Baby Skin Care - Tips and Suggestions

<< Baby Skin Care

Clothes, Blankets and Towels

A good place to begin with taking care of your baby’s skin is to make sure to wash all of your baby’s clothes, towels, blankets etc., with mild soaps or detergents – particularly before the first use (be wary of the term ‘hypoallergenic’ as the use of such a label doesn’t necessarily mean the product is any less likely to cause an allergic reaction than regular products). An extra rinse can also help to remove any irritants from the detergents that the fabric may cling to.

Bathing Newborns

It is not necessary to bathe your baby too often as the only areas that generally are very dirty are around the face and head, and around the diaper area. Keep these areas clean and you only need to bathe your baby once every other day, or even twice a week will do.

Make sure when you are cleaning your baby to get into all the little wrinkles and folds to make sure that you clean the skin thoroughly.

When bathing, try to work to the same routine (i.e. just before bedtime, or just before feeding) so that your baby can get used to it. This helps in that your baby is hopefully likely to be calmer thus enabling you to wash and tend to his/her skin care with greater ease.

Give your baby’s skin some breathing room. Where possible, clothe him/her with loose-fitting clothes or, better still, allow your baby to have a little ‘naked time’ to let the air get to your baby’s skin. Be especially vigilant for signs that your baby might be getting too hot, as heat rash is a common complaint for babies.

When drying your baby off, make sure to pad the skin dry instead of rubbing it dry. Hooded baby bath towels are perfect for this as you can wrap your baby up immediately and then softly pad him/her dry.

Taking Baby Outdoors

If you decide to take your baby outdoors, make sure to keep as much of the skin covered as possible, and use the stroller hood, or put a floppy hat on your baby, to keep the sunlight off their face.

Once your baby is past the age of 6 months you can consider using a sun block (maximum protection) and apply it to any exposed areas of your baby’s skin. Again, it is a good idea to test a small sample of the product on a small area of your baby’s skin to see if there is any reaction to the product at all (on the wrist is a good place).

When applying the lotion to your baby’s skin, make sure to use small amounts and ensure that there is no residue that the baby can get onto his/her fingers and subsequently into the eyes or mouth.

If you do take your baby out into the sunlight, and even if he/she has a liberal coating of sunscreen, it’s best not to leave them out there too long and try not to be out during the hottest part of the day.