My sister is in love with my 3-week old son, but her new nickname for him, “Pimple Face,” is starting to get on my nerves. Alas, baby acne is a common occurance. It usually shows up a few weeks after birth, and there’s not much you can do about it except wait for it to disappear. (It actually does seem to be clearing up, thankfully!!)
Other common skin concerns you might experience with your newborn are dry skin, cradle cap (dry, scaly skin on his scalp), and heat rash (red pimply rash). You can click on these links for more info on how to identify them and treat them (or not treat them, as the case may be.)
iVillage says: “Babies don’t get very dirty, so you don’t need to bathe your baby every day if you keep the face, head and diaper area clean. Wipe your baby’s face and head gently with a soft, wet washcloth or dampened cotton balls. Be sure to get into all skin creases, especially where dribbled milk might collect. And clean your baby’s bottom well with each diaper change. ” According to BabyCenter, newborns don’t need to be bathed more than once or twice a week. (Oh good, so I haven’t been a negligent mother!) Here are some more good baby bath tips and guidelines.