How To Care For Your Baby's Super Soft And Delicate Skin! - Mom Story
From the moment my daughter was born on March 2016, I have not been able to stop myself from kissing her and gently pulling her soft cheeks or tickling her and running my fingers over her soft skin, which always makes her giggle. I could not believe how soft my baby's skin was. My heart leaps upon hearing that sweet laughter. Having a daughter was a dream come true for both my husband and I. We both have a very supportive family who love us and our daughter Baby N immensely. When I was pregnant, I took great care of myself. I indulged in healthy eating and also travelled to places that my husband and I had on our bucket list before the baby’s arrival. I am very particular about my skin care regimen and I wanted my baby to have soft and supple skin. Most of my friends who already had a baby often spoke about the various skin care products that they used for their little ones. There were so many brands available in the market that at one point of time, I was confused as to what to buy and what to leave behind on the shelves. Each brand promised to make the skin of a baby softer and smoother. But isn't a baby born with cotton soft skin? In some way, it is the environment that makes the skin dry once the babies are exposed to our surroundings. Although I had many doubts, I was sure about one thing - I wanted my baby's skin to stay soft and supple. Before birth, the babies are kept cosy and warm inside the womb. They are protected and so is their fragile skin. The moment they are born, they can recognize the touch of their mother - that is the special bond that mothers have with their babies. Babies feel safe and secure when they are in physical contact with their mothers. However they take time to adapt to their surroundings as it is something extremely new for them. For me, it was the constant cuddling and kissing my baby as much as possible that created a very special bond between me and my daughter. My Baby N was born and it was the happiest day of our lives. She was and still is a very cheerful baby, social and friendly with everyone, has her shares of tantrums but still laughs even while crying. When she was born, my baby's skin was extremely soft and supple just like it is for all babies. But after a few days her skin started to become dry. After a few weeks her skin developed some dry white patches. I was concerned because we were taking a lot of care for her and her skin. We were using raw milk, coconut oil, olive oil to keep her skin moisturised. When we went to our paediatrician, she assured us that the white patches are nothing to be concerned about as they are because of the dry weather that is making the skin lose its moisture. She told us that baby’s skin loses moisture much faster than adult skin as baby’s skin has a very thin outer layer. She gave an ointment to apply and after a few days my baby’s skin started to normalize. I learnt that moisturising the skin is the best way to help the baby keep that softness intact.
Things I learned that helped keep my baby’s skin soft
#1. Massaging the baby
We all massage our babies, whether to comfort them, build their muscles or simply to moisturise their skins. Baby massages have proved to be the most beneficial activity over the years - not to forget the special bond that it builds between a mother and her baby. For me too, massaging my baby was a daily routine before giving her a bath. I picked an oil which had Vitamin E as its key content. My choice for this was Johnson’s baby oil with Vitamin E. The Vitamin E is the key content which helps the baby’s skin by keeping it safe, nourished and moisturised for long.The best part about using this was that it did not feel sticky on the skin and yet it kept her skin soft. The oil is so light that it can used in all weathers - summers and winters.#2. Bath time
This was a fun time for me and Baby N because she loves water and loves her baths. I always gave her a bath with lukewarm water, not only during the winters but also during the summer season. Since we did a massage before a bath, some moisture was sealed in her skin and she did not lose it while bathing. For the bath we used a soap free baby wash that was gentle on her skin. A soap free formula helps maintain that sensitive skin of a baby without drying the skin.#3. Shampoo time
I can proudly say that my Baby N has been blessed with long, curly locks. We always have the habit of oiling our hair before shampooing and it was the same routine that we followed and still do with Baby N. There is a Saturday oiling session so that Sunday we can have a nice head bath. Again I was looking for a mild shampoo and Johnson’s No More Tears lived by its name. There were ‘no tears’ especially while shampooing and it was more of an enjoyable moment with the slight massage that I did for her. The fragrance of the shampoo is so mild and very baby-like which was another plus point for me.#4. After bath moisture
This is a strict routine that needs to be followed for all babies. No matter how much you moisturise their skin before a bath, it will tend to dry out a little. An after bath moisturising cream or a lotion will help the babies skin be soft and smooth. While summers have babies sweating, monsoons may have their skin become very different and winters will make them dry. So an after bath moisture routine is necessary in all seasons. In summers they will want to play longer in water. During winters I always ensured that my baby’s room is warm so that when I wrap her in her warm towel and bring her out she doesn’t catch the chill or cold. When looking for a good lotion and moisturiser, my prayers were answered in the form of Johnson's Baby Lotion and Baby Milk Cream. Both these products are free from harmful chemicals and dyes.#5. Laundry time
It is true that babies have sensitive skin. Thus, whatever clothes we make the baby and toddlers wear should be washed properly and made sure that there is no residual soap left on the clothes. The laundry detergent to be used for babies should be able to remove the dirt without harming the fabric. It should also be gentle on the clothes. If not then fabric allergies can occur and cause rashes on the babies skin as well. The detergents used should be free of phosphate, colorant, bleach and fluorescent. For me it was Johnson’s Active clean that contains the extracts of green tea and is developed with dermatologists. Thus it makes sure that it is mild and gentle on the baby’s clothes.#6. Nappy Pads
I have always wanted my Baby N to be potty trained and the moment I used to get back from work I used to remove her diapers and let her roam around in bloomers and nappy pads. Thus I chose Johnson’s nappy pads for my baby. These Nappy pads are delicate on the baby’s skin and help in locking the moisture. They also have special adhesive which help in keeping the pad safe and intact. These were comfortable for my baby and even my mom in law was happy that we are using less diapers now.#7. During Travels
Travel is what we love and so does our Baby N. Even on weekends we love to go out to new places, food joints and parks. This exposes our baby to a lot of dirt and pollution outside. Even the sun’s rays play a major role in changing baby’s skin. A baby’s skin is thin and is prone to damage. Eating is what we enjoy as a family and we cannot always find a source of water to wash our hands properly. Thus I always carry Johnson’s wipes which are essential to remove the dirt from my little one’s tiny hands. I highly recommend it as it is free from alcohol and is mild when I use it on my baby's skin. Wipe off the dirt from hands and face and use a little Johnson’s baby cream for the moisture to be intact and then you are good to go again. Caring for your baby is different for every mom. While I have used certain brands of products here, some might use other brands and would be comfortable with them. All mothers do whatever is best in the interest of their babies. Try out the various products and skin care regimes and use what suits you and your baby the most.null
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