Vernix, also known as Vernix caseosa, is the waxy or "cheesy" white substance foun coating the skin of newborn humans. It is secreted by the fetus's sebaceous glands in utero, and is hypothesized to have antibacterial properties. Vernix is the Latin word for "varnish." The vernix (or "varnish"), "varnishes" the baby. Caseosa is "cheesy" in Latin