Baby Bath Products

Skin Care for Newborns – Less Is More

There are five kinds of Baby Bath Products very commonly used Here is what you need to know about each of them.

1.    Soap

Tepid Water is the best thing to bath baby with but there will be times when a small amount of mild soap may be needed. Avoid using any form of antibacterial soap and only use very plain mild soaps with the possible inclusion of some containing coconut, palm or olive oil. It is important after using soap to add oils back into baby’s skin by gently massaging with soothing lotions possibly containing coconut or sesame oils and maybe the herbal extracts from arnica or calendula.

2.    Bubble Baths

The use of bubble baths is definitely not recommended for very young babies and not really recommended for children at all. The detergents and surfactants in these products (which break down the water tension and allow the forming of such good bubbles) also strip oils from baby’s skin and destroy baby’s natural skin protection as well as removing beneficial bacteria and other skin folia. There are mandatory warnings on these products as an indicator that authorities are concerned with their overuse. Add a couple of drops of lavender oil to the bath water if you must have a scented baby.

3.    Shampoos

If your baby has lots of thick hair then an occasional shampoo may be needed but unless your baby has lots of oily hair it won’t need shampooing very often. When you do use shampoo be careful that you only use very mild shampoos. People get carried away with the chemicals that shampoos may contain without realising that those same chemicals are very often used in the bubble bath and soap that they use every day. Just be sure and use shampoo infrequently, only when necessary.

4.    Lotions and Oils

Once again less is better, if you are massaging your baby’s skin to help relieve irritation be sure to use only those oils which are not petroleum based and which have very mild soothing additives. Chamomile and aloe are recognised with a long history as being mild and have a soothing moisturising effect on skin and have safely been used in baby lotions for a long time.

5.    Baby Powder

Most baby powders are irritants to the skin or bat least contain tiny particles which can cause irritation to the skin and many have perfumes and other irritants. Use only scent free powder made from cornstarch or bentonite clay not talc as there is current debate as to wether talc is safe for babies. (There is some concern that it may be carcinogenic and definite concern that inhalation of the fine particles does cause hospitalization of hundred of babies each year.)

Keeping baby dry by frequent changing and allowing fresh air to get to baby’s bottom helps reduce the likelihood of diaper rash and zinc oxide, chamomile and even mothers breast milk are all better treatments than powder. Avoid products like petroleum jelly which just trap moisture against baby’s skin making the irritation worse.

Conclusion You travel in uncharted waters with regard to what Baby Bath Products contain. As with adult topical products (those applied to the skin – not ingested inside the body) there are few restrictions and little regulation.

Products may not contain those products which are definitely considered dangerous by health authorities but that does not mean that some of the ingredients may not cause irritation to some baby’s skin.

Balancing that also realise that the major companies have an enormous amount at stake and will usually be very careful with the formulation of their products. Major companies have access to huge research laboratories and test facilities. The ingredients they use and the products they produce are carefully quality controlled.

The small operators may not have the research facilities available to formulate their products nor the resources to quality control to the same extent. And they may be inclined to take more risk.

And don’t be fooled into thinking that all “natural” products are good for baby. Some of the harshest chemicals known to man are actually natural products; you just need to keep them away from baby’s skin.

Just remember that baby’s skin is softer and thinner and more easily penetrated by any harmful chemicals than an adult’s skin. Remembering also that many of the damaging chemicals may be entirely natural, and that baby really only needs a gentle Bath with pure water once every few days.

When it comes to Baby Bath Products less is better.