In line with our vision to be your number one source for beauty related information, we’ve gathered and reviewed 5 of the best baby moisturizer products. These moisturizers were carefully selected by our experts because they contain natural ingredients that are safe for delicate and sensitive skin. We believe these products are the best on the market that will help you keep your baby's skin hydrated, as well as help with their skin's problems.
Parents should never settle for less when it comes to their babies.
From choosing the right formula milk to picking out the best skincare products, parents and caregivers should closely examine every ingredient on the list to make sure it’s safe for their little ones.
Much like grown-ups, babies’ skins needs moisturizing too. Fact check: a baby’s skin is 30% thinner than ours.
Infant and toddler’s skins are easily irritated by harsh chemicals, fragrances, dyes, and other ingredients in skincare products.It’s important to keep your baby’s skin soft and moisturized all the time to prevent rashes and other skin irritations.
Parents should be careful in choosing the best baby moisturizers in a market flooded with baby skincare products.
A good rule of thumb when picking out baby moisturizers is to look for organic and natural ingredients if possible.
Also, choose fragrance-free moisturizers and immediately skip ones containing parabens.
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A Quick Overview: Our Top Picks for the Best Baby Moisturizers
OUR TOP #1 PICK - The Aquaphor Baby Healing Ointment is our top pick for the best baby moisturizer because not only does it provide intense moisturization, but it also treats drool rashes, diaper rashes, and dry hands and cuticles. This ointment is also highly recommended by pediatricians.
OUR TOP #2 PICK - Are you searching for something to moisturize your skin and your baby’s skin? The Perfect Body Harmony Unrefined Raw Shea Butter might be the product you’re looking for. This cream provides soothing relief for sensitive skin, can be used as an adult face and body moisturizer, and it also works great for acne scar and stretch mark reduction.
OUR TOP #3 PICK - Does your little one have red, crusty patches on his/her skin? That may be eczema. The Aveeno Baby Cream may aid and help care for skin discomfort caused by eczema. This cream helps relieve irritated skin, intensely moisturize, and prevent the recurrence of extra-dry skin.
OUR TOP #4 PICK - Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream is designed to treat dryness, flakiness, and scaly skin associated with a variety of skin conditions. It’s packed with beneficial ingredients that restore the skin’s barrier while penetrating deep beneath the surface to supply moisture.
OUR TOP #5 PICK - Much like the Aveeno Baby Cream, the Aveeno Baby Daily Moisture Lotion has a nourishing, non-greasy formula that protects delicate skin and moisturizes it for long hours. It has been proven to be hypoallergenic, fragrance-free, and gentle enough for baby's sensitive skin.
Can I apply moisturizer on my newborn?
The answer is no. Newborns don’t need additional oils on their skin.
It’s best to wait for a few months to a year before applying baby skincare products.
Dermatologists warn against skincare products containing chemicals that can potentially trigger the immune system of babies to fight off the unknown, thereby causing allergies, asthma, or eczema.
If your newborn has very dry skin, you can opt for aloe vera or olive oil. These products are all-natural and safe for delicate and sensitive skin.
Why moisturizing is important for your baby’s skin
Your baby can’t speak for him/herself, but dry skin can be very uncomfortable for little ones.
It’s a fact that a baby’s skin is thinner and more sensitive than adult skin. Furthermore, it produces less natural oils and loses water faster than adults.
Since a baby’s skin can get dry very easily, chapping, flaking, and rashes are common among infants.
Those conditions get worse particularly during the winter months when babies are exposed to the cold and dry air outdoors, then the heated air inside the house.
The best and easiest way to protect your baby’s skin against irritations and other skin conditions is to provide daily moisturization.
Moisturizers also create a barrier on the skin to guard it against the elements.
The golden rule: moisturize, moisturize, moisturize.
After every bath, always make sure to apply the best baby moisturizers that are gentle and hypoallergenic.
Use moisturizers even when you skip the bath. During winter months, you may need to moisturize your child’s skin more than thrice a day.
Rub moisturizer everywhere on the body, not just on dry spots.
It is important to note that ointments and creams may be better for babies than lotions during cold months.
Cool-mist room humidifiers can also help combat dryness. Most importantly, keep the fluids coming – a hydrated body secretes more natural oils.
Choosing the best baby moisturizers
1. Choose gentle ingredients
By now, you know that you can’t use ordinary soaps or lotions on babies.
Moisturizers targeted for baby skin is specially formulated for this age group.
These moisturizers are non-toxic, hypoallergenic, dye and fragrance-free, alcohol-free, and contains few ingredients.
We suggest taking a look at the label and picking the product with the fewest ingredients that are all essential.
2. Choose natural moisturizers
Natural moisturizers derived from botanical herbs and oils are best for moisture retention in delicate skins.
However, practice caution if your child has allergies or asthma because natural ingredients can even be irritating for them.
3. Choose creams or ointments over lotions
Emulsifiers are present in large amounts in lotions. This compound works to keep oil and water thoroughly mixed - oil and water naturally repel each other because oil is denser than water.
Emulsifiers are synthetic chemicals that keep both substances mixed. Though they’re not particularly irritating to adult skin, they might have adverse effects on younger skins.
Furthermore, lotions contain more water than oils as compared to creams and ointments which have more oils.
More oils mean more nourishment and moisturization. That’s the primary reason why creams and ointments may work better for young skins than lotions.
If your baby is blessed with healthy skin without any dryness or flaking, a cream moisturizer may keep it that way even during the winter.
Conversely, opt for ointment-type moisturizers for treating dry and sensitive skin because they’re more prone to eczema.
4. Ingredients to watch out for
The ingredients listed below are unnecessary and have raised significant issues regarding safety and adverse side effects.
- Parabens
- Phthalates
- Sulfates
- Formaldehyde-releasers
- Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS)
- Bisphenol-A
5. Consult your pediatrician
Safety is the first and foremost priority when it comes to applying products on baby’s skin.
The products that we will be featuring here are all safe to use on delicate skins, but your baby’s skin might react negatively to some ingredients of the products.
It’s best to consult with your pediatrician if you’re in doubt, especially if you’re a first-time parent. Also, it might be better to ask for moisturizer suggestions from him or her.
Product Reviews: Our Top 5 Baby Moisturizers
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The Aquaphor Baby Ointment is highly recommended by pediatricians, making it our top pick for the best baby moisturizer.
Does your baby always have drool rashes, diaper rashes, and dry hands and cuticles? This ointment may address those problems.
Drool rashes, diaper rashes, and drying of the hands and other body parts are common conditions among infants.
They are often overlooked. Thus, the irritation tends to spread to nearby areas.
Drool rashes cause the skin around the mouth and chin to be covered in rashes and become chapped due to the constant moisture. This often happens when a baby starts teething.
In contrast, diaper rashes occur because of the prolonged exposure of the sensitive skin to stool and urine.
Aquaphor is uniquely formulated to treat the mentioned conditions and restore smooth and healthy skin.
This cream creates a semi-occlusive barrier on the skin which is an ideal healing environment that enables the flow of water and oxygen.
Moreover, it absorbs the recovering skin’s natural wound exudates, keeping the wound moist to help promote healing.
The petrolatum ingredient of this cream works as a skin protectant that relieves irritations. It also contains excellent hydrating compounds such as panthenol and glycerin.
Panthenol, a derivative of Vitamin B, penetrates and conditions the skin while enhancing the healing process.
On the other hand, glycerin draws and holds moisture to the skin, helping to keep it hydrated and soft.
Tip: You can also use this as a lip balm substitute.
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The Perfect Body Harmony Unrefined Raw Shea Butter cream contains natural ingredients for DIY skin care.
What’s great about this cream is it’s all natural and safe for eczema.
Parents will be delighted to know that this cream won’t only provide soothing relief for their babies; it can also be used as an adult face and body moisturizer. Plus, it may also reduce acne scars and stretch marks.
This cream is enriched with raw shea butter extracted from Karite trees in Africa.
Shea butter is one of the most amazing and frequently used skincare ingredients because it’s packed with Vitamins A, D, E, and F and antioxidants.
The compounds in shea butter provide extreme nourishment to the skin. The natural fatty acids and vitamins in it are incredibly moisturizing for dry, flaky, and eczema-inflicted skin.
Shea butter also has anti-inflammatory and skin-smoothing properties. Lupeol cinnamate, an acid found in shea butter, was found to reduce inflammations and prevent skin mutations.
The butter also aids in the stimulation of collagen production to keep the skin soft and resilient against allergens.
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The Aveeno Baby Cream is another doctor recommended help care for skin discomfort due to eczema, making it one the best baby moisturizers on our list.
Eczema can show up as red, crusty patches on your child's skin, often during their first few months.
It’s common and very treatable. It’s very uncomfortable to babies so the earlier you treat it, the better.
This cream helps relieve irritated skin, intensely moisturize, and prevent the recurrence of extra-dry skin and flaking.
It’s enriched with Ceramide, a naturally-occurring lipid in the skin, which restores the skin’s protective barrier.
A unique ingredient of this cream is colloidal oatmeal, which is a popular home remedy for dry and itchy skin.
You may be thinking that the “colloidal” oatmeal is something synthetic. It’s not - colloidal oatmeal is just finely milled oatmeal that is suspended in water or gel.
Colloidal oatmeal is an excellent moisturizer and has natural healing and anti-inflammatory properties as well.
In fact, oatmeal baths have been recommended for babies suffering from itchy and dry skin.
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Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream is a rich, fragrance-free moisturizer that delivers intense hydration and replenishes sensitive, dry skin.
It’s clinically proven to provide immediate and long-lasting relief for sensitive skins.
This moisturizing cream is specially designed to treat dryness, flakiness, and scaly skin associated with a variety of skin conditions.
Also, it’s hypoallergenic, mild, and non-irritating, making it safe for baby skin. Among its active ingredients are glycerin, petrolatum, and sweet almond oil.
Glycerin and petrolatum are both intensely moisturizing compounds that restore the skin’s barrier while nourishing the skin.
Sweet almond oil is used extensively throughout Asia and the Mediterranean as a beauty aid and massage oil for infants much before cosmetics caught up with the goodness of this oil.
It’s rich in Vitamin E, fatty acids, proteins, and minerals. Its functions include dislodging dirt and oil from the skin, soothing irritations, and reduce skin flare-ups.
What we love about this moisturizer is it has a fast-absorbing formula. Upon application, the rich cream mattifies in minutes.
As adults, we tried this mild cream daily for a week, and it actually helped our dry skins return to its normal, healthy appearance and comfort level – no more dry patches!
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Similar to the Aveeno Cream, the Aveeno Baby Daily Moisture Lotion has a nourishing, non-greasy formula that protects delicate skin and moisturizes for longer hours.
It also contains natural colloidal oatmeal blended with rich emollients that soothe irritations while providing deep nourishment to your baby’s skin.
Furthermore, it contains no drying alcohols and won't clog pores.
It’s also hypoallergenic, fragrance-free, and gentle enough for baby's sensitive skin.
This moisturizer temporarily protects chafed, chapped, and cracked skin from infection-causing bacteria while speeding up the healing process.
This lotion also has dimethicone, glycerin, and petrolatum as active ingredients.
Dimethicone is a type of silicone that makes the lotion feel silk-like on the skin, leaving a smooth and slightly mattified finish.
Dimethicone doesn’t impart any benefits aside from making the substance glide smoothly to be absorbed quickly by the skin.
With the lotion penetrating quickly, the skin locks the moisture in, leaving the skin moisturized for longer hours.
Glycerin and petrolatum, as you’re quite familiar with right now, are common moisturizing ingredients in creams and lotions that provide moisture to the epidermis to strengthen the skin barrier and eliminate dry patches.
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The Bottom Line
The best and easiest way to prevent skin irritations, flaking, eczema, rashes, and other conditions is to moisturize your little angel’s skin frequently with the best baby moisturizer.
A moisturizer for little ones will ideally have gentle ingredients, natural moisturizers, and is paraben and alcohol-free.
It would also be great if the moisturizer is in cream or ointment form rather than a lotion because creams and ointments contain more oils that water.
One such moisturizer that has met our standards and expectations is the Aquaphor Baby Healing Ointment.
This ointment is uniquely formulated with natural moisturizers that supply much-needed moisture and conditions the skin to restore its natural protective barrier against chemicals and allergens.
It can also be an effective treatment for wounds, drool rashes, diaper rashes, and dry hands and cuticles.
This cream creates a semi-occlusive barrier on the skin which is an ideal healing environment that enables the flow of water and oxygen.
Most importantly, it absorbs the recovering skin’s natural wound exudates, keeping the wound moist to help promote healing.
Simply put, this ointment does a lot of work on your baby’s skin, not just mere moisturization. It greatly assists in the wound healing process to restore the skin’s health and to keep it smooth and flawless.
