Bathing your baby and keeping them clean is very important, but the way that they bathe is very different from adults. If you get your bath time routine wrong, you could cause problems with skin sensitivity and upset your baby unnecessarily, especially if they don’t like bath time very much. If you are a little unsure whether you are bathing your baby correctly, here are a few simple tips to keep in mind.
Only Bathe Them 2-3 Times Per Week
Most adults have a bath or shower once a day, sometimes more if they have a physically demanding job or get dirty throughout the day. However, babies are different, and they don’t get dirty enough to need daily bathing. Bathing them too often can upset their skin because you’re washing away natural oils and causing it to dry out. On average, you should give your baby a full bath 2 or 3 times a week. If you are cleaning them properly when you change them, you shouldn’t need to bathe them any more than that. Just use a damp cloth to clean them between baths.
Use the Right Products
Babies have sensitive skin, so you need to be careful about the products you use when washing them. If you use harsh soaps, you can cause rashes and redness, which is very uncomfortable for your baby. When choosing baby products, it’s always a good idea to go for ones with natural ingredients. Products that use a few simple, naturally derived ingredients are far less likely to damage your baby’s skin. Remember, all babies are different, so it’s good to do a small test patch with any new products, just to make sure. If you find that a product is causing any skin issues, stop using it right away and swap it for something else.
Clean Their Eyes Separately
Cleaning your baby’s eyes is very important because they get a build-up of gunk that can cause problems. However, most babies don’t like having their eyes cleaned and they’ll probably kick up a bit of a fuss. If you try to clean their eyes during bath time, they may get upset and this can create a bad relationship with the bath from a young age. You must make bath time fun for your baby, so they are comfortable with being cleaned. So, you should clean their eyes separately with a cotton wool bud and some lukewarm water.
Pat Them Dry
Being too rough when you dry your baby can damage skin and cause dryness and cracking. To avoid this, make sure you use a nice soft cotton towel, and most importantly, pat them dry.
Muslin Bath Towels are an excellent choice, as their gentle texture not only protects your baby's skin but also dries them quickly without any roughness.
Instead of vigorously rubbing their skin, gently pat them dry. However, make sure that you still dry them properly, especially in the folds of their skin, and around the groin and armpit areas. Excess moisture in these areas can cause the skin to become cracked and painful, so even though you are patting them dry, you still need to be thorough.
Keep these tips in mind and bath time with your baby will be an absolute breeze.
