How To… Protect your baby’s skin during the hot summer months

If you have just had a summer baby, you will find it troublesome keeping them at the right temperature, worrying about overheating, strange spots or rashes on their skin and how to protect them from the intense sunlight.

For parents getting into a pickle with an overload of advice, Children’s Dermatology Nurse Specialist Jean Robinson to come up with some tips on how to look after your baby’s skin during summer and family holidays.

Jean has spent more than the past decade working as a specialist nurse at a children’s dermatology department. After training as a children’s nurse and working in children’s wards in several hospitals, she has also worked in the community, helping families take care of their sick children at home.

1. When enjoying the great outdoors, make sure your baby is in the shade as much as possible and away from direct sunlight, especially between 10.00 and 14.00. If you do go out, attach a parasol or sunshade to the pram at all times.

2. When choosing a little one’s outfit for a day in the sun, make sure you dress them in light coloured, loose, soft cotton clothes with a tight weave and a hat with neck protector to shield them from harmful rays. Try to avoid synthetic fibres which trap in heat, causing your baby to become hot and irritable!

3. If you are heading out, always apply sunscreen to small areas of skin e.g. face, ears, neck and hands 20-30 minutes before going outside – even on cloudy or overcast days. Use a sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of Factor 30 or above, which is effective against both UVA and UVB rays and reapply at least every 2 hours. Test the sunscreen on a small patch of your baby’s back first to make sure their skin does not react.

4. At night keep your baby cool and comfortable by opening windows in several rooms to create a natural, through breeze. If it is really hot, let your baby sleep in a vest or even just a nappy. A great way to stop the nursery from getting too hot is to keep the curtains drawn during the day, to stop the sun heating up the room. The room should be kept at a temperature of about 18ºC.

5. Don’t let your baby get too hot on a summer’s night. If they are sweating or their tummy feels hot to the touch, take off some clothes or bedding. You should never use a duvet, quilt or pillow for a baby under the age of one, but instead choose a grow bag or light blanket.

6. Make sure all fabrics that touch your baby’s skin e.g. blankets and clothes are pre-washed in a non-bio detergent and hypoallergenic fabric softener, to make them clean, soft and more suitable for their delicate skin in the sticky summer months. Persil Non-Bio and Comfort Pure are the perfect choice, as their skincare research is recognised by the British Skin Foundation and safe to use on even the most sensitive skin.

7. Make sure your baby is fully hydrated at all times, even throughout the night to keep them healthy and happy! For babies under 6 months this means extra breast or formula feeds whilst older babies can be offered cool boiled water in addition.