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MNN.COM›Community Blogs›

marthyvp's Blog

Keep Your Baby's Skin Smooth and Clean with Organic Skin Care Products

By marthyvp
Mon, Jun 15 2009 at 4:03 PM EST

When you bring home your new bundle of joy, you bring home a huge responsibility. That little one is relying on you to care for her in every way. Before you rub that baby lotion on her soft, delicate skin, you need to learn a little bit about organic skin care.

Why Organic Skin Care for Babies Is Important

Babies have very soft, sensitive skin. Not only that, but a baby's skin is five times as thin as an adult's skin. This means the products you put on your baby's skin are absorbed into her body, and often quite quickly.

If you read your bottle of baby lotion, do you know what most of the ingredients are? Unless you have an organic or all-natural product, you probably don't. Most common baby products are full of synthetic chemicals, such as sodium lauryl sulfate and triethanolamine. If you cannot pronounce an ingredient, do you really want it to go into your baby's body?

To date there has not been enough research into the long-term effects of exposing babies to these products. We do know that some petroleum-based products contain waxes that coat the skin. This inhibits the skin's natural ability to exchange moisture, which can lead to irritation and discomfort. It is possible that the other synthetic products that are being constantly absorbed into the tiny bodies of most babies are leading to serious diseases in the child's future.

The good news is that there are alternatives to the traditional baby care products. Organic baby care products can be found that do not contain these potentially dangerous chemicals. By turning to nature to care for your baby, you will protect her from potential health hazards that have not yet been discovered.

Tips for Organic Skin Care

If you are committed to caring for your baby's skin organically, there are a few things you need to keep in mind. Your goal in the first six months of your baby's life should be to use as few skin are products as possible. This is not always easy to abide by, because newborns seem to get a lot of rashes. Resist the urge to run to the drug store and buy some baby cream the first time you notice a rash on your baby's skin. Chances are it is harmless and is not causing your baby any discomfort.

If you do need to use products to help your baby with a rash or other skin problem, choose single-ingredient organic products first. For instance, you can use pure shea butter to moisturize baby's skin. This will allow you to watch for allergies. Since these are single-ingredient products, you will know what caused the allergy.

You may feel that you need to bathe your baby every day. This is actually bad for your baby's skin. A bath two or three times a week is sufficient, and too much bathing could cause your baby's skin to dry out.

Keep your baby away from the sun. Use hats and protective clothing when you are outdoors. Remember, there is no safe sunscreen to use on an infant, so you must keep your baby covered.

After your baby has reached the six-month milestone, add other organic skin care products to his hygiene regimen. Read all labels to make sure that the product is truly natural and organic. Watch your baby closely for signs of an allergy whenever you try something new. Even with organic skin care products, there could be some ingredient that your baby has a sensitivity to.

Once you establish a good skin care routine for your baby, stick to it. Do not let other people or caregivers use products on your baby that you are uncomfortable with. Remember, it is your responsibility to protect your little one, so start from day one with organic skin care for babies.
 

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