My son who is almost two months old has acne, or what appears to be acne on his face. Just on his cheeks. There is some bumps around his neckline and a couple in the creves of his arms by the elbow, but I'm taking that as a heat rash. May be I'm keeping him too warm. BUT, on his face? That's got to be baby acne. Is there a remedy for that?
Time is the remedy. Your baby is just releasing all the extra hormones that he received when he was in your womb. His body is doing exactly what it should. Also, straight Vit. E on the skin is NOT supposed to be good for you.
I know this remedy might sound wierd but it works. My grandmother gave this to me when my baby had baby acne and in a matter of a couple of days it was gone. Boil fresh lettuce in a large pot. Place about 5-8 leaves and make sure its enough water to give him a bath in it. Once its boiled let the water cool down enough to bath him in. Take the lettuce leaves out and place them in the trash. With a washcloth damp it in the lettuce water, clean his face and areas that he has this acne on. Do this for about 2-3 days and you will see it will really work. By the way your baby wont smell like a salad.
My daughter had pretty bad baby acne until I started using Aveeno Baby Soothing Relief Baby Wash and Lotion. The baby acne cleared up within a week and hasn't returned. I started using it on my own face when nothing else I tried (even a facial peel) would clear up break-outs after I gave birth. You can buy it at most stores and it works wonders. Good luck!
A couple of possibilities: an allergy to milk (cow's milk, in your diet or his); if it were later in the year, maybe a response to cold air...contact dermatitis (meaning 'something touching the skin irritates it) but you're probably right, it's probably just immature skin being immature. Perhaps because of his diet, maybe because of yours, maybe the fabrics, perhaps his own saliva...
The healthiest thing you can do for skin is to be as gentle as possible. Wash with cooler water, as high temperature strips skin of its protective layers of oils and waxes. Avoid soap of all types -even the gentlest soaps are very drying. Select a baby-friendly cleanser that says 'protects the acid mantle' or 'properly balanced for the acidic nature of skin' rather than 'pH balanced' which means very little.
Avoid using 'wipes' on his face -they are very drying, even if they have moisturizers added, particularly the scented ones which have perfumes even adult skin can't deal with well.
If you 'strip' his skin in washing it, make sure you replenish the oils so his skin doesn't feel the need to do it: extra virgin olive oil is particularly emolient (however that's spelled) and so is pure (not 'blended' or 'toasted') sesame oil. Rice bran oil is light and odourless, if you can find it. Edible oils are gentler on skin and safer for babies than non-edible moisturizers.
I actually just called my month old sons pediatritian yesterday with this as well. His acne covers his face from his eyebrows down to his shoulders. One of the nurses called me back, and she had mentioned to get a warm wash rag twice a day and rinse the areas. She mentioned that baby acne is caused by all the pregnancy hormones that we pass on during delivery, but that it tends to go away by 2-4 months with out any treatment. Good luck!
Time. It's natural and normal. Use a wet washcloth with cool water. That's all he needs.
all of my babies got it. doing nothing may be your best bet, though there are natural remedies such as tee tree oil and sworn by methods galore. It's believed to be hormonal, from pregnancy and also breast milk. I know it looks awful, bit it really does just vanish one day and some remedies can actually make it worse from my experience. Picking at it is the worst thing you can do! A.
sounds like an allergic reaction my infant son had at about the same age - I had let him taste RASPBERRY YOGURT and he broke out all over his cheeks - it went away after a week or so and I waited and was more careful about what I introduced to his diet after that
The remedy - Time! Very common with newborns and it will be gone before you know it. :)
This is completely normal. My doctor compared it to a teenager going through hormone changes. It will pass.
She recommended that we use Vitamin E oil - I had some pure vit E capsules that I take - I just cut one open and put it on her face. I couldn't believe how fast it worked. We also use it when she would get really dry around the mouth and when other small bumps showed up on her face and it took it away that day.
Good luck.
My daughter developed the same thing when she was about that age. I was told by our doctor (and found confirmation on the Internet) that it was a normal hormonal fluctuation. It went away on its own in about three weeks.
My daughter benefited by washing her in pure castile soap (we like Dr. Bronners Baby Mild).
Your baby may also have eczema. My daughter had that and I thought it was baby acne. Her too was in lots of different places on her body and mostly on her face. He said to throw out all of the baby lotions you buy and to only use cetyphil cream on her. The walmart brand for it is called Equate skin cream (that brand is about $4.99 and you get about 16 oz of cream which will last you 6 months plus. They cell it in the cosmetic isle with the lotions at walmart or any other store. I am sure most of the other remedies you are seeing may work also. Like the vitamin E etc. I have a new doctor and he has given me an Rx for her and I only use that if it is a really really bad break out, since it has a steroid in it. If any of those remedies don't go away I would take your little one to the doc to see exactly what it is.
