Peeling Newborn Skin: Why It Happens and What to Do
Peeling skin in the first weeks is normal and usually needs nothing. What causes it, what helps, and the signs that mean something else is going on.
Her hands and feet are flaking like paper, and she is nine days old.
It looks alarming and it is almost always completely normal.
Why it happens
The vernix has gone. She was born coated in vernix caseosa, the white waxy layer that protected her skin in the womb. Now it has worn away, her outermost layer is adjusting to air rather than fluid, and it flakes.
Babies born after their due date peel more, because more of the vernix had already gone before they arrived.
Her barrier is still developing, so she loses water faster than you do, and dryness follows more easily.
Air conditioning, wind and sun all dry skin out, and she has no way of moving away from any of them.
Where it shows most
Hands and feet. The most common, and often the last to settle. The skin there is thicker and comes away in bigger flakes, which looks far worse than it is.
Ankles and wrists, because creases dry faster than flat skin.
Her scalp. Flaking there is usually cradle cap rather than ordinary peeling. It looks yellowish and greasy rather than dry and white, and it settles by itself over months.
Around the nappy. Peeling there is worth a closer look, because it more often means irritation than adjustment.
What to do
Reduce the dry air. Air conditioning dries a room out. A bowl of water or a humidifier helps.
Keep baths short. Ten minutes, and 3 baths a week is enough in the first year.
Moisturise while she is still damp, a few minutes after the bath, which is when skin holds water best.
Mama's Choice Baby Skin Vitamin Lotion uses avocado, olive and vitamins C, E, B3 and B5.
For her face, Baby Daily Nourishing Face Cream is made for the thinner skin there.
What not to do
Do not peel the flakes off. They come away on their own, and pulling at them damages the skin underneath.
Do not scrub. Newborn skin does not need exfoliating, ever.
Do not use your own products, which are not formulated for a barrier this thin.
Do not use powder, which can be inhaled and does nothing for dryness.
Do not start several products at once. If she reacts, you want to know which one did it.
Bathing without making it worse
Most newborn dryness is made worse by bathing habits rather than by anything in the air.
- Warm rather than hot, tested on your wrist
- Ten minutes at most
- A mild baby wash, only where it is needed rather than over all of her
- Pat dry, especially in the creases
- Moisturise within a few minutes, while she is still damp
Plain water is enough for most of her, most of the time. Wash is for the nappy area, hands, and any actual mess.
Choosing a moisturiser
For skin this thin, simpler is better.
- Fragrance-free
- A short ingredient list you can read
- No alcohol high up the list
- Made for babies rather than adapted from an adult product
Patch test anything new on a small area for a day before using it widely, particularly if eczema runs in your family.
How long
Most peeling settles within the first two to three weeks as her skin adjusts.
Dry patches come and go for longer, particularly in air-conditioned rooms, and they respond to moisturiser rather than anything more complicated.
When it is not simply peeling
See a doctor if her skin cracks and bleeds, weeps or crusts yellow, if redness spreads or feels hot, if a rash comes with a fever, or if the dryness has not improved after a fortnight of daily moisturising.
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This article is for information only and is not a substitute for diagnosis or medical advice. Please discuss your own situation with your midwife or doctor.
