How to care for the delicate skin of babies and children

When babies are newborn, the best thing is to leave their skin alone. The skin needs some time to settle into this new world, and applying any kind of moisturiser or product can interfere with this delicate process. When you bath the baby, use plain water. When you clean the nappy area, use luke-warm water on cotton wool.

Avoid baby wipes for as long as you can manage. Most baby wipes contain a lot of ingredients that are not useful for a baby’s skin, and can cause nappy rash and soreness. When you do introduce baby wipes, make sure you read teh ingredients list. Remember that babies do not need a daily bath, just wash the areas that get dirty daily. This practice lets the skin retain its natural moisture by not stripping it of oils.

There is no need to wash babies hair (other than rinsing it with water), and you can avoid hair washing for years to come. The hair will look just as beautiful and clean if you just rinse it with water. Imagine all the shampoo you will save, you will avoid any worries about shampoos with toxic ingredients and you will avoid the tears that inevitably come with when the shampoo stings your child’s eyes!

If you do want to start using products on your baby’s skin (this is not really necessary), then we suggest starting only after the baby is well past 3 months, and that you start carefully. Soap is still not necessary, but as the baby grows older, and the dirt gets more ingrained, you may find it necessary to use some soap. If so, use a mild and gentle soap (like castile soap), and rinse well.

We recommend you use pure oils to moisturise your baby’s skin. Sunflower oil is one of my favourites for little ones, because it is so nutritious, it absorbs well and it also moisturises deeply. Add to that some lavender essential oil, and you have a lovely moisturiser that will help calm the baby down too.  Make sure the sunflower oil is organic and cold pressed.

This moisturiser can last them until they are teenagers. If you want some freshness and change, other safe essential oils are mandarin and rose.