As parents of a newborn, caring for your child can be so daunting, especially if it is your first baby. There is an infinite amount of new experiences to get your head around and being bombarded with a multitude of information from friends, family, books, websites and forums doesn’t make it feel any easier or familiar! One of the most nerve-wracking experiences can be bath time and making sure your baby’s skin is protected and nourished, so here are our top five tips for looking after your precious newborn baby’s skin.
Daily Baths Are Not Necessary
This may not be what your mum or grandmother told you, but bathing your baby on a daily basis is not really necessary. They do not need to be washed everywhere, especially with soaps or shampoos every day as this can potentially have the opposite desired effect and dry their skin out. A sponge bath every few days is more than enough to get your newborn baby used to the water, cleaned up and snuggled up ready for bed.
Don’t Neglect Sensitive Areas
It can be easy to overlook potentially sensitive areas, but remember to look after your baby’s bum, and especially keep a look out for the early signs of nappy rash. Make sure nappies are changed frequently, especially if soiled. Ensure the area is always clean before putting a new nappy on and try and leave a nappy off for a short time between changes so it can be naturally air-dried as well.
Sun Protection
Keep your newborn out of direct sunlight for the first few weeks of their life. Sun can be extremely damaging to their skin and should be avoided for your baby’s first 6 months wherever possible. You can get sun protection cream for young babies so if you are planning on going on holiday or being in the sun with your baby, be sure to choose a sunscreen with both UVA and UVB protection.
Use Hypo Allergenic Laundry Detergent & Softener
This may be obvious but if you don’t already use hypo allergenic detergent and softener, now is the time to switch. Laundry detergents and softeners are often linked to skin conditions like eczema and allergic reactions, so by proactively choosing hypo allergenic versions you will hopefully minimise or completely avoid these issues.
Moisturise
It’s well known that we need to moisturise to look after our skin, and the same applies to infants. There are so many different brands of baby moisturiser on the market today, so it can be a bit of trial and error to work out which brand is best for your baby. Organic baby moisturiser is a great choice if you are concerned about any potential reactions to chemicals and parabens in skincare products and Pitta Patta has a fantastic organic moisturiser which is great for newborns, babies and toddlers. With calming Roman chamomile and soothing lavender essential oils, it not only looks after your baby’s skin but their overall emotional wellbeing too.
For more top tips on caring for your newborn, and to see the full range of organic baby skincare products from Pitta Patta, visit their website www.pittapatta.com today.
