Newborn baby skin smells beautifully, it’s soft, scrumptious and super lovable, but it’s very delicate in the early weeks, and something that needs to be treated and loved carefully.
Not only are newborn babies prone to nappy rash, cradle cap, eczema and irritation, it’s completely normal for baby to have peeling and dry skin during the first month of their life. To keep baby happy, comfortable and to prevent additional irritation from occurring, here are our top tips for how to care for delicate, newborn skin.
Prewash Babies Clothes
It’s good practice to pre wash all of babies new clothes before they arrive with a non bio detergent or an alternative that carries no fragrance. Washing their clothes beforehand will eliminate the risk factor of any potential store borne irritants that could upset their skin.
Non Fragranced Body Lotions & Wipes
Less is more with the items you wash and nourish your babies skin with. Always opt for fragrance free and kind to skin baby wipes where possible, alcohol based wipes can cause irritation in baby. You can’t go wrong with keeping things nice and simple, if babies skin is red, broken and inflamed then it could be something more than irritation such as an underlying skin condition like eczema. Always seek medical advice and they will advise you of the best course of action in treating babies skin with the right products.
Limit Baths
Newborn babies do not need daily baths, in the newborn stage a few baths every week is enough and you can spot clean in between as necessary. The top layer of their skin is very delicate when they’re born and excessive baths can break down the skins natural barrier, causing it to dry out and become irritated. When it is time for bath time, anything up to 10 minutes is adequate, that or before baby gets too cold!
Get The Temperature Right!
Bathwater that is too warm can speed up the loss of moisture from the skins protective layer, and water that is too cold could put babies health at risk and your ear drums, we promise you do not want to try this at home! Bath time can be a cold and scary experience to start with anyway, so make sure the bath water is at an adequate temperature between 36-37 degrees. A temperature probe that floats in the water will help you to get the temperature just right.
Drying & Changing
When you are drying them after a bath or wiping them down during changing make sure that they are completely dry before putting them back into their clothes. Areas of skin that are slightly wet can become irritated and itchy for baby. When drying baby try to pat their skin rather than rubbing as this will help to keep their delicate skin calm and without irritation.
Be Careful In The Sun
It goes without saying that babies are incredible sensitive to the sun. They produce less melanin at this age so they need to be adequately protected at all times. Always coat baby in a high factor SPF on any area of their body that is exposed, including the backs of their hands and ears. Dress them in cool, but protective clothing, and a wide brimmed hat to keep the sun and heat off their face.
We hope you found our tips helpful for keeping babies newborn delicate skin comfortable, calm and happy! Keep up to date with the latest news from BabyDam over on our Facebook page, Instagram or Twitter!
