Soft as Baby Skin

April 2025

We know that "soft as baby skin" refers to something that's exceptionally soft and smooth, but why baby skin?

It turns out that baby skin is in fact quite different from children and adult skin, and yes, it is very soft and smooth.

In the womb and during the first few hours of life, babies are covered with a creamy white substance (called vernix caseosa) which provides a protective coating. For the fetus, vernix helps to protect the skin from electrolytes and other substances in the womb. After birth, vernix keeps skin from drying out, maintains body temperature, and promotes immunity. In the hours and days after birth, vernix slowly wears off with touch and bathing.

The skin has the same functions throughout life:

it acts as a barrier
it provides protection from the sun
it helps to maintain body temperature (thermoregulation)
it provides protection from harmful substances in the environment (immune surveillance)
it is involved in hormone production
it prevents excessive fluid loss
it allows for touch / feel (sensory perception)

Please note that in this blog we are not discussing premature babies as they may have other skin issues and conditions.

Skin continues to develop throughout the first years of life, and it is more vulnerable during this time, so it makes sense to treat baby, infant, and young children's skin carefully:

Topical solutions - Use products recommended by your child's dermatologist rather than relying on a product label "recommended by dermatologists", which may refer to recommendations for adults. Our pharmacists are happy to help with identifying ingredients and what is safe to use for your baby or child. For example, topical iodine solutions are not to be used on neonates. Neonate skin has high permeability to topical agents (meaning that the skin allows them to get through). This permeability decreases with age.

Adhesive tapes - Removing them can increase local permeability, making the skin more fragile. It would be prudent to avoid using adhesive tape on infant skin where possible.

Medicated skin products - Only essential products should be applied to a baby's skin, under the direction of the baby's pediatrician. Besides the reasons noted above, babies have a high surface area to volume ratio. That is, there is a lot more skin in relation to body size, as compared to an adult. This means that there is more surface area to absorb medication but less volume within the body where the medication can take effect. Thus, the importance of closely following the baby's pediatrician's instructions for where and how often to apply medicated skin products.

Too hot or too cold - The subcutaneous fat in newborn skin has a different composition than that of adults and is sensitive to cold temperatures. For example, after exposure to cold, a baby's skin (on cheeks) may turn reddish or purplish. It is best to avoid too cold or too warm temperatures.

Full-term babies do sweat, because of heat (thermal sweating), or emotional sweating, caused by emotions such as fear, pain, and anxiety. Thermal sweating initially involves the forehead and emotional sweating involves mainly the palms and soles.

Bathing - Daily bathing isn't necessary for babies and simply getting wet or soaking 10 minutes or less should be enough. Using a washcloth during the first four weeks of life isn't recommended as it can make neonatal skin more fragile.

Photoprotection - Melanin in our skin protects us from UV light damage, and infants have a lower concentration of melanin as compared to adults. Because baby skin is sensitive and there is a high surface area to volume ratio, it is better to use sun-protective clothing and avoid sun exposure than to put a sunblock on a baby's skin before going outside. To note, researchers have found that frequent sunburns and exposure to sunlight in childhood are strongly related to skin cancer (melanoma) development, so early protection from the sun is recommended.

Since babies can have other skin problems including baby acne, cradle cap (a type of dermatitis), etc., it is best to consult with a pediatric dermatologist, to preserve the integrity of your baby or child's skin to avoid future complications.

Knowledge and acting based on that knowledge is power!

References and Resources