5 Tips For Cuddelicious Baby Skin!

Soft, cuddly and cherubic – these are but a small sample of adjectives that can be used to describe little babies. Holding a sweet smelling bundle of joy cosily to your chest is indeed one of the simplest pleasures of life.

I became a mom last year and like every new mom out there I too was – and continue to be – obsessed with the well-being of my child. The initial years are so very important for a new-born’s emotional as well as physical growth and it also happens to be a period when the baby is rather fragile as her immune system is still developing. Therefore, extra care and caution has to be taken if we want our child to be hale and healthy.

One of the organs in the baby’s body that can easily get affected adversely is the skin. There is simply no denying the fact, that a baby’s skin is one of the smoothest and silkiest things that one will ever get the opportunity to experience! But the skin, which happens to be the largest organ in a human body, can also easily lose its dreamy softness if not taken care of properly. Along with proper nutrition, here are 5 tips to keep baby’s skin soft and supple throughout her growing years:

1.  I have come across a lot of mothers who are very concerned about the colour of the baby’s skin. If the baby is darker complexioned, they are always hunting for ways to make them fairer and if the baby happens to be fair, the mothers are worried about retaining the fairness, lest God forbid, she turns a shade darker! It is so sad to see even educated and intelligent women worry about something as silly and as inconsequential as a baby’s skin colour. Come on! First and foremost, please get out of this fancy for fairness and be happy with the colour of your child.

The baby’s skin colour depends on its genes and it is not going to magically change because of random creams, herbal poultices or medicines! However, you can retain the natural glow of a baby’s skin by giving regular oil massages to your baby. Massaging the baby is a lovely bonding activity between the mother and child with the additional benefit of soothing and calming the baby as well. Many mothers are hesitant to massage their babies as they fear that they are not competent enough. Fret not! You don’t have to be an expert masseuse to massage your baby. It is quite simple actually. All you have to do is to take a small quantity of good quality oil of your choice (Choose from coconut, olive or almond), warm it up ever so slightly, and massage into your babies skin gently. You can move your fingers in slow, circular movements over her body. If your baby is uncomfortable or doesn’t like what you are doing, don’t worry, she will let you know! You can also move her little legs in cycling movements to help relieve any colic pains. Once you get the hang of it, I assure you, both your baby and you will thoroughly enjoy and look forward to these relaxing massage session!

2.  For the first few months, always wash your baby’s new clothes in warm water and dry them completely before putting them on your baby. I learnt this lesson the hard way, when my baby developed rashes on her skin. New clothes are an easy way to introduce germs and bacteria to your baby’s skin. Since we have no idea about who has handled the clothes and for how long it has been stored, it is always better to be on the safe side and rinse new clothes before your child wears them. Further, try to stick to natural and breathable fabrics  such as cotton instead of synthetic materials such as nylon or polyester atleast in the initial months.

3.  Always use mild detergents to wash your baby’s clothes as well as hypoallergenic and sensitive soaps and shampoos for your baby. The chemicals in soaps and detergents can create a bad impact on the natural skin barrier of your baby and strip it off its natural protective oils. Make sure that no residual detergent remains on the baby’s clothes since it can be harmful to their gentle skins. If possible, try to use natural and freshly homemade body washes.

4.  It can be quite difficult for anyone to pass up the opportunity to carry, kiss and cuddle little babies. However, be warned that this is one of the most common ways that germs are transferred from one person to another. Apart from really close family members, it is advisable to politely discourage anybody else to kiss a new baby. If you are not bothered about offending people, you could also have a small bottle of hand sanitiser handy, and request people to either use it or wash their hands well before handling the baby. If at all possible, try to limit the number of visitors in the frst few weeks. For the first few weeks it is also a good idea to place the baby in a baby sleeping bag when handing over to visitors. This will prevent the baby from being handled by too many different sets of hands and will keep him comfortable and well protected, as even people with not too much experience with babies can easily and safely carry the baby in a sleeping bag.

5. Wetness can promote the growth of bacteria and also increases the chances of fungal infections. Always dry baby completely after a bath with a soft towel, paying close attention to the many folds in their pudgy arms and legs. Some people tend to douse the baby in  generous amount of baby powder thinking that the powder will absorb the excess moisture but please avoid using powder for baby as the tiny talc particles can cause breathing difficulties for baby if inhaled. 

Speaking of wetness, I cannot stress the importance of using good quality diapers. Good diapers go a long way in helping baby stay dry and clean, thereby eliminating the occurrence of diaper rash as well as helping baby stay comfortable. I use a combination of cloth diapers and Pampers disposable diapers for my little one – and so far, touchwood, she has not been troubled by diaper rashes. I started off with the newborn range and currently we have moved onto the pant style diapers. Pampers brings you the softest ever Pampers Premium Care Pants. Its cotton-like softness is #SoftestForBabySkin and allows it to breathe, thus keeping baby’s skin soft and healthy, and your baby happy. These are really easy to use and very convenient too. 

One tip is to apply some diaper rash cream or even Vaseline on your baby before putting on the diapers as this will create a protective shield for your baby’s skin. Pampers has made going out such a breeze! I don’t have to worry about leaks or diaper disasters at all! They keep baby dry and safe for quite a long time and I have never actually felt the need to even try any other brand of disposable diapers so far; why should I, when Pampers is pampering my baby enough!