For National Healthy Skin Month, we’re spotlighting skin health practices across all stages of life. In this segment, pediatric dermatologist Dr Lisa Swanson shares her expert insights on caring for the skin of dermatology’s youngest patients—babies. Highlighting the unique needs of infant skin, she offers guidance for parents on how to promote healthy skin from birth, including tips for potentially lowering the risk of atopic dermatitis (AD). 

Baby skin: unique needs and moisturization benefits 

Newborn skin has distinct qualities compared to other age groups. Notably, it experiences a higher rate of transepidermal water loss, leaving it vulnerable to dryness and potential skin barrier issues. This increased water loss is thought to be a factor in the later development of atopic dermatitis. "Some studies suggest that the amount of transepidermal water loss in early life may be key in determining which kids develop eczema down the road," Dr Swanson explains. 

To support skin barrier health, moisturizing a baby’s skin with sensitive skin products early on has been associated with potential benefits, including a reduced risk of AD. Although study results have been mixed—some showing improvement in eczema rates through early moisturization and others showing minimal effect—Dr Swanson notes that she sees no downside to regularly moisturizing baby skin. 

Encouraging moisturization for infants and toddlers 

When advising parents, Dr Swanson emphasizes the value of gentle, daily moisturization using high-quality, sensitive skin products. For families of newborns and expectant parents, she provides recommendations for gentle products and accessible, good-quality moisturizers. “I encourage families with a newborn baby to go ahead and moisturize,” she says, noting that applying gentle products poses no risk and could potentially reduce a child’s chances of developing AD. 

For parents with older children who already show signs of AD, Dr Swanson makes a point to highlight the importance of early skin care for any future children. 

Shifting skin care recommendations in nurseries and NICUs 

Many nurseries and NICUs still advise against using products on newborn skin. Dr Swanson hopes to shift these guidelines to encourage regular moisturization for babies as a preventive strategy. Some of the studies exploring moisturization for AD prevention included accessible products, such as Vaseline, and demonstrated a reduction in eczema risk when used consistently during infancy. Dr Swanson’s advice to parents is straightforward: “If we moisturize a baby and turns out it's not a miracle to preventing atopic dermatitis, we've still done no harm.” 

Key takeaways for dermatologists 

Dr Swanson encourages dermatologists to discuss the importance of moisturizing with expectant parents and families of newborns. As dermatologists, supporting early skin health practices can have a lasting impact on the patient’s skin health across their lifespan.