The natural way to baby-care!

Chemicals and babies don’t rhyme…well, literally as well as figuratively!
A baby’s skin is much more sensitive and delicate than an adult’s. It is 20-30% thinner and is adjusting to a new environment of the outside world. Remember how our skin looks after a long bath? Imagine the one that was inside a liquid for nine months! Even the pH of a baby’s skin is slightly higher. Therefore, very specific care is required for a baby’s skin. Do not even think of using adult products for a baby. What works for you is not going to work for the baby!

My experience!
When we talk about babies, nothing works better than natural products. This is still the domain of expertise of nanis and dadis. The nuskhe -home remedies are tried and tested over ages. When my daughter was born six years ago, I had the good fortune of the guidance of my mother as well as my grandmother. Taking their advice, I used only natural almond oil for massaging my baby’s fragile skin and it worked like magic. No dry skin issues, no allergies.
Times have changed. It is difficult nowadays to even get natural oils that you can be sure of. A couple of months back, I shared my experience with a new-mom who told me that she could not find natural oils anywhere.
I offered to accompany her to go baby oil shopping. I realised that the markets today are very misleading and the variety available is rather confusing. A very few people actually read the ingredients mentioned on them. For a majority, the word ‘baby’ is enough. My friend felt spoiled for choice at the wide range of ‘baby products’ available.

Say no to chemicals!
To my surprise, a lot of the products contained paraffin. It is not something you would want to use on your baby’s skin. Paraffin gives a very moisturised appearance to the skin but is occlusive in nature. It clogs the pores and doesn’t let the skin breathe. A baby’s skin needs an oil that moisturises and nourishes the skin from the inside and also lets the skin breathe.
Always read the ingredients before you buy anything. Don’t trust a brand name blindly.

Go natural!
Massaging is very important for a baby . It not only aids the growth and development of bones and muscles but also makes the baby active. It makes the baby’s skin soft and supple. Massaging also increases bonding between mother and the baby and therefore it is emphasised that the mother do it herself.
What you massage your baby with is equally important. Buy only the products that contain natural oils like almond oil and olive oil. No chemical can outweigh the benefits of natural oils:
-Almond oil is rich in vitamin E which is an elixir for skin health.
-Olive oil contains vitamin E and A besides minerals and fatty acids. It keeps the skin supple and sustains its elasticity.
-Natural oils are not heavily scented or coloured, therefore do not irritate the baby.
There are certain products like Dabur baby massage oil which contain only natural ingredients.
I know the internet and everyone around you(including me here!) is forever giving tips on parenting and child care and it can really get irritating at times but it is okay to listen. You never know what advice may come in handy.
It is your baby, you have the wisdom and the instinct to bring her up in a wonderful way. Just sharing as a fellow parent. Good luck and happy parenting!

Author’s note: “I am participating in the #FirstLove activity at BlogAdda in association with Dabur“.