Can You Use Everyday Oil On Infants?
Yes! Everyday Oil blends are certified microbiome-friendly for infant skin! Even though essential oils are safe for young children in the proper dilutions, we feel they are a bit too strong for newborns and babies and recommend our most gentle Baseline blend for the littlest ones and babies under 2 years old. As always, do what you feel is right for your family!
Friend and amazing human, Morgan Miller is midwife and founder of Soft Corner Midwifery who’s seen her fair share of baby skin, chimes in on best ways to care for new-to-the-world baby skin :)
What is the best way to care for a newborn's skin?
Newborn skin is so very clever. I recommend keeping things as simple as possible. Newborns go through this wild journey from recently being little water-creatures swimming in amniotic fluid to their skin quickly adjusting to being in the air. Their microbiome continues to build and balance, so the more you can do to support that, the better! This can look like lots of skin-to-skin time with newborn parents to share their healthy developed microbiomes. It also means reducing exposures to things that might not be so supportive of that fresh microbiome. You’ll want to stick to very simple products in laundry detergents and even consider simplifying your personal body product routine.
How often should I bathe my baby?
Generally newborns aren’t stinky, especially in the beginning. That being said, as your baby chunks up, you may find that they get really good at hiding dribbled milk in their creases and suddenly that oh-so-cute double chin starts to reek of curdled cheese. That's a great time to bathe your baby! This is another time to keep things as simple as possible, even just using warm water.
What products are safe and recommended for baby's skin?
The simpler the better! We want products that don’t have irritation and support boosting that healthy microbiome for your little one. You should be able to pronounce and understand every ingredient in a body product. You’ll want to make sure that the product “breathes” and isn’t too emollient that it locks in bacteria and moisture. Sometimes balms and lotions are so thick that they can actually create warm, wet, bacteria breeding environments. Nobody wants to fuel the fire of a diaper rash and candida or thrush rashes on little ones are pretty tricky to handle, but a great way to avoid them is making sure that their skin has a healthy moisture balance… not too dry, not too wet. We love Baseline for all these reasons.
What are common skin conditions in newborns, and how can I recognize them?
As new babes acclimate to “being on the outside” their skin takes a bit of time to adjust. It’s super common for their skin to peel in the first few weeks. They kind of turn into little lizards and slough off that first layer of skin that was water logged in utero. Sometimes in the transition seasons of fall and spring in particular, peeling ankles and wrists can become a bit chapped and even bleed a bit. We recommend using a super simple coconut oil product to help balance that moisture and not disrupt the microbiome.
Newborn acne often shows up in the first month. It's really wild stuff and can be pretty dramatic looking as your newborn adjusts to hormone fluctuations, especially if they are eating human milk (they get hormones from that too!). It is totally normal and generally fades away in about a week. For whatever reason and hilariously, I most often see newborn acne really peak as soon as family’s book their newborn photo shoot! Best practice with those teeny tiny pimples is to resist the urge to pick and just stay hands off. They sort it out themselves fairly quickly.
How can I manage common skin issues like diaper rash or cradle cap?
The dreaded diaper rash! We see a ton of people prep for newborns with a slew of ointments and balms for their baby’s booty at their diaper changing station. Funny enough though, we often see that those diaper balms are the root of the problem from why a baby gets a diaper rash. Diaper rash is generally skin getting irritated from being wet for prolonged periods of time. Depending on what type of diapers you use or the personality of your baby and how often they like their diapers changed, you may find the diaper rash struggle more or less present. If and when it does show up, we recommend going back to basics and offering that tender skin some drying time with oxygen. Naked-time or air-time makes a huge difference on regulating moisture on that skin. So if you throw a towel down (your baby is likely going to poop and pee all over the place) and get in a cozy warm room every so often, their bottoms will really appreciate it! Zinc-based ointments are also incredibly effective. We’re big fans of the classic Butt-paste.
Cradle cap is usually a scaly patch of skin on newborn scalps. Our favorite supportive care for this as newborns work out this normal skin adjustment, is using a small bit of coconut oil with a fine soft baby brush to lightly (very lightly) flake off the crusty bits. This skin condition also takes a few days to weeks to totally resolve, so it's all about being patient.
Is baby massage good for skin health and bonding?
I’m a huge advocate for baby massage. It's such a lovely treat for parents and babies. Using a simple based product to simply moisturize your baby's skin after a bath can end up doing so much more. Lymphatic flow, expanding and sharing microbiomes and immune strength, and of course irreplaceable bonding time!
What should I do if my baby develops a rash?
Newborn skin is really reactive as it sorts out how to exist in this world. That’s why we recommend keeping things that come in contact with your newborn simple and with ingredients you understand. If you notice your newborn may have a skin irritation, try to pinpoint if it has come in contact with something irritating. Sometimes it’s even grandma’s sweater or perfume… Once we remove that irritating contact, their skin should calm down fairly quickly. If it is persistent or comes with any temperature, breathing, or affect changes in your newborn, you should absolutely consult with a provider.
Thanks, Morgan ~ we love you!
