Back To School Checklist: How To Make Sure Your Child Looks And Feels

The long, sunny summer days are coming to an end and it’s time to start preparing for the new school year. Whether you’re sending your child off to preschool for the first time or you’re a veteran back-to-school parent, there’s a lot to think about this time of year.

In addition to the back-to-school frenzy of supply lists, creating schedules, and registering for after-school activities, you’re also probably thinking about how to keep your precious one healthy and looking and feeling their best.

Here at Mustela, we’ve got the same thing in mind. In this article, we’ll tell you six ways to keep your child in tip-top shape to go back to school.

Tips For Sending Your Child Back To School

We’ve got several tips for how to keep your child looking and feeling great — from washing their face to caring for their booboos and plenty in-between.

But before we jump into that, it’s important to remember that the basis for looking and feeling good is establishing healthy habits, like getting enough sleep, being active, and so much more.

Even amongst the busyness of school, stick to your child’s routine so that they’re getting enough sleep each night. Teach your child the importance of maintaining a balanced diet to keep them healthy from the inside out. Spend time outside with your child and open your windows to let in the fresh air.

Kids enjoying summer before going back to school

Make exercise fun by introducing your child to various sports — giving them plenty of opportunities to be active while playing games — and by choosing the right activities for children with eczema. Take care of yourself as a parent so you’re ready to give your little one all the love and care they need.

With this base of healthy habits in mind, let’s examine six specific ways to keep your kids looking and feeling their best this school year!

1) Teach Your Child How To Wash Their Face

It’s never too early to start teaching your child good hygiene habits. Just as you taught your child how to brush their teeth and wash their hands from a young age, you can also show them how to keep their face bright and clean.

While techniques and face products will vary depending on your child’s age, helping your child get into the habit of face-washing is important.

For little ones, keep face-washing fun with a cute washcloth and maybe a game of peek-a-boo. As your child gets older, provide them with age-appropriate facial cleansers.

Little boy washing his face before going back to school

What about keeping your little one’s face bright and clean while you’re on-the-go? Try Mustela’s No Rinse Cleansing Water to quickly and easily wash away dirt and impurities.

Simply apply the micellar water to your child’s face (or any other part of their body that needs a quick freshening up!) with a cloth or cotton pad, then pat it dry — no water necessary! This skin-softening product is gentle enough to use on children of any age, even newborns.

2) Tame And Care For Your Child’s Hair

Whether you’re dealing with unruly curls, long locks, or a tiny man-bun, you’re probably going to be the one caring for and fixing your child’s hair until they’re old enough to learn how to do it themselves.

Give your kids the best back-to-school look by keeping their hair tamed and styled the way they like it. First, use the right products in the bath or shower. A good shampoo designed for kids is a great start, but don’t stop there.

Not all hair is created equal, so you’ll need to adapt your child’s hair-washing routine to their particular hair, whether it’s straight, curly, thin, thick, or somewhere in-between. What works for one child may not work for another.

Mom fixing her child's hair

Keeping that in mind, try out various conditioners, brushes, and combs to keep your child’s hair manageable and frizz-free. Finally, spritz on Mustela’s Skin Freshener spray to tame your child’s hair and make styling easier.

3) Protect Your Child From The Sun

Happy mom and baby

Just because summer break is over and kids are heading back to school doesn’t mean their days in the sun are over. Especially at the beginning of the school year, there are still plenty of outside activities going on.

Plus, kids can just as easily burn during the winter if they spend time outdoors. You’ll need to stay on top of your sun-protection game to avoid sun damage or uncomfortable sunburn.

Be sure to apply sunscreen anytime your child is outside and reapply as needed if they’re sweating or playing in the water. Also, send them back to school with hats (if permitted by the school), sleeves, or other skin-shading clothes to protect them from sun exposure.

4) Keep Your Child’s Skin Hydrated All Year Long

Between sun exposure, chlorine, and saltwater, summer can really take its toll and leave your child with dry skin. But going back to school doesn’t mean you can ease up on skin care. Your child’s skin can also become dry in winter months thanks to the cold, dry air and windy days.

Whether it’s summer, winter, or somewhere in-between, how can you keep your little one’s skin hydrated and looking and feeling great?

First, moisturize and protect your child’s skin with Mustela’s Nourishing Lotion with Cold Cream. This moisturizer nourishes and hydrates while also protecting the surface of their delicate skin. Apply lotion right after bath time and throughout the day as needed.

Mother putting Mustela's lotion on her baby

Speaking of bath time, as important as it is to wash away the dirt and keep your child squeaky clean, it’s also important that you don’t bathe your child too often. If you can, stick to once-daily baths and no more. More frequent baths or showers can dry out your child’s skin.

Try giving your child one good bath at the end of the day rather than bathing them in the morning and again before bedtime.

Additionally, take a look at the products you’re using to bathe your child. Soaps that are full of chemicals can be harsh and drying. Instead, make bath time work for, not against, your child’s skin! Use a gentle soap and products like Mustela’s Bath Oil to cleanse, nourish, and protect their skin.

Finally, if your child suffers from eczema, it’s especially important to use only fragrance-free products that are specifically designed for eczema-prone skin. Rest easier at bathtime with Mustela’s Eczema-Prone Skin Bathtime Set, which is steroid-free and specially formulated with natural ingredients to soothe your child’s eczema.

5) Care For Back-To-School Booboos

Just as a summer full of adventures might leave your child with scrapes and mosquito bites, going back to school means playground mishaps and recess booboos.

Whatever you and your child face, get ready for the school year by restocking your first aid kit with Mustela’s versatile Cicastela Moisture Recovery Cream.

This soothing ointment relieves discomfort, hydrates, and promotes skin repair at the same time. It can be used on small cuts and scratches, insect bites, red patches, and even chicken pox. Plus, if you’ve also got a little one who is still in diapers, you can use Cicastela Cream on diaper-area redness.

We also recommend our Arnica Gel with Calendula. Composed of 97% ingredients of natural origin, this gel is designed to soothe boo-boos on babies and kids nine months old and up without leaving their skin feeling greasy or sticky.

6) Clean Up Back-To-School Messes

Going back to school involves markers and glue and messy science projects. Keeping your child looking great means being prepared to tackle those messes! Stock your bag with a pack of wipes to get ready for quick, easy, on-the-go cleanups.

You can use Mustela’s Cleansing Wipes to clean little hands after a sticky meal, a messy project, and any moment in-between. Gentle enough to use on a newborn, these soothing wipes leave your child’s skin soft and clean.

Bonus: You can also use them as diaper wipes for your baby or even makeup-remover wipes for yourself!

Father walking with his daughter at back to school time

Getting ready to go back to school can be an overwhelming time for the whole family. But with these six tips and a little bit of planning, you can prepare to send your child off to school looking and feeling their best.

Get your little one’s school supplies together along with the Mustela products formulated specifically for your child’s needs. In no time, they’ll be feeling clean, looking sharp, and ready for that first day of school!