Baby Skin Care | Tips to Keep Your Baby’s Skin Healthy
Proper baby skin care is very important especially for a newborn baby. The skin of a newborn baby is soft and delicate. To protect it from rashes and unwanted problems, you need to give proper attention. Baby skincare is an integral part of keeping your baby healthy and happy.
The skin of your baby is susceptible to rashes, dryness, itches, irritation, etc. The immune system of the baby is not as developed as that of an adult.
So, you need to give extra importance to skincare when it comes to babies. There are many products and steps you can take to help care for the babies’ skin.
This guide consists of some basic ideas on the “do’s and don’ts” of baby skincare that will help you understand how to handle the soft skin of your baby and prepare you in case any unfortunate problems occur.
General Tips and Rules
Before you start using products that claim to improve your babies’ skin condition, recognize the following things
- Newborns have fragile skin, and the layer is thin.
- It takes time for the babies’ skin to adapt to the surrounding environment.
- Chemical soaps, Shampoo ingredients, etc. matter when it comes to the delicate skin of the baby
- In the first two months, skin allergies are very common.
Once you understand this, some few rules of thumb are:
- Do not expose the skin to direct sunlight before the baby is six months old. The skin should be protected as much as possible with soft clothes.
- Baby clothes need to be cleaned regularly. Make sure you wash the new clothes before you put them on your baby.
- Don’t cover your baby with tight clothes in hot environments. This builds up sweats in the babies’ congested body parts, which leads to rashes or allergies.
- Use organic products instead of products that contain chemical ingredients.
- Chemical products cause irritation and itching on the tender skin of your baby and should be avoided whenever possible.
Now that you understand the rules mentioned above, now it’s time to take a closer look at how to care for your babies’ skin.
Baby Skin Care Tips
Bathing
Remember that the skin of the baby is soft and tender. Don’t expose the baby to soapy bath water for too long. 3-4 bath times per week are sufficient as frequent bathing may remove the natural oils that are present in the baby.
Do not use cold or hot water. Take some time to find the perfect temperature and pour a cup of water over the babies’ shoulders regularly. Use baby soaps and shampoos sparingly.
After the bath, dry off the baby with a soft cotton towel. Wipe gently and take care that the baby does not feel uncomfortable. Do not use any after shower products.
The baby doesn’t need it. The room should be temperature regulated, and all fans or air coolers need to be turned off so that the baby does not catch a cold.
Diaper Care
Diaper rashes that occur due to unchanged dirty diapers can make the child uncomfortable along with unwanted problems in the babies’ body.
Anytime a diaper gets wet or soiled; it needs to be changed. While changing the diaper, you need to make sure the baby is cleaned thoroughly and dried.
If you are using a cloth diaper for the baby, you need to soak it in vinegar solution after rinsing it. To get rid of soap and ammonia residue on the diaper, you need to do two more rinses following the vinegar soaking. This will prevent any type of diaper rashes that might occur using a cloth diaper.
Baby Products
If you are going to use oils and other products on your baby, make sure they are made especially for babies. Only stick to organic ingredients and use them sparingly.
The skin of the baby is susceptible to dryness, so a baby lotion is always handy to keep around. Baby powders are not a necessity, and you don’t have to use them if you want to let your baby air dry. If you do decide to use them gently using only a sprinkle on the babies’ bottom.
When using lotion or baby oils, lay your baby down on a soft blanket. Gently rub his body with the lotion. Do not pour the product directly on the babies’ skin. Rub it on your hand first before you massage the baby.
Make sure the room is warm and not too cold for the exposed babies’ skin. The massage is more important than the product as studies show that babies are generally calm when they get the skin to skin time with their parents.
Clothing
During the early weeks after birth, your baby will most likely be wrapped in soft cotton towels. Once the baby gets a bit older, make sure the clothing that you use is comfortable.
They should not be too tight so that air can flow through the clothes. Be careful of any sweat buildup and keep a cotton handkerchief to wipe them off.
In the first six weeks, make sure the baby has no exposed skin under sunlight. Use baby specific sunscreens gently on the babies’ skin as they are vulnerable to blisters and rashes.
Make sure the baby clothes are washed before wearing them. They should be changed and cleaned regularly.
Natural Change
Right after birth, the skin of the baby, especially premature baby, is wrinkly. This is a protective layering called vernix.
You should not be alarmed about this as it falls off after the first week. If the baby is late or comes on the due date the peeling off process is usually finished in the womb.
Rounding Up Of Baby Skin Care
The arrival of a baby brings a lot of excitement in the life of the parents. With that also come many scary new things. It is natural for you, as parents, to worry about the skin health of your baby. But do not let your worry force you to use products that are, in turn, harmful for your babies’ skin.
When it comes to the skin of the baby, “less is more”. Do not go overboard with products and ointments and stick to the tips mentioned in this guide.
If any complication does occur, consult a professional baby skin specialist. We hope this guide on baby skincare will help you preserve that soft, sweet feel of your babies’ skin.
