions.
Aveno is also great... we used that first but needed more heavy duty!
Good luck!
MJ

2 moms found this helpful
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C.D.

answers from Orlando on

My daughter and son both get patches like that. Their Pediatrician told me it was a little bit of eczema and that they would grow out of it. My daughter did grow out of it and my at 6 mths still gets them. We were told to wash him everynight with plain dove bar soap or with Phisoderm for Infants. The phisoderm works very well. We also put Aquaphor cream on him after bathing. It has helped prevent this from happening anymore. I hope that this helps.

C.

1 mom found this helpful

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S.S.

answers from Miami on

Skin always tells you what is going on inside the body. It is usually your first sign that there is an allergy/blockage going on. Most likely he has a sensitivity to dairy (Milk protein, called casein). Either take him off all dairy completely by researching casein free diet of go to NAET.com and look up a practitioner in your area who can eliminate the allergen completely so he then can still consume milk products. Dairy allergies lead to ear infections, congestion, asthma, and behavioral problems. To help those nasty bumps which is probably K.P. get I-Flora for KIds Probiotic and Nordic Naturlas cod liver oil to take everyday. Those bumps should go away but the eczema is allergy related to a food.

1 mom found this helpful
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A.M.

answers from Dallas on

my dd has very sensitive skin. we bathe her with dove and use california baby products on her (shampoo, lotion and cream). once she is out of the tub and toweled off, we use the calif baby calendula cream in her. cream works better after baths while the skin is moist. this is the only cream that got rid of her eczema after numerous otc creams and prescriptions. try it.
we use fragrance free tide.

1 mom found this helpful

L.C.

answers from Kansas City on

it sounds like he has a chemical sensitivity. lots of kids have it, my son had it. you need to start using naturally based stuff. not just soap and shampoo, but lotion and also laundry detergents. you can wash with the most gentle soap in the world, but if you are putting clothes on him that have a harsh chemical residue from the laundry soap, then the gentle soap wont help. i know how you feel, its frustrating. but really, just changing the names of the brands of the stuff you are already buying isnt too bad! im actually in the process of making a website talking about all this! lol. Are you comfortable buying stuff online at all? thats what i started doing because it is so much cheaper then going to the whole foods store. feel free to message me if you want! i can break down where and how i buy all my stuff if you want!

1 mom found this helpful
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K.H.

answers from Tampa on

Those bumps and red patchy areas can be a result of sun exposure and in some cases, extreme heat. The skin in that area is drying up. ,My son ahd a minor case of eczema even though he is not pale or necessarily sensitive to sun and we made some changes to help avoid more patchiness. For instance, we did not submerse him into a bubble bath everyday only every other day and at times he was washed with a wash cloth. The soaps and lotions were checked to make sure they did not contain an ingredient: ETA. This specific ingredient enhances dryness and eczema on sensitive skin. Beware of the type of sunblock used, Eucerin and Neutrogena were recommended to us by the ped. Eucerin is great for moisturizing too! We did moisturize everyday and when the patchiness did surface, we did it 2-3 times a day. Now he is a bit older has been growing out of it. However, his face does get patchy at times and we continue to moisturize that. Simple oils like Olive oil or Canola can help (believe it or not). Also, most baby Aveeno products are great for bathing and lotions. It is good to avoid any more progression on his skin.

1 mom found this helpful

L.M.

answers from Dover on

I recommend the Renew line. It is safe for all ages and should help with sensitive skin and the bumps. There is lotion too if you need it.

Additionally, the same company makes Sun Shades sunblock products. Although the highest SPF is 45 they are more gentle on the skin AND safer.

Both carry a money back guarantee so you could try them w/ no risk.

FYI...sometimes everyday products can be causing irritations just from being in the same house with them. Have you thought about using non-toxic cleaners and laundry detergents?

1 mom found this helpful
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J.Q.

answers from Tampa on

It sounds a lot like eczema. My niece has it on her cheeks and tummy. The only thing really that can be done is keeping it moisturized as much as possible. My nieces mom gets a script for an oil called Derma Smoothe/FS she got from her pediatrician. Look it up, I'm sure there are other non script oils just like it you can use. -J. Q

1 mom found this helpful
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S.D.

answers from Dothan on

Aveeno Aveeno Aveeno! Im pale, my hubby is pale and my kids are stark white LOL

The Aveeno line save my kids from rashes, dry patches. Your kid seems to have eczema. Hydrocortisone (spelling?) cream and lotion help clear that up. Definately moisturize everyday. Best to do after a bath immediately. White kids are easy, keep them out of the sun lots of moistuizer!
It really simple, sucks to be fair skinned sometimes. a day at the beach is like walking onto the frying pan.

1 mom found this helpful
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M.R.

answers from Minneapolis on

The patches sound like eczema. My son has extremely sensitive skin and has been tested and is hypersensitive. This just means he reacts to just about everything but isnt "allergic" to everything. So over the years I have learned moisturize everyday morning and night. Dont bathe him everyday. I have recently started using coconut oil on him and giving it to him to eat. I believe its made a big difference. I would check with your doctor though since he is under two and its a nut. Id hate for him to get a reaction to it. I have had good luck with aquaphor (expensive) and aveeno. I buy all natural soaps for him to use that wont dry his skin out. Also, stay on top of it, dont let him get super dry. Its alot harder to catch up than it is to just keep it under control. Hope this helps. Good luck

1 mom found this helpful
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K.M.

answers from Detroit on

It sounds like Eczema. My grandson had the same problem but Arbonne's ABC Baby skin care products got rid of it. I can send you a free sample to try which includes the baby sunscreen too. Private message me and I will give you my email address. Yes, you should use moisturizer everyday.

1 mom found this helpful
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R.K.

answers from Boston on

I have to use eucerin cream on my son twice a day and for washing we use aveeno sometimes we even do an oatmeal bath when his skin flares up real bad. The patches you describe almost sound like eczema but hard to tell w/o seeing it.

1 mom found this helpful
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L.L.

answers from Topeka on

I was told by our pediatrician to use Eucerin washes and creams also Aquaphor washes lotions creams.I still use baby washes for all of us.

1 mom found this helpful
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C.V.

answers from Miami on

My son has eczema and gets similar patches on his body. I use Dove for Sensitive Skin for his baths and I use Aveeno about every other day...every day when he has a patch. If its a bad patch (very rough) I use Aquafor for a couple of days just on the patch. Hope this helps!

1 mom found this helpful
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M.D.

answers from Pittsburgh on

You have already received good advice on soaps and creams. My little guy has sensitive skin and we use dove soap and the Aquaphor / Eucerin lotions. Another option to consider is the sun lotion. My son has an allergic reaction to sun lotion, unless we use a particular brand. If you are going to have him in the sun consider Neutrogena "Sensative Skin" sun screen. It may help with the rough patches that occur afterwards.

1 mom found this helpful
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K.M.

answers from Tampa on

Hi Jilly,
It is probably his diet- he needs calcium and a enough essential fatty acids to get the calcium from his blod stream to the skin. With the proper amount of tissue calcium his skin should normalize.
best, k

1 mom found this helpful
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D.W.

answers from Jacksonville on

You should be concerned, it's probably uncomfortable to him. I have 2 children with eczema due to being lactose intolerant.
I am breastfeeding so I have to avoid milk products as does my 4 yr old with eczema.
We have to use a strong steroid cream on my 4 yr old since it is very severe but on the baby we use eucerin/aquaphor. Also you should see if it gets worse by the things he eats. It could be an allergy.
When washing his clothes make sure to use the free detergent and anything that is put on his body should be free of fragrences and dyes.
Johnson and Johnson also came out with a natural line that is a bit cheaper.
Aveeno is not 100% natural so steer clear of that!

1 mom found this helpful
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D.K.

answers from Gainesville on

Hi there-we have used dove soap and aveeno baby soothing relief moisture cream on my son for about 4 years now and it's been wonderful. The Aveeno Baby line has a lotion and a cream and we've tried both but the cream is thicker and seems to moisturize longer/better. We put it on him right after bath at night and again when he gets dressed each morning. We put it on a little heavier in the winter. :)

1 mom found this helpful

P.W.

answers from Dallas on

I am a Shaklee distributor and last year Shaklee came out with a shakleebaby line. The products are very gentle and are specifically for sensitive skin, and very natural. There is lotion and a body wash.

I have sensitive skin myself and use the adult lotions and shampoo, conditioner, etc.... Before I switched shampoos my scalp was always broken out. I also am allergic to sunblock, but not Shaklee's. I used to break out in a rash all over with other sunblocks.

I guess you can see why I became a distributor. I just love the products. They've really made a difference for me, and my family.

1 mom found this helpful
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