It should come as no surprise that baby’s skin requires some special care to maintain its health. In humans, the skin is the largest organ in the entire human body and, in some ways, is one of the most important. So how do you make sure that your newborn’s skin receives the proper treatment it requires? Below you will find a few tips to help you with newborn skin care.
Bathing Frequency
While it may be tempting to wash your baby every day, you should remember that babies don’t get that dirty overall. They are not working out or doing household chores that would necessitate frequent bathing. In fact, bathing too frequently removes oils from your newborn’s skin that naturally protect the skin. As a result, it is recommended that infants only be bathed two or three times per week for the first year of their life as a part of healthy newborn skin care. However, there are exceptions for the mouth and diaper areas which require more frequent cleanings such as after meals or during diaper changes.
Pay Attention to Folds
Newborns tend to keep themselves as compact as possible by drawing appendages in close to their core. While this is perfectly natural for a baby, it can also mean that their skin folds can hold moisture from baths or sweat. Moisture in a baby’s skin folds forms a perfect breeding ground for bacteria so keeping these areas clean is a crucial part of newborn skin care. Additionally, it is easy to get food trapped in some of these folds like those in the neck area. Ultimately, the bacteria or trapped food may lead to rashes, redness, chaffing, or peeling of the skin.
Baby Powder
While this aspect of newborn skin care may be counter-intuitive, the latest recommendations suggest you avoid using baby powder. The main reason you should prevent the use of baby powder is that it is inherently made of extremely fine particles that your child can inhale causing damage to their lungs. When trying to keep your child’s diaper area dry, opt for a soft towel instead of powder. However, if you must use baby powder, make sure you apply it to your hands as far away from the baby as safely possible and that you remove excess powder from your hands before applying a thin layer to your child’s skin.