Don’t Worry! Baby Acne Is Totally Normal, and These OTC Products Will Help to Clear It Up

After a torturously long wait, you’re finally holding your bundle of joy in your arms. With 10 fingers and 10 toes, your babe is perfect. When you first get a glimpse of the teeny-tiny whiteheads on your little one’s perfect face, your initial thought may be to call the ambulance immediately or ring the doctor because clearly there has to be something wrong.

How does a baby come out of the womb with acne? Isn’t that a worry reserved for the braces-laced years of adolescence and not for newborns? According to board-certified dermatopathologist Dr. Gretchen Frieling, baby acne is totally normal! *collective sigh*

While your new baby isn’t exactly going through the hormone changes that teens deal with, Dr. Frieling says that Mom’s hormones are the cause for the itty bitty white bumps. She says, “In the case of newborns, it’s not their own hormones that are causing the pimple outbreaks, but Mom's, which are still circulating in the baby's bloodstream as a holdover from pregnancy. These maternal hormones stimulate the baby's sluggish oil-producing glands, causing pimples to pop up. The pores in a baby's skin are not yet fully developed, which makes them easy targets for infiltration by dirt and blemishes".

Dr. Frieling says that baby acne, or neonatal acne, happens to around 20% of babies and typically clears up on its own. However, if the acne is persistent beyond 6 weeks of age, that could be another condition called infantile acne. This should be discussed with your pediatrician or a board-certified dermatologist to make sure your little one is not having an allergic reaction, an internal issue, or a skin problem like eczema.

We chatted with Dr. Frieling about her suggested baby acne-care products and how parents can make sure they are choosing the right options in the endless array of baby washes, lotions, and tonics. Here are our baby acne skincare favorites.