For the first 12 months of your baby's life it is important to keep your baby safe from the dyes, deodorants, preservatives, and additives found in many bar soaps. Before your baby starts eating solid food, the baby's skin actually will not secrete sweat and oils with the same smell as adult sweat. In adults, sweat actually serves as a pathway of removing toxins from the body-and often those toxins can generate odors that require deodorants and other chemical treatments. Because your baby is not eating or drinking chemicals, preservatives, and other toxins that adults often ingest in prepared foods and drinks, your baby will not need bathing as much as an adult.
In fact, one of the most common causes for rashes and irritation to the skin is bathing babies too much. According to the Mayo Clinic you should only give your baby a bath with baby soap several times per week, and baby soap may only be needed in areas prone to sweat, such as under the arm and between the legs. Even the American Academy of Pediatrics makes a recommendation that babies under twelve months old be bathed only two (maximum of three) times a week for the first year. The key to keeping your babies skin healthy is not bathing your new child too much. Also, you should always be cautious not to scrub your baby's tender skin, as doing so can remove the natural beneficial oils, leading to dryness and irritation.
When you do bath your baby, you should use mild natural soap bars with limited colorants, dyes, preservatives, and other chemicals. Many companies make baby bar soap as well as liquid soaps that are specifically designed to be mild on your baby's skin, but there is no replacement for being gentle in the bath. You should use a soft sponge (preferable a natural soap sponge) with soap that has a mild lather. Too much lather may feel great on adult skin, but too many of those little cleaning bubbles can actually be harsh, removing too much of the natural oil even with minimal scrubbing.
Natural soaps are the best choice for babies and infants because they are naturally milder and have medium lather. Many natural soaps contain sunflower oil, which has been shown to improve the skin of preterm infants, who are even more prone to moisture loss and sensitive skin issues than healthy babies. Researchers at Dhaka Shishu Hospital claim "Our findings confirm that skin application of sunflower seed oil provides protection against nosocomial infections in preterm very low birthweight infants". Plus natural soap bars are better for adult and baby skin because they contain essential oils and vitamins that help to keep skin healthy.
I recommend choosing a natural soap bar, as liquid soaps either do not last long or contain preservative chemicals. When using soap bars it is important to keep the soap on a tray, so that it does not stay wet between uses, which can allow diffusion of beneficial compounds out of the soap (or worse, impurities from the surroundings into the soap). It is only best to use the bar soap just for your baby, to avoid other impurities that may build up on use soap.
Like any product for your baby, baby bar soap should be tested before use. After all, even if neither parent has allergies to a particular substance, your child can-and your baby's skin is much more sensitive to allergens than adult skin. Before use of any baby bar soap, be sure to test the are with a small amount of soap, wash completely and wait 24 hours. If a reaction occurs, do not use the soap any more-try a new soap, or gently cleanse with water or baby wipes. Most importantly, if a rash or reaction does occur, treat it properly and discontinue soap use until it heals completely.
If used properly, a natural bar soap-one without unnatural fragrances, dyes, or chemicals-is the best baby bar soap. These exist in a great number of varieties, including soaps that contain natural fragrances such as lavender or fruit extracts, cream or goats milk, and even natural cleansing materials such as oatmeal and grains. Finding the perfect soap for baby is just a step away.
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