Baby Care
A baby provides some of life’s most precious joys. But along with the baby’s arrival are strings of great responsibilities – because the proper baby care goes beyond the usual hugs and kisses.
Taking care of a baby will open your eyes to the biggest challenges the world has to offer. And since mothers love their babies more than anyone or anything else, they’d go to great lengths just to give the best baby care possible.
One major thing to consider is ensuring a good health for the baby. Overall wellness will be influenced by the quality of the baby’s sleep, food, and his skin care. Although all mothers know how valuable these factors are, proper baby skin care is sometimes neglected.
Babies are small, fragile creatures -- and their skin is just as delicate too. Hence, mothers do not only think that skin cleansers and moisturizers are logical, but highly obvious as well. However, since a baby’s skin is a lot more sensitive than that of an adult’s, the ideal baby skin care products should be those that are very mild to prevent allergies, irritations, and other potential skin reactions.
It is alarming to find out though, that despite this requirement, a lot of the baby care products available in the market are anything but mild and gentle. If one is to look around the baby section, it is apparent that most of the products are heavily-scented. Further, it is also very obvious that these have come in various colors, meaning, they were added with coloring agents. If such products were as mild as they claim to be, they would not contain both fragrance and colors.
Manufacturers of these baby care products know all too well that mothers are generally fond of nice-smelling babies. Thus, this fact serves as the main marketing idea of the various companies. Even though additives, like scents and colors, are known to be potential triggers of allergies, manufacturers do not see enough motivation to take such ingredients out of their products.
When choosing a baby skin care product for your baby, avoid those that contain any of these: menthol, citrus, or peppermint. These are not only harmful to adults’ skin, but more so on babies’ skin. The basic skin care products for the baby should be the following: gentle cleanser, unscented wipes, gentle shampoo, lightweight and fragrance-free moisturizers, petroleum-based ointment for diaper rash, talc-free powder, and sunscreen containing UVA protection and an SPF of not less than 15.
Skin care for babies begins with the bath. Since a baby’s skin is very sensitive, daily baths are a must. It is important to ensure that the water used for bathing the baby is not so hot. Make sure that a towel is kept ready because babies tend to lose body heat fast.
Another important element in caring for the baby’s skin is constantly checking if the diaper is dry. Some babies wet a lot, requiring diaper changes more often than others. Also, cloth diapers need to be changed more often than the disposable type. Unscented wipes will help clean all areas of the baby’s bottom. Inadequate or improper cleaning can lead to the onset of diaper rash. Talcum-free powder, such as plain cornstarch can help prevent this. However, if rash has started to develop, ointment may be used to treat the affected area.
There are numerous baby care products which are continuously making their way into the market. However, just because they have “for babies” on their labels do not exactly mean they’re the smarter option. Loving our babies mean wanting the very best for them. So look beyond what’s superficial to get the better find.