Skin Care for Children: The Basics

A person’s skin is at its healthiest point during childhood. In order to maintain this skin health, it is important to take steps to care for your child’s skin at an early age. Below are a few recommendations on the basics of skin care for children.

Cleanse: While caring for your child’s skin is similar to caring for your own, by no means should the same routine be used. When bathing an infant, use mild hypoallergenic soaps with moisturizing ingredients. These products should be free of dyes and detergents that could cause rashes to develop. For toddlers and older children, more powerful cleansers can be used, but they should still boast gentle properties on the label.

Moisturize: After bathing a child, remember to moisturize their skin using lotion. This will help to prevent dry, itchy skin or rashes that can cause your child discomfort. It is especially important to moisturize after a bubble-bath, as the bubbles can dry out a child’s skin. Non-alcohol based moisturizers are best for infants and small children, and should be applied soon after a child gets out of the bath to lock in as much moisture to the skin as possible.

Protect: Sunlight exposure means exposure to dangerous ultraviolet radiation for your child’s skin. It is important to apply sunscreen at all ages. A stronger sun-block is recommended for infants and a broad spectrum sun-block for toddlers and older children. Of course, they should both protect against UVA and UVB rays. This will help prevent skin diseases in the future and allow your kids to keep having fun in the sun. Using a sunscreen with a high SPF between 30 and 50 is best for children.

Keeping your kids happy and healthy is important to every parent. These skin care basics for children will help you maintain the health of your child’s skin.