This Baby-Friendly Humidifier Fixed My Dry Skin

I am a winter baby, native New Yorker, and lover of deep, bountiful snow. My skin and sinuses, however, can’t stand super cold temperatures or my building’s dry radiator heat. That means, when the degrees start to plummet, my sensitive skin gets incredibly dry—even flaky—and the thickest, most luxurious (read: expensive) moisturizers only burn and further irritate my parched face. This, of course, is further exacerbated by the radiator's uncontrollable heat that dries out my nose, making it difficult to breathe and sleep easily. But still, that beautiful snow...

After visiting my dermatologist and allergist two months ago, they both made the same suggestion: get a humidifier. They said it would add moisture to the air in my bedroom to combat the winter elements outside and the dry heat inside, bringing relief to my skin and sinuses. They also recommended I drink more water, which, fair. After reading a ton of reviews on dozens of different products, I settled on the Frida Baby 3-in-1 Humidifier Diffuser Nightlight.

Now, I know what you’re thinking, and, yes, this humidifier is specifically marketed to parents for their babies. But all of the benefits I’ve gotten in the past two months have convinced me that it’s even better than the ones geared toward adults.

The Frida Baby humidifier adds moisture to the air in my bedroom and has eliminated the dryness in my skin and nose—I can finally sleep well overnight and I no longer wake up with a crusty nose (sorry, TMI?). The cool mist also takes my room down to a much more comfortable temperature (no thanks to the radiator), and adding a few drops of essential oil to the tank makes it feel like I'm relaxing at a spa.

The humidifier tank holds about a half a gallon of water, just enough for it to run a full 12-hour cycle. After 12 hours, it automatically turns off unless I switch it off sooner. The nightlight has been particularly helpful when my dog decides he wants to go outside at 3 a.m., which is about all the time.

But most important of all, this humidifier is so easy to clean. When I researched other humidifiers, shoppers said they had to take the entire thing apart to clean, only to be left with questions about how to piece it back together. A few horror stories even mentioned upper respiratory infections and, in one case, pneumonia, because of mold buildup that was difficult to locate and clean. Theoretically, the same thing could happen with the Frida Baby humidifier, but it has tons of great reviews that reference how quick and easy it is to keep clean. From my own experience in the past two months, I have to agree. One morning each week, I fill the empty tank with a cup of bleach and a cup of water, fill the base with about a cup of white vinegar, and let everything sit for 20 minutes. After a fresh water rinse, I let the base and tank air-dry for the day and I’m ready to use it again at night.

As for size, living in NYC means space is at a premium. I wanted something small and could almost pass for decor on my bedside table instead of a big clunky machine. This little gadget looks discreet while getting the job done—it has a slightly oval shape and takes up about the same amount of space as a large mug.

So far, none of my guests have noticed anything beyond the usual with the humidifier. There’s nothing overly cute about it (though it is aesthetically pleasing) so you can’t tell that it’s designed for babies, and both the base and the logo are white so there’s no visible branding unless you’re staring at it. In fact, my mom asked if it was a speaker because of the large dial at the base. She was surprised when I explained that it was a magical humidifier and was impressed that something so small and discreet was providing me so much relief.

Whether you have a little one of your own, or you just want some relief from the effects of harsh winter air like me, you'll find that the Frida Baby 3-in-1 is a small, but mighty workhorse. And if you’re after baby-smooth skin, yep, you’ll get that too.

How do you cure dry skin in the winter? Let us know in the comments!

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