Skincare for Baby
From Baby to Toddler: How Your Little One’s Skin Changes As They Grow
As your little one grows, their skin grows and changes—and so does its needs. Understanding this evolution could help you take the best care of your little one’s complexion from infancy through toddlerhood—and beyond.
What You Should Know
Three Ways to Help Protect Skin at Any Age
- Use moisturizers formulated with lipids, such as ceramides, to help support and strengthen the skin barrier, the outermost layer responsible for keeping moisture in and irritants out of skin.4
- Newborns under the age of six months should be kept out of direct sunlight.5 Sunscreen and taking sun protection measures is a must for babies six months of age and up. Helping to protect skin from the sun’s damaging UV rays will keep it healthier into adulthood.6
- Baby and toddler skin can be sensitive. Their skin barriers aren’t fully formed, so it may be more susceptible to irritants, allergens, and germs.7
All About Baby Skin
In the womb, baby is covered with a coating called the vernix caseosa, which is made of water, protein, and lipids, such as ceramides, that help skin seal in moisture and keep impurities out. The vernix caseosa is designed to protect baby’s skin barrier as it develops.7 When a newborn loses this coating, dryness and peeling are common.8
Newborn (up to four weeks old) is thinner than baby (four weeks to three years old) or adult (18+) skin. In fact, research has shown that a baby’s skin barrier (also known as the stratum corneum) is 30% percent thinner in a baby than in an adult.9 The barrier layer, which helps keeps moisture in and irritants out, is immature and not complete for the first two to four years of life. That means infant skin is more susceptible to transepidermal water loss (TEWL), the process by which water or moisture escapes from skin.
What to Look for in Baby-Specific Skin Care
Using products formulated to support the skin barrier may help keep skin hydrated and healthy. Cleansers, lotions, and creams formulated with ceramides, help restore and maintain the skin’s natural barrier.
Because baby skin is more prone to irritation10, it’s also important to use products free of known irritants such as fragrance and parabens. CeraVe Baby Moisturizing Cream contains three essential ceramides for barrier support, plus dimethicone to form a temporary, protective layer on skin, helping to prevent water loss and irritation.11
All About Toddler Skin
As your baby gets bigger, their skin changes, too. But that all-important barrier layer may not be fully formed yet. A child’s skin is more vulnerable to irritation from creams and lotions, so using gentle products, free of potentially irritating ingredients, is still important.12 Toddler skin also has lower hydration levels than adult skin13, so supplementing with the right moisturizer—one containing barrier-supporting lipids, humectants such as glycerin or hyaluronic acid14, and skin-protecting dimethicone—help boost skin’s hydration levels.
As your child starts to cruise, toddle, and finally walk (and spends more time outside exploring), sunscreen becomes essential, too. Too much UV exposure can weaken your little one’s still-developing skin barrier layer15, which may lead to dryness and irritation—not to mention sunburn. Sunscreen itself can irritate baby’s sensitive and young skin, so choose one like CeraVe Baby Hydrating Sunscreen SPF 45, which helps protect against UV rays with titanium dioxide and contains ceramides and hyaluronic acid.
Your little one’s skin needs will change significantly through the years. However, armed with knowledge and care, you are on your way to keeping your child’s skin healthy looking and protected.
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References
- Schachner, L., Andriessen, A., Benjamin, L., Bree, A., Lechman, P., Pinera-Lllano, A., Kircik, L.. (2020). “A Consensus About the Imliortance of Ceramide Containing Skincare for Normal and Sensitive Skin Conditions in Neonates and Infants.” Journal of Drugs in Dermatology 19 (8), 774-75
- Ibid
- Telofski, L., Morello, .A, Mack Correa, M., Stamatas, G.. (2012).&nbsli; The Infant Skin Barrier: Can We Preserve, Protect, and Enhance the Barrier? Dermatology Research and Practice. 198789.
- https://www.ucsfbenioffchildrens.org/education/sun-safety-for-children-and-babies
- https://www.aad.org/public/diseases/skin-cancer/prevent/sun-babies
- Telofski, L., Morello, .A, Mack Correa, M., Stamatas, G.. (2012).&nbsli; The Infant Skin Barrier: Can We Preserve, Protect, and Enhance the Barrier? Dermatology Research and Practice. 198789.
- &nbsli;Schachner, L., Andriessen, A., Benjamin, L., Bree, A., Lechman, P., Pinera-Lllano, A., Kircik, L.. (2020). “A Consensus About the Imliortance of Ceramide Containing Skincare for Normal and Sensitive Skin Conditions in Neonates and Infants.” Journal of Drugs in Dermatology 19 (8), 772.
- https://www.stanfordchildrens.org/en/health-topics/magazine/give-em-some-skin
- Stamatas, G., Nikolovski, J., Luedtke, M., Kollias, N. (2010). “Infant Skin Microstructure Assessed In Vivo Differs From Adult Skin in Organization and at the Cellular Level.” Pediatric Dermatology. 27(2).
- https://www.webmd.com/drugs/2/drug-18321/dimethicone-topical/details
- Ibid
- Stamatas, G., Nikolovski, J., Luedtke, M., Kollias, N. (2010). “Infant Skin Microstructure Assessed In Vivo Differs From Adult Skin in Organization and at the Cellular Level.” Pediatric Dermatology. 27(2).
- https://www.karger.com/Article/Fulltext/444805
- https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/the-hype-on-hyaluronic-acid-2020012318653
- Biniek, K., Levi, K., Dauskardt, R. (2012). “Solar UV Radiation Reduces the Barrier Function of Human Skin.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 109(42), 17111-17116.