Natural baby skin care tips: A How-to on caring for new skin

You've just had a baby and you’re madly in love. Yes, becoming a parent for the first time is overwhelmingly wonderful – but sometimes it can be just plain overwhelming! There feels like a million things to remember. If you’re second-guessing yourself, you are not alone. We all feel this way sometimes!

If one of the things you’ve been wondering about it how to take care of baby skin, this helpful guide is for you. We show you how to make the most of your natural baby care products – and how to keep your bubba’s delicate skin scrumptiously soft and soothed.

GET THE MOST FROM YOUR NATURAL BABY SKIN CARE
It’s important to do your research to determine what’s in your baby skin care. You’ll want to look for gentle, proven ingredients that don’t have a question mark over them in terms of suitability for caring for fragile baby skin. More and more parents are choosing natural baby skin care for its ability to safely care for delicate new skin without the use of synthetics or irritants.

But maybe you’re wondering how much product to use and how often. Read on for our best baby skin care tips!

BATH TIME CARE
Before babies can crawl and eat solids, they don’t tend to get that messy. For this reason, it’s quite okay to bathe your little one three times a week. Some newborns really don’t enjoy bath time and so removing that daily stress from your life might be a welcome relief. Rest assured that three baths a week is fine. On the in between days, a little top and tail clean with a warm wash cloth or cotton balls is all that’s required. Or you might like to try a shower with your bub – the rhythmic feeling of the spray falling on their little back could be soothing – just be sure the water isn’t aimed directly at their face! A soft organic wash cloth with one small pump of your favourite natural baby wash is all that’s needed to gently cleanse bub’s skin.

Does your baby love the bath? If so, daily bathing is fine – but any more than once a day can cause that scrumptious skin to dry out. Some babies really find the bath soothing and so this can be a beautiful way to wind down before bed each night.

Look for a gentle chemical free bath wash that won’t strip delicate skin of naturally occurring oils that help keep it supple and healthy. In a small, portable baby bath, use just a single pump of product. As your little one gets older and uses an actual bath, you may want to add two pumps and use your hand to swirl the water around to produce some lovely, natural bubbles.

Most baby washes also double as baby shampoo, too. You may like to use an additional small pump to cleanse little locks if bub’s hair is particularly thick.

AFTER BATH CARE
Keeping your baby’s skin well moisturised is the first step in keeping dry skin and eczema at bay. We recommend applying moisturiser every day – and it’s especially effective after bath time. Gently towel dry your bub (pat, don’t rub) and then, when the skin is still slightly damp, use your favourite natural baby moisturiser. This is the best way to lock essential moisture into the skin. We recommend using your chosen cream liberally – you want to cover bub’s whole body, concentrating on areas that are prone to dryness like elbows, knees and little feet. Don’t forget to moisturise under bub’s chin (or chins!) – it can help with dribble rash.

On days when you’re not bathing your bub, you might like to apply moisturiser during a baby massage. This is gorgeously relaxing for bub and a beautiful way for you to bond. And it ensures baby’s skin stays hydrated and nourished.

Every little body is different and what works for some babies may not work for others. Using a 100% natural, gentle baby moisturiser with no harsh fragrances can help to avoid a reaction. And to make your products go further, look for baby moisturiser that does not use water (aqua) as its main ingredient. Water has no benefit when topically applied and can actually be drying to delicate and sensitive skin. A gentle baby cream with Aloe vera as its base ingredient is extra-soothing, meaning you’ll probably use less.

EXTRA CARE AND MAINTENANCE
Is eczema an issue for your family? Then you’ll want to step up the daily moisturising to at least twice and possibly even three times a day. Sensitive, eczema-prone skin really needs that extra TLC as dry skin is especially vulnerable to irritation. Keeping moisture in the skin at optimal levels allows the skin to heal itself. Try moisturising before dressing bub in the morning, after a midday nappy change and then before bed, either after a bath or during a lovely, wind-down massage.

If you notice bub has a dry skin flare up, try an extra-soothing cream on irritated patches. A cream with shea butter is ideal as it delivers extra moisture to the skin whilst still allowing it to breathe.

And remember that with baby skin care, maintenance is everything. Try to avoid only moisturising when you notice dryness – you’ll end up in a never-ending cycle of trying to soothe inflamed or itchy skin. A daily skin care routine for your little bub is the key to maintaining skin health. As bub gets older, involve them in the process of applying cream – this way you’re setting up great skin care habits for life.

GIVE NATURAL BABY SKIN CARE A GO
If your little one has had ongoing reactions to various baby skin care products, we recommend trialling a truly natural baby skin care brand. To give it a really good chance to work, it’s important to try using these products exclusively for at least two weeks to determine whether they are a better fit for your precious bub’s skin.

Again, every little body is different. Sometimes it takes a little trial and error to discover what is right for your family. And of course, if you’re seeing a doctor about your baby’s skin, we recommend checking in with them before making any changes to your usual routine.