Raising a baby and taking care of a baby is a special period for every couple, especially when it comes to bath time. Bathing your little precious one is usually fun and relaxing time. However, when it comes to bathing a baby with eczema, it can be quite challenging. Skipping a bath might tempt you as a parent, but bathing a baby with eczema is important as it will keep the skin healthy and clean as much as possible. How often should you bath a baby with eczema?

How Often Should You Bathe a Baby with Eczema?

If this is your first child, or if your child has been diagnosed with eczema recently, it is normal for you to wonder how often your little one needs to be bathed. There are many questions when it comes to the risks and benefits of daily bathing in children with eczema (atopic dermatitis).

According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, daily bathing of babies and children with eczema is acceptable as long as you moisturize their skin good afterward. However, many other scientists think that frequent bathing is not very beneficial and for this reason, parents are often confused.

How often should you bathe a baby with eczema? When it comes to eczema, you should look and experiment what works best for your baby. Perhaps, bathing your baby daily will work during the summer, but you can reduce it during the winter to every second day.  

How to Bathe Your Baby

As mentioned, regular bathing in cases of eczema is important as it will help the skin remain clean and healthy. The water will help wash away the residues from the previous treatment; as well as, it will help get rid of any crusts or loose scales. However, bathing can cause more harm than good when the skin is not moisturized correctly afterward. Frequent bathing can dry out the skin, which can make the itchiness which accompanies eczema even worse.

How often should you bathe a baby with eczema? You already know the answer. Here are some tips and tricks when it comes to bathing a baby with eczema:

• The water temperature should not be more than 37 degrees Celsius when bathing your baby. If the water is hotter than 37 degrees Celsius, then it can strip the natural oil of the skin faster, making it dry. In this case, eczema will only get worse. To properly check the water temperature, you should get a bathing thermometer. There are thermometers with various shapes so your baby can play with them too.
• Don’t bathe your baby too long. Keep the baths short, between 5 to 10 minutes and not longer. If your baby’s skin starts wrinkling, then this means they have been in the water for too long.
• When bathing your baby, avoid toiletries as much as possible. Even though you might be precautious and buy only the best for your baby, even the gentle baby shampoos and other bathing products can contain irritants which can make your baby’s eczema worse. In particular, you should pay attention to fragrances, SLES sodium laureth sulphate, and parabens. There are plenty toiletries for eczema problems as well available on the market today, but parents often suggest that bathing the baby only with water and a micro-fiber wash mitt was the best.
• Bath oils that you can get prescribed by your doctor can help a lot. These oils will help the skin keep its natural oils while bathing. They work by creating a protective film that stops the water from stripping all the skin natural oils. When choosing bath oils, don’t get the ones with fragrance as they can just irritate eczema even more. Also, while using these bath oils, pay attention as for how you hold your little one as these oils will make it difficult for you to firmly grip your baby.
• If bathing your baby with the help of conventional baby bath is a stressful thing, then you can give a try with tummy tubs. As these tummy tubs have supports on the sides, you will have your hands free to quickly wash your baby but also to stop him/her from scratching themselves. A good thing with tummy tubs is also the fact that the entire baby’s body is underwater.
• Stop your baby from scratching when having a bath. Your baby will normally have more opportunity to scratch themselves while bathing. You and your partner can both bath your baby together, as when there are two people everything is easier and faster. One of you can pay attention to where the little hands are moving and if he/she is scratching the skin. As your baby grows you can distract them with various toys so they don’t scratch the skin. Using scratch sleeves might help as well.
• After bathing, pay attention to gently dry your little one. Hooded towels and especially super-absorbent microfiber towels are fantastic when it comes to quickly drying your baby’s body.
• Moisturize the skin quickly and gently. Moisturizing the skin correctly is very important for children with eczema.
• After finishing with your child, there is one last thing for you to do. Rinse the tub thoroughly after cleaning as various products can have a drying effect on your baby’s eczematous skin.