Baby Acne, It's a Thing

Confession time. Full Disclosure. My baby has acne. #parentfail!

You may think I'm overreacting, but for a rookie mom, seeing your baby's perfectly smooth skin become all bumpy and red and irritated is, well, irritating. Every time I look at her face I feel guilty, like I'm hurting her. Every time someone else looks at her face I feel like I have to explain to them: "She has baby acne, it's a thing."

And it is! Baby acne affects 40% of all newborns (according to the all-knowing "What to Expect" folks) due to all of those new hormones figuring themselves out. Fortunately, it's temporary. Unfortunately, Annie's acne has been getting worse and worse and worse! Red and splotchy all over her cheeks, temples, and even parts of her neck. It looks so irritated and uncomfortable. She's going to hate me someday for writing this.

I tried everything to fix it. We figured the reason her acne was getting worse was because of her acid reflux issues (that's also a thing), so we tried to be more vigilant in burping her and cleaning her off. No change. We tried washing her face with soap and water more often throughout the day. No change. We tried washing and using an oil-free lotion to keep her skin clean and moist. No change. No change. No change.

These are painful for me to post...my poor baby!

HERE'S THE ANSWER (for all of you scrollers out there)

I learned that apparently your not supposed to put ANYTHING on a baby's face except water. Nothing. Nada. Their new skin is too sensitive for anything but water. So all of that soap and lotion I'd been using (which is recommended by some baby sites btw) was only making it worse! AKA it was my fault. Ok now I really can say #parentfail.

So, I stopped. I stuck to dabbing her cheeks with a warm, damp washcloth and left it at that. IT WORKED! If you are looking for anecdotal evidence here it is--don't buy all of those fancy baby face creams and ointments. Water will do the trick!

And if your baby is also dealing with acne issues/bullies/body shaming... don't give it a second thought! Embrace those bumps, it means her hormones are figuring themselves out and she's growing up. (Awww). And remember, you're not alone. "Baby acne, it's a thing."

**if you are worried about baby's face drying out, try using coconut oil. It's natural, hypoallergenic, antibacterial, etc. Or talk to your doctor of course**

Ahhh! So much Better!

#babyacnes #Annie #Baby #coconutoil