Do I need a different moisturiser for winter?

Often, yes. If your child's regular moisturiser stops feeling sufficient as the weather cools, switching to a heavier, more occlusive product (typically moving from a lotion or cream to an ointment) provides better protection against the increased water loss of winter conditions. Not every child needs to switch; some children's regular product remains sufficient year-round. Watch for signs of insufficient moisture (dryness within hours of application, flaking, roughness) as your cue to upgrade.

How often should I moisturise my baby's eczema in winter?

At minimum, twice daily as in the rest of the year. For hands, face, and any wind-exposed skin, a third application partway through the day is often beneficial in winter specifically, along with a pre-emptive barrier balm application before outdoor exposure.

Should I bathe my baby less often in winter to avoid drying out their skin?

Generally no. Daily bathing remains the standard recommendation year-round because it supports effective emollient application through the hydrate-then-seal sequence. If skin becomes unusually dry despite a well-managed routine, discuss a modified bathing frequency with your GP or dermatologist rather than reducing bathing independently.

What is the best type of moisturiser for severe winter eczema?

Ointment-based emollients, which are the heaviest and most occlusive category, are generally most effective for managing significant winter dryness. Look for products with minimal water content and a high proportion of occlusive ingredients (petrolatum or specific plant oils). Discuss options with your GP, pharmacist, or dermatologist if you are unsure which specific product is appropriate for your child's skin.

When should I start the winter skincare routine?

Early autumn, ideally by March or April in most of Australia, before humidity has dropped significantly and before the skin barrier has already been compromised. Proactive adjustment is significantly more effective than reactive treatment once dryness or a flare has already developed.

The Best Winter Skincare Routine for Babies with Eczema

By Kelly Northey, Certified Postpartum Nutrition Professional

Founder of Nella Vosk • 14+ years supporting families across motherhood, feeding, and early childhood wellbeing

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The Best Winter Skincare Routine for Babies with Eczema

This article is part of the Nella Vosk Complete Guide to Eczema-Friendly Clothing: Fabrics, Fit & Science for Australian Families, and builds on why eczema gets worse in winter (and what to do about it). This article translates that mechanism into a practical, step-by-step winter skincare routine: exactly what to change from your usual routine, and why each change matters.

The core structure of a good eczema skincare routine, daily bathing, immediate emollient application, and consistency, does not change with the seasons. What needs to change in winter is the intensity of that routine: heavier products, more frequent application in some cases, and a few technique adjustments that specifically counter the accelerated water loss that cold, dry conditions cause.

This is the winter-specific companion to the general year-round sequence. If you have not already established a solid daily routine, start with the best bedtime routine for babies with eczema: step-by-step guide, then return here for the winter-specific adjustments.

Step 1: Switch to a Heavier Emollient Before You Need To

The single most important winter adjustment is upgrading the weight of the emollient you use, and doing it proactively in early autumn rather than waiting until the skin has already become noticeably drier.

Understanding emollient weight categories

Lotions: the lightest category, highest water content, least occlusive. Appropriate for mild, well-managed eczema in warmer months but often insufficient once winter humidity drops.
Creams: a middle category, more oil than lotions, moderate occlusion. A reasonable year-round choice for many children, but may need upgrading further for winter in dry climates or centrally heated homes.
Ointments: the heaviest and most occlusive category, typically petrolatum or plant-oil based with minimal water content. Ointments form the most effective physical barrier against transepidermal water loss and are frequently the right choice for winter, even for children who use a lighter cream the rest of the year.

If your child’s current moisturiser stops feeling sufficient, if skin feels dry again within a few hours of application, or if flaking or roughness appears despite consistent use, this is the signal to move up a weight category rather than simply applying more of the same product.

When to make the switch

Make the switch in early autumn (March to April in most of Australia), before the skin has already become compromised by the dropping humidity. Waiting until visible dryness or a flare has already developed means treating a barrier that has already broken down, which takes longer to recover than one that has been proactively protected.

Step 2: Increase Application Frequency Where Needed

Many families successfully manage eczema with twice-daily emollient application (morning and after the evening bath) for most of the year. In winter, particularly for hands, face, and any area regularly exposed to wind or cold air, a third application partway through the day can meaningfully reduce cumulative water loss.

Hands: reapply after any hand washing, and before any outdoor exposure. Hands are washed frequently and exposed to wind, making them one of the highest-risk areas for winter breakdown.
Face and cheeks: apply before school, daycare, or any outdoor activity, in addition to the regular morning and evening application.
Body: twice daily is usually sufficient for covered areas of the body that are not directly exposed to wind or cold air, provided the emollient weight has been appropriately upgraded.

Step 3: Keep Bath Temperature and Duration Consistent

This is a technique point rather than a product point, but it matters as much as the emollient choice. The instinct to run a hotter bath in cold weather is strong and understandable, but hot water strips the skin’s natural oils more aggressively than lukewarm water regardless of the outdoor temperature.

Keep bath water lukewarm, tested against your wrist, exactly as in warmer months
Keep bath duration to 8 to 10 minutes in winter if skin is drier than usual, slightly shorter than the 10 to 15 minute range appropriate the rest of the year
Warm your child with a warm towel, a warm room, and warm clothing immediately after the bath, not with hotter bathwater
Apply emollient within 3 minutes of patting dry, exactly as in the standard routine, since the damp-skin window for emollient absorption does not change with the season

Step 4: Protect Exposed Skin Before Going Outside

Wind exposure accelerates water loss on uncovered skin, and this effect is specific to winter conditions in a way that summer skincare routines do not need to address.

Apply a thick barrier balm or emollient to face and hands 10 to 15 minutes before any outdoor exposure on cold or windy days
Reapply on return indoors, particularly if the outdoor exposure was longer than 20 to 30 minutes
For babies in prams, a wind-protective cover over exposed skin (face and hands) reduces the need for repeated reapplication during a single outing

Step 5: Adjust Bathing Frequency If Skin Is Especially Dry

Daily bathing remains the general recommendation year-round, since it supports the hydration-then-seal routine that makes emollient application effective. If a child’s skin becomes noticeably drier despite all the adjustments above, and this is uncommon but does happen for some children, reducing to five to six baths per week rather than seven, with a wash-only routine on the skipped days, can sometimes help. Discuss this adjustment with your GP or dermatologist rather than making it unilaterally, since daily bathing remains correct for the majority of eczema-affected children even in winter.

Want to Explore Bamboo Clothing for Eczema?

Common Winter Skincare Mistakes

Running the bath hotter ‘to warm up’ a cold child

Addressed above, but worth repeating as it is the single most common winter mistake. Warm the child, not the bathwater.

Only increasing quantity, not weight, of emollient

Applying more of a light lotion is less effective at reducing transepidermal water loss than switching to a heavier, more occlusive product. If skin is not responding to more frequent application of the current product, the product itself likely needs upgrading.

Skipping the barrier balm step for outdoor exposure

Many families have a solid indoor skincare routine but do not think to protect the skin before a cold or windy outing. This gap accounts for a meaningful proportion of winter flares that occur on the face and hands specifically.

Reverting to the summer routine too early in spring

Skin barrier recovery lags behind the weather. Continuing the heavier winter routine for several weeks after the weather has warmed, rather than switching back the moment temperatures rise, gives the barrier time to fully recover before easing off.

How This Connects to the Indoor Environment

A strong winter skincare routine addresses the skin directly, but it works within an indoor environment that is often actively working against it. Indoor heating lowers relative humidity, which increases the rate at which the skin loses the moisture that emollient application is trying to preserve.

For the complete guide to managing indoor humidity and heating, see indoor heating and eczema: managing dry air. Addressing both the skincare routine and the indoor environment together produces significantly better results than either approach alone.

Frequently Asked Questions

: Often, yes. If your child’s regular moisturiser stops feeling sufficient as the weather cools, switching to a heavier, more occlusive product (typically moving from a lotion or cream to an ointment) provides better protection against the increased water loss of winter conditions.

Not every child needs to switch; some children’s regular product remains sufficient year-round. Watch for signs of insufficient moisture (dryness within hours of application, flaking, roughness) as your cue to upgrade.
: At minimum, twice daily as in the rest of the year. For hands, face, and any wind-exposed skin, a third application partway through the day is often beneficial in winter specifically, along with a pre-emptive barrier balm application before outdoor exposure.
: Generally no. Daily bathing remains the standard recommendation year-round because it supports effective emollient application through the hydrate-then-seal sequence.

If skin becomes unusually dry despite a well-managed routine, discuss a modified bathing frequency with your GP or dermatologist rather than reducing bathing independently.
: Ointment-based emollients, which are the heaviest and most occlusive category, are generally most effective for managing significant winter dryness. Look for products with minimal water content and a high proportion of occlusive ingredients (petrolatum or specific plant oils).

Discuss options with your GP, pharmacist, or dermatologist if you are unsure which specific product is appropriate for your child’s skin.
: Early autumn, ideally by March or April in most of Australia, before humidity has dropped significantly and before the skin barrier has already been compromised.

Proactive adjustment is significantly more effective than reactive treatment once dryness or a flare has already developed.

Next Steps

A winter-adjusted skincare routine, heavier emollient, more frequent application where needed, consistent bath temperature, and proactive protection before outdoor exposure, addresses the skin side of the winter eczema equation directly. Combined with attention to the indoor environment, this gives the most complete protection available against the season’s specific challenges.

Return to preparing your eczema child for winter: the complete guide for the full seasonal checklist, or why eczema gets worse in winter (and what to do about it) for the physiological mechanism behind these recommendations.

Also in this cluster:

Preparing your eczema child for winter: the complete guide — the overview and seasonal preparation checklist
Why eczema gets worse in winter (and what to do about it) — the transepidermal water loss mechanism this routine addresses
Indoor heating and eczema: managing dry air — the environmental side of winter eczema management
The best bedtime routine for babies with eczema: step-by-step guide — the year-round sequence this winter routine builds on
How to create an eczema-friendly bedroom — the bedroom environment framework relevant year-round

Explore the Bamboo Bubby by Nella Vosk eczema pyjamas and sleepwear for kids and adult eczema sleepwear range — breathable, thermoregulating fabric that supports the skincare routine rather than working against it.

Author Bio

Written by Kelly Northey, Certified Postpartum Nutrition Professional (CPPNP) and founder of Nella Vosk.

As the creator of the Bamboo Bubby eczema clothing range, Kelly has spent over 16 years helping Australian families adjust their skincare routines proactively through the coldest months, rather than reacting once winter dryness has already taken hold.