Introduction
Once your newborn is home, pretty much everything revolves around your little one. Babies are adorable with their tiny hands and legs, chubby cheeks, and soft, delicate skin. But only parents know the real pain of a crying infant whose skin is hurting either because of rashes or allergies.
Though we make a great effort monitoring babies’ food to ensure they are getting adequate nourishment, you also have to nourish their skin from the outside. And this is not as complex as it sounds. By adopting a few simple effective home remedies, you will be able to soothe and calm your baby’s delicate skin.
Why Do People Like To Use Home Remedies for Their Babies?
As a new parent, the frequently dialed contact on your phone would be your pediatrician. While it is advisable to take medical help with serious issues, home remedies always come to your rescue no matter what. There are a few fundamental reasons for this.
1. These remedies carry age-old significance. They are tried and tested and have proved their effectiveness for centuries.
2. They are easy and low effort. Most of the products involved can be found on your kitchen shelf.
3. On a broader level, constant exposure to antibiotics can impact your child’s immune system. As babies grow up, their bodies may lose their natural ability to kill bacteria.
4. Treatments at home seldom have side effects or allergic reactions. These remedies can also work on the root cause and ensure your baby’s skin is nurtured for the long run.
Some Effective Home Remedies to Soothe Your Baby’s Skin
Olive Oil
Massaging your little one is an enjoyable activity for both you and your baby. As long as your baby’s skin reacts well to olive oil, you have found a natural moisturizer.
Olive oil is enriched with healthy fats, phenolic antioxidant vitamin E, squalene, and oleic acids. These components aid muscle and bone health. With its regenerative abilities, the oil also tones the skin to make it smooth and shiny. Your baby can be given an olive oil massage in both summers and winters.
Avoid olive oil if your baby’s skin gets dry.
Coconut Oil
Another trick to silky smooth skin is massaging your baby with coconut oil. This oil can work wonders for the baby’s hair and skin.
Coconut oil is a unique moisturizer. It gets soaked deep into the skin and the medium-chain fatty acids repair the skin’s barriers. Your baby’s skin will feel light and at the same time will trap optimum moisture. The oil is also a natural cleanser. It attracts impurities and resurfaces them so you can wash them off your little one’s skin.
Lastly, coconut oil is a blessing due to its antibacterial, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory properties. It performs a similar infection-fighting function on the skin to what breast milk does in the baby’s body because of its high lauric acid content.
Draw an Oatmeal Bath
An oatmeal bath is essentially soaking your baby in oatmeal-infused water. While you might enjoy oatmeal for breakfast, your child’s skin will reap benefits from this bath too.
An oatmeal bath acts as a natural healer for dry, itchy, or inflamed skin. A low-effort remedy, it is used to treat a host of conditions like atopic dermatitis, chickenpox, diaper rash, and eczema. With antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, an oatmeal bath soothes your baby’s skin. It forms a protective barrier on your toddler’s skin to avoid loss of moisture.
Approved by the FDA, an oatmeal bath is an effective cure for irritations, allergies, and sunburns.
Blueberry Leaves
You might be surprised that this exotic fruit can also prove beneficial to your baby’s skin. Enriched with vitamins and minerals, blueberry leaves are a storehouse of soothing antioxidant properties. Your baby is provided with a natural moisturizer for their sensitive skin.
Blueberry leaf extracts are a popular ingredient in several skincare products. They safeguard the delicate nature of your baby’s skin and keep it nurtured and healthy.
Margosa (Neem) Leaves
From time immemorial, Margosa aka neem leaves has been a renowned antiseptic. The incredible antifungal, antibacterial, and antioxidant nature of the plant is a blessing for your baby’s skin. It curbs itching and provides a soothing sensation.
Applying neem paste is also effective to cure infections. All you need to do is grind the leaves to make a paste. Apply this paste on the areas your baby has rashes or itching. It also protects the skin from annoying mosquito bites.
Sandalwood
A popular ingredient in several natural beauty products, Sandalwood can also be used on your baby’s skin. The sweet-smelling essence instantly tackles heat rashes.
Use the sandalwood powder and make a thick paste with water. Apply it on the affected areas to give your baby a cooling effect.
Breast Milk
Breast milk for your baby is an all-rounder nourishment.
When you give your baby a breast milk bath, the lauric acid content battles acne and skin discoloration. Further, palmitic acid in breast milk is a commendable moisturizer. Your baby’s dry skin problems and skin inflammations are put to rest.
A breast milk bath also ensures that the itching sensation is reduced. The skin is soothed, and it feels soft and healthy. If you want to get rid of diaper rashes, bathe your baby in breast milk once or twice a week to activate the antibodies.
Aloe Vera
Aloe Vera is another effective home remedy for your toddler’s skin.
While your baby should be exposed to a considerable amount of sunlight, it may develop rashes or inflammation. You can cure this with the help of aloe vera gel. The cooling properties of the plant help fight redness, inflammation., itching, and skin conditions like eczema.
Aloe vera provides a healing effect on minor cuts, rashes, insect bites, or skin burns. If you are concerned about how to treat your baby’s diaper rash, aloe vera gel is your savior. You can also use the plant’s juice to nourish your munchkin’s hair. The juice balances the pH balance of the scalp and helps with healthy hair growth.
Are Home Remedies Effective?
Simple home remedies can pave a long way in nurturing your baby’s skin. These remedies are easy to execute and very effective, with rarely any harmful side effects. They are 100 percent organic and soothe the little one’s skin in the best possible ways.
Several scientific studies have been a testament to the effectiveness of these natural treatments.
- According to a 2016 study, babies who underwent massage with olive oils had more moisturized skin than the ones that were given dry massages.
- A study on pre-term infants discovered that coconut oil has long-term gains. It aids in the skin maturity of the baby along with neurodevelopmental effects.
- Research published in the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology also proved the effectiveness of oatmeal for treating skin irritations and dryness.
- According to a study in 2017, ointments that are made with aloe vera and chamomile can provide relief to diaper dermatitis.
Additional Tips to Soothe Your Baby’s Skin
Here are some additional skincare routines you can adopt for your baby.
Keep Your Baby Dry
The key to soothing your baby’s skin is to keep it moisture-free. Give your baby sponge baths not more than thrice a week. Excessive bathing can damage natural oils and increase rashes and eczema.
Change your baby’s diaper at regular intervals. You must only use organic products on the skin of your infant.
After a bath, gently dab the little one’s skin with a soft towel to keep it dry. Any use of force can hurt their delicate skin.
Moisturize Your Baby’s Skin
Baby lotions will gently safeguard your baby’s skin against dryness. Moisturize your baby with little amounts of lotion regularly. They make the skin smooth and provide nourishment.
Your infant’s skin is hydrated and this reduces the risk of any skin allergy, irritation, or rashes. Most of these lotions are clinically approved and free of any toxic chemicals.
Avoid Too Much Time in the Sun
Your baby’s exposure to the sun must be very minimal during the first six months. This is because the sun’s UV rays can have a detrimental impact on their health. Further, too much exposure to the sun can lead to skin inflammation or rashes.
Always avoid direct sunlight. The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests avoiding the use of sunscreen on babies younger than 6 months. So either put on a hat or use an umbrella to protect your baby.
Final Thoughts
Nurturing your baby’s soft skin might seem a difficult and complicated task, but it is not an impossible one. Your little one’s skin must be treated with utmost care. While antibiotic options may give quick relief, these natural remedies always come in handy. We hope this article was helpful so you can head to your kitchen to try these homemade skincare hacks out.
