Babies and toddlers can have dry skin just like adults. Babies’ skin is especially sensitive and thus very vulnerable to environmental stimuli such as cold air or sunlight. And if the skin also turns red and itchy, the problem underlying the dry skin may be neurodermatitis. The first sign that a baby might have atopic dermatitis is its cradle cap: a reddish skin rash with yellow or brown scabs that initially appears on the scalp or face.

There can be many reasons why children develop dry skin. Neurodermatitis can be inherited: if both parents have the condition, there is a 60-80% likelihood of their child having it too.

Babies and children with dry skin need intense care with lipid-regulating and moisturizing fragrance-free creams. This relieves itchiness and the feeling of tightness in the skin.

Playing in the bathtub also dries out your children’s skin. Make sure that the child does not spend too much time bathing — no more than ten minutes — and use only gentle pH-neutral soaps and shampoos.