Excerpted from JOHNSON’S® Your Baby and Toddler, From Birth to 3 Years, DK Publishing Inc., 2004 and JOHNSON’S® Skin Maturation Study.
As your baby gets older, his skin care needs change from those of a newborn. As he becomes more active, chances are you'll be right behind him with a washcloth, trying to keep him clean. Perhaps he's beginning to feed himself – yet another step on his road to independence, and the road to total messiness! As you wash him more often, you'll need to make sure his skin stays moisturised and healthy.
Recent studies have shed light on the vast differences between adult and infant skin. Infant skin is more "active" than adult skin – it's constantly developing at a rapid pace. It's more vulnerable to irritants, to changes in temperature and to changes in humidity. Therefore, you need to protect your baby's skin against environmental changes and harsh cleansers. You'll also need to make sure his skin is properly moisturised, to maintain a healthy barrier against bacteria and other infections.
