A Winter Skincare Routine for Kids Aged 5 to 12: From Before School to Bedtime

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The short answer

A winter routine for a 5 to 12 year old fits into four moments: before school, after the playground, after the bath and at bedtime. In the morning, a pea-sized dab of Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream Dry to Very Dry, Sensitive Skin on the cheeks, Aveeno Baby Continuous Protection Sensitive Skin Sunscreen SPF 50 if there is outdoor play, and a Vaseline Lip Therapy Cocoa Butter in the school bag. At bath time a mild Cetaphil Baby Wash & Shampoo With Natural Calendula, then Aveeno Baby Daily Moisture Lotion within 3 minutes of towelling off. At night, a slightly thicker layer on the hands, cheeks and knees. That is all. You do not need expensive products or ten steps; you need the same few steps at the same times every day.

Why children's skin cracks so fast in winter

Children's skin is thinner than adult skin and holds less water. From December to February the dry northern wind, the morning fog and the cold nights pull water out of the top layer of the skin quickly. Add long hot baths, playground dust and the habit of licking lips, and you get red, rough cheeks, a red ring around the mouth, cracked backs of the hands and white, ashy knees and elbows.

The good news is that most winter dryness at this age settles with a steady moisturiser routine. If you first want to choose which lotion or cream to buy, read which winter lotion or cream is best for kids. This post is the daily routine: when, how much and in what order.

The daily routine, hour by hour

1. Before school (7 to 8 am)

1. Rinse the face with lukewarm water only. No face wash is needed in the morning.
2. Pat dry with a towel; do not rub.
3. Dot a pea-sized amount of Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream Dry to Very Dry, Sensitive Skin on both cheeks, beside the nose and on the chin. It is fragrance-free, so it usually does not sting sensitive cheeks.
4. One more drop on the backs of the hands.
5. A thin coat of Vaseline Lip Therapy Cocoa Butter on the lips.
6. If there is assembly, PT or outdoor play, wait one minute for the cream to settle, then apply Aveeno Baby Continuous Protection Sensitive Skin Sunscreen SPF 50 to the face, ears and neck. For younger children who fuss about lotion, Cetaphil Sheer Mineral Sunscreen Stick SPF-50 is easier: they can swipe it on their cheeks themselves.

2. After school or the playground (afternoon)

Dust, sweat and sunscreen leave a film on the face. Wash the hands and face with lukewarm water. If the face is very dirty, one pump of Cetaphil Baby Wash & Shampoo With Natural Calendula is fine. Then a little cream on the cheeks again and balm on the lips. If the hands are cracked after cricket or football, rub cream into the backs of the hands and the finger creases.

3. During and after the bath

1. You can bathe a child every day in winter, but keep it to 5 to 10 minutes.
2. The water should be lukewarm, comfortable on your wrist. Steaming hot water strips the skin's natural oils.
3. Use cleanser only on the underarms, groin, hands, feet and wherever there is dirt, with something mild such as Cetaphil Baby Wash & Shampoo With Natural Calendula or Cetaphil Baby Mild Bar.
4. Pat dry and, within 3 minutes, apply Aveeno Baby Daily Moisture Lotion all over. A child's whole body usually needs two to three pumps.
5. Give a little extra to elbows, knees and the tops of the feet if they are rough.

There is more on lukewarm bathing in winter hot-water baths and your skin.

4. Bedtime

Night is repair time. After brushing teeth, rinse the face and put a slightly thicker layer on the cheeks, hands and lips. If you want one big tub for the whole family, Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream for Dry Skin works well: no fragrance, rich, and easy to use on hands, feet, knees and heels together. If the hands are badly cracked, apply cream and slip on thin cotton gloves or socks for sleep. Do the same with socks for cracked feet.

Body areas

Lips

Children lick their lips most in winter. Saliva dries, the lips crack more, and a red ring forms around the mouth (often called lip-licker's dermatitis). The fix: balm 4 to 5 times a day, especially after meals and before bed, and a thin layer over the red ring too. Coloured, shimmery or "lightening" lip balms and balms with kojic acid are not for children.

Cheeks

Cold wind makes the cheeks red and rough. Cream in the morning, a scarf over the cheeks outside, cream again at night. Do not scrub the cheeks dry.

Hands

To be honest, we do not have a dedicated hand cream on our shelf right now. For a child's hands, the same fragrance-free face cream is enough: one drop after each hand wash. Keep the small tube in the school bag.

Sports

On football, cricket or sports days, even winter sun is strong at midday. Sunscreen before play, again after two hours. Wipe off sweat before reapplying. Remember water after play.

How to make it a habit

• Keep the cream next to the toothbrush. Brushing means cream; the pairing sticks.
• Let the child apply it. Make up a rhyme: "two dots for two cheeks, one dot for the nose."
• A sticker chart. Seven days in a row earns a small reward.
• Do it alongside them. Children copy adults.
• Lip balm in the bag. Write their name on it so it does not get swapped with a friend's.

Common mistakes

• Using adults' perfumed lotion, skin-lightening cream or brightening lotion on a child.
• Long hot baths with no moisturiser afterwards.
• Lemon or toothpaste on chapped lips. Both increase stinging.
• Peeling flakes or scrubbing off dead skin.
• Using a leftover steroid ointment from the house on your own. Never without a doctor's advice.
• Rubbing on mustard oil and sitting the child in the sun. Mustard oil can irritate some children's skin and weaken the skin barrier; many doctors suggest a plain fragrance-free moisturiser instead. If you do use oil, use a little on damp skin after the bath, and stop if it turns red.

The Bangladesh reality

Dhaka winters bring more dust and smoke, and the early cold wind hits the face directly in school vans and rickshaws. In villages and the north, the morning fog is much thicker. Many homes heat bath water on the stove, so it is often too hot; mix in cold water in the bucket and test on your wrist. On winter holiday trips to Sylhet, Sreemangal or Bandarban, pack cream, lip balm and sunscreen; the hills have more wind and more sun. For the whole family's routine, read the 24-hour winter skincare routine. For year-round care at this age, see skincare for 6 to 12 year olds.

When to see a doctor

See a paediatrician or dermatologist if any of these happen:

• Dryness or red patches are not improving after two weeks of regular moisturiser.
• Itching wakes the child at night, or they scratch until it bleeds. This can be eczema.
• The skin oozes fluid or pus, forms yellow crusts, or the area is hot and swollen. These are signs of infection.
• A rash comes with fever.
• Cracks at the corners of the mouth keep coming back and do not heal.
• Itching between the fingers, worse at night, and someone else at home has the same.
• The face swells or burns after any cream.

Why buy authentic

A fake cream on a child's skin means unknown ingredients and unknown fragrance. TheSkinProof is an invoice-verified skincare marketplace: every product's source is checked against invoices, and if a product is proven counterfeit you get 2× your money back (claims within 7 days of delivery). Delivery across Bangladesh, cash on delivery available. More answers are in the children and babies section of our Winter FAQ Centre.