The Winter Skin Wars - How to Keep Your Kid’s Skin Soft and Moisturized
Cold, dry winter weather brings a familiar problem for families: kids' extremely dry, itchy skin. Hot baths and showers, and dry winter weather deliver a 1-2 punch to children's delicate skin, and they just aren't reliable about moisturizing.
Ann Thariani, from GildenTree.com shares her experiences as a parent of children with very dry skin and a few tricks that have worked for her.
“My kids have always had extremely dry, itchy skin and winter is one long struggle to stay moisturized. Most kids just aren’t able to apply moisturizers consistently,” says Thariani “but there are some tricks that have worked for us.”
1. Boost humidity and drink more water.
Use a humidifier and keep it running. You may see a few ice crystals on the windows, but your family’s skin won’t get nearly as dry.
Even though we don’t feel as thirsty in cold weather, we still need to drink a lot of water. Keep a variety of fun water bottles that kids can fill and take with them wherever they go - even to bed.
2. When you buy moisturizers, buy the good stuff.
Buy creams and lotions that are gentle enough for kids, and that smell good. Nothing’s worse than putting a cream on a child that stings or hurts, and many products smell too strongly. Try Gilden Tree's Gentle Touch Cream for Kids and Babies. Gilden Tree products are made with gentle, natural ingredients that are safe for the whole family.
3. Bath time: limit soap, soak time and add moisturizing oil.
If your kids take baths, limit the amount of soap they use, since it’s drying. Instead, use a waffle washcloth to gently scrub away dirt, and a cute nail brush to help keep nails clean.
Limit baths to about ten minutes, since long soaks contribute to dry skin.
Add a few drops of Jojoba Oil to bath water (after shampooing.) Jojoba Oil does double duty - it seals in moisture and soaks deeply into skin.
4. Try the “twice a week” plan.
Some kids will stand still for moisturizing every day, but if your kids won’t, go for the “twice a week plan”. After bath, but before pajamas, apply Gentle Touch Cream all over. It contains 12% Shea Butter, which is super rich and will seal in moisture that really seems to last.
For kids who shower, try a little Jojoba Oil in a kitchen spray bottle made for oil and then spray it on. This works best if you have kids dry off, then hold the towel up behind them while you spray. (Keep that spray bottle under lock and key - it’s irresistible to kids!) Don't forget to warm the bottle in some warm water - room temperature "feels" cold after a shower or bath.
5. Get a lotion “Just for You”.
Buy a lotion that’s just for the kids and put their names on it in permanent marker. (Or purchase a small bottle with a pump top that you can refill.) Keep their lotion where it’s easy to use after hand-washing, or after the bath. But beware of very cheap “cute” children's packaged lotions - as the quality of the ingredients is often poor, and offers very little benefit.
There’s no guarantee that every trick will work for your kids, but just by making it a priority, you’ll help ward off the worst of the dry skin. To find out more about Gilden Tree, or to write to Ann, please visit www.gildentree.com.
Ann Thariani, from GildenTree.com shares her experiences as a parent of children with very dry skin and a few tricks that have worked for her.
“My kids have always had extremely dry, itchy skin and winter is one long struggle to stay moisturized. Most kids just aren’t able to apply moisturizers consistently,” says Thariani “but there are some tricks that have worked for us.”
1. Boost humidity and drink more water.
Use a humidifier and keep it running. You may see a few ice crystals on the windows, but your family’s skin won’t get nearly as dry.
Even though we don’t feel as thirsty in cold weather, we still need to drink a lot of water. Keep a variety of fun water bottles that kids can fill and take with them wherever they go - even to bed.
2. When you buy moisturizers, buy the good stuff.
Buy creams and lotions that are gentle enough for kids, and that smell good. Nothing’s worse than putting a cream on a child that stings or hurts, and many products smell too strongly. Try Gilden Tree's Gentle Touch Cream for Kids and Babies. Gilden Tree products are made with gentle, natural ingredients that are safe for the whole family.
3. Bath time: limit soap, soak time and add moisturizing oil.
If your kids take baths, limit the amount of soap they use, since it’s drying. Instead, use a waffle washcloth to gently scrub away dirt, and a cute nail brush to help keep nails clean.
Limit baths to about ten minutes, since long soaks contribute to dry skin.
Add a few drops of Jojoba Oil to bath water (after shampooing.) Jojoba Oil does double duty - it seals in moisture and soaks deeply into skin.
4. Try the “twice a week” plan.
Some kids will stand still for moisturizing every day, but if your kids won’t, go for the “twice a week plan”. After bath, but before pajamas, apply Gentle Touch Cream all over. It contains 12% Shea Butter, which is super rich and will seal in moisture that really seems to last.
For kids who shower, try a little Jojoba Oil in a kitchen spray bottle made for oil and then spray it on. This works best if you have kids dry off, then hold the towel up behind them while you spray. (Keep that spray bottle under lock and key - it’s irresistible to kids!) Don't forget to warm the bottle in some warm water - room temperature "feels" cold after a shower or bath.
5. Get a lotion “Just for You”.
Buy a lotion that’s just for the kids and put their names on it in permanent marker. (Or purchase a small bottle with a pump top that you can refill.) Keep their lotion where it’s easy to use after hand-washing, or after the bath. But beware of very cheap “cute” children's packaged lotions - as the quality of the ingredients is often poor, and offers very little benefit.
There’s no guarantee that every trick will work for your kids, but just by making it a priority, you’ll help ward off the worst of the dry skin. To find out more about Gilden Tree, or to write to Ann, please visit www.gildentree.com.