Dry Skin or Allergy?

That sounds like cradle cap. If that's what it is, just keep baby oil or preferably olive oil on her head after bathing, then use a baby brush to try to gently remove the loosened scales. Also, and not to scare you, but my baby had this rash all over her face and neck. It went away with a prescription of Lotrimin from her doctor, who said that it was just a heat rash. We later found out that she suffered from eczema. Eczema isn't that hard to treat, but is very miserable for the baby when not treated.

JJ,
Hi.I'm not sure but it maybe eczema.My granddaughter has it and it is very itchy and a red rash.We put her on the Arbonne baby lotion and oil and it keeps it at bay.You can check it out on my website www.valeriehampton.myarbonne.com Lots of people old and young are using it and loving it.If you have any questions my email is ____@____.com

Hi...My first reaction is to ask what the babe's pediatrician said. But it may be a few things that come to mind. It isn't uncommon for new borns to peel off their top layer of skin. It may be related to not a good enough scrubbing of those areas by the nurse who gave him his first bath to remove all the "gunk" from in utero. Another thing is something called cradle cap. It can appear like dandruff and only gets worse. It is best to use the very mild lotion soap called Cetaphil... found at most grocery/drug stores. If it is this, it does need to be treated...and you do have to scrub the scalp to remove the "layer" after letting the lotion soap "wet" the area. Avoid using baby lotion or any of these perfumed lotions which could cause sensitivity to his baby skin. Just use a baby blanket as a barrier between you two as a precaution. I hope he gets better.

I have quite a bit of experience in this area as my twins each had a severe case of cradle cap that manifested into severe eczema. The cradle cap started out, of course, on their heads then traveled down their bodies. Eventually the cradle cap on their heads went away but stayed on their bodies. I would recommend using a really good (& gentle) moisturizing lotion. We use Renew and it is fantastic. :) We also use Renew bath oil and Melaleuca Oil shampoo on their heads. We didn't discover that their issues were chemical sensitivities until they were almost 3. I could go on and on. I'll be happy to chat with you about it if you'd like. :)

Hey,JJ! You had your son on a GREAT Day!! (It's my birthday, too!) :)

My little boy also had developed a lot of dry skin, and the only thing we found to work on it is a lotion called Renew. Our doctor had us trying Eucerin and several other really expensive lotions that did not work at all! You can email me about it at ____@____.com, or go to one of my websites at www.livetotalwellness.com/J., and you can see how many conditions are improved by the products that the company makes. I was shocked when I found out all the information!

HTH!
~J.~
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Try using Cetaphil to wash him. I use it for my son who was having the same problem and it cleared up immediately. It is a very mild cleanser and really seals in the moisture. I used it to wash my sons hair as well, and he did not have any problem with eye irritation. It was just as if I was just pouring water over is head by itself. It is a little pricey, but you can buy the Wal-mart brand a little cheaper and it works just as well, in my opinion.

Excema? My daughter has a little excema. Some babies are allergic to Dreft, BTW. I use All free and clear and only bathe once a week. Seems to cut down on the dryness. And yes, there are several treatments for excema, including oatmeal ointment (try the Aveno.)

Our son had that same problem. The doctor diagnosed it as escema. We found that eucerin was the best for it but incredibly greasy. We use the Aveeno with outmeal for babies and that works great! We have to put it on every time we change his diaper to keep his skin moisterized. The doctor also suggested using crisco (without butter). It works just like eucerin but is cheaper. Also, we had to make sure that his bath water wasn't too warm because it would dry out his skin.

I would avoid dreft, it really isn't all that great for sensitive skin.
Maybe look at trying some Seventh Generation free & clear laundry detergent (it actually is free & clear and is great for sensitive skin, all free & clear can still irritate skin quite a bit) you can get it at whole foods and central market.

I've worked with lots of kids that use cetaphil during bathtime, for both body wash and shampoo, so that might be an option as well.

Also, call your pediatrician and talk to a nurse and see what they recommend you do for over the counter/at home treatment as well.

It may be that you are using harsher soap than you need to be.
My son was born with eczema. FYI... washing babies too much (water) can actually dry out their skin. Check with your pediatrician. AND, people tried to get me to use Arbonne and other things. I followed the docs directions. And now that he is four, we use Aveeno products and dove soap. I have tried all the new eczema creams, etc... and few "cure" or are miracle workers.
When he was two months old, we used Cetaphil products.
It's about keeping the skin moist.
You are welcome to email me ____@____.com if you have any questions.
Good luck.
I was thinking too the head thing could be cradle cap. Try a TAR based soap (ask the pharmacist). In fact ask a pharmacist to look at it.