Natural Skin Care for the Newborn

There are many skin care products that are being marketed as essential for your newborn. But it might surprise you to know that some experts believe that these baby skin care products may actually do more harm than good. This is due to the chemical content of many of them.

Chemicals shouldn’t come in contact with your baby as long as you can possibly avoid it. Let your baby’s skin mature without interference. This way, skin problems and irritations like allergies or eczema aren’t as likely to show up.

Basic skin care is generally enough for your baby. So avoid any kind of chemicals for the first month of your baby’s life. Indeed, in the first month of your baby’s life you really only need to use a soft cloth and some water. If your baby has thick hair, you can use a baby comb to clean it while bathing.

The Natural Way

Natural is the best way to go when approaching baby skin care. To follow a natural skin care routine, leave your baby’s skin untreated as much as you can.

After your baby’s birth, you might see a white, sticky coating on your baby’s skin. This is a natural moisturizer so don’t wipe it away. It should be allowed to penetrate the skin on its own.

If your baby is a preemie, it’s even more critical to completely avoid using these types of baby care products. The reason for this is that preemies have even more fragile skin than a full term baby. Don’t use any skin care products at all on your premature baby until after the original due date has passed.

Cleaning the Cord Area

Until the cord falls off, it’s important that you keep the area clean and dry. There is no need to use any powders or lotions on it. If the area gets dirty simply use a soft cloth and water to wipe it clean before patting dry.

If your baby is premature or sick then the skin care routine you should follow for keeping the cord clean may be different. An antiseptic product might be needed if there’s a risk of infection. Your pediatrician can help you out with advice on caring for the skin of a sick or premature baby.

Hold off on using baby wipes until after your baby’s first month. Make sure that the baby wipes you use are free of alcohol and fragrances. They need to be very mild. Moisturizers containing emollients are the best choice for a newborn.

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