How to Take Care of Children’s Skin in the Winter Months

This is a guest post by Michael West.

Skin care is just as important during the harsh winter months as it is during the summer season. Parents sometimes see the cloudy skies, overcast days, and snow filled streets and develop a false sense of security, but the truth is children suffer from extremely painful, annoying skin conditions that require treatment.

The following are some skin care tips parents can use to treat and prevent many of the most common skin conditions children suffer from during the winter months. 

Preventing Dry Itchy Skin 

Children commonly complain about suffering from extremely dry, itchy skin during the winter months. This is because the cold weather tends to dehydrate the skin, leaving it itchy, flaky and dry.  

Parents can use the following treatments to treat children’s dry, itchy skin. 

·         Humidifiers – these tend to keep the skin hydrated and prevent it from drying out or flaking. 

·         Moisturize – dry itchy, skin is often a result of a lack of hydration. Applying moisturizers can help rehydrate the skin and prevent the overall itchy, dry feeling children experience. 

·         Drink Water – the best way to rehydrate the body is to put water back in. Drinking the recommended daily amount of water each day will help keep the body hydrated and potentially stop dry, itchy skin. 

·         Stop Hot Showers – children love extremely hot showers, but it is extremely harsh on the skin. The warm water dries out the skin and prevents it from staying moisturized. Keep hot showers short to prevent itchy, dry skin. 

·         Apply Sunscreen – harmful UV rays still come through the clouds even if it overcast or snowy. Keep applying sunscreen no matter what the weather is like outside. 

Eczema Outbreaks 

Winter is an extremely rough time for children who experience eczema outbreaks. The cold, dry air, windy conditions, and low humidity provide perfect conditions for children to experience extremely irritating and frustrating eczema outbreaks. 

Preventing wintertime eczema outbreaks is as simple as following your regular skincare routine. However, some parents have experienced success by using some of the following tips:

·         Stronger Moisturizers – the harsh winter conditions often require that parents use a stronger moisturizer during the day. 

·         Humidifiers at Night – placing a humidifier in the bedroom while your child sleeps, allows the skin to get the moisturizer it needs and can often prevent flare-ups from happening during the day. 

·         Mild Soaps – if mild soaps are not a part of your child’s skincare routine, switching to them during the winter months might prevent flare-ups. 

Use Sunscreen

 

The cloudy skies and grey days allow parents to believe they can skip the sunscreen, but they can’t. Parents who wish to prevent dry, itchy skin, eczema outbreaks or just keep their children safe and healthy should be applying sunscreen before a child goes outside. 

Don’t allow a child’s winter to be filled with painful, irritating dry, itchy skin or eczema outbreaks. 

Remember to follow your child’s regular skincare routine despite the cloudy skies and snow, and the chance of a dry, itchy skin condition ruining your child’s winter season will rapidly diminish. 

 Author Michael West hosts the website offering cold sore remedies.