When Can You Put Lotion On A Newborn Baby: Everything You Need To Know

• When Can You Put Lotion On A Newborn Baby?
• Which lotion will be suitable?
• Why does a newborn baby’s skin need lotions?

Being a parent, you will always want to give the best to your newborn. With the birth of a baby, your whole life gets centered on that little life. The angel gives you happiness and a new tranquility you have never experienced before.

When you are welcoming a new life into your life, caring for them becomes your top priority. The last thing you want is to hurt the little human and create discomfort for your little angel.

Newborn Baby’s Skin Has Natural Compounds

We all are aware of how delicate and soft newborns’ skin is. Inspite of their incredibly soft skin, babies are equally susceptible to dry skin. An organic compound named vernix caseosa is one of the reasons behind soft baby skin.

Vernix is a white, milky substance, which is covering the baby when she is firstborn. We all have seen it. While facilitating postnatal hydration, vernix coats the skin and plays the role of a barrier, helping your little angel with all-over accumulation along with retention of moisture. 

This truly amazing, organic, natural moisturizer effectively keeps the soft feeling of your baby’s skin. But it does not last forever. Your baby will still encounter dry skin with or without vernix. In addition to that, your little boo also can experience several skin issues, rashes, baby acne, or eczema if not taken proper care of. 

How To Combat Dryness In Newborn Babies?

You may have heard that baby’s skin loses moisture sooner than the adult’s skin. Once you establish the reason behind the issues of your baby’s skin dryness, your next step would be to find a safe product to use on their skin. 

Your best bet would be a fragrance-free, paraben-free, and sulfate-free option. Also, make sure the lotion is devoid of artificial colors. 

So, before you start a routine to protect your baby’s skin from any issues and put in special effort to lock the moisture, it will be best to know about the possible reasons. So, here are some common reasons that cause dry skin in your newborn.

1. Cold Climate

When the air is cold and the temperature also drops, so does your skin’s moisture level as well. In reality, cold air actually can be really harsh and also can strip the skin from its natural moisture. 

Whenever you are going out, and your little newborn angel will get exposed to the cold air, ensure that you have covered your offspring properly and also applied an essential layer of lotion for the newborn. 

It will protect your newborn from dry, flaky skin and those harsh winter rashes. A good moisturizer for newborns will 

2. Long Baths

Long baths should be strictly avoided for your newborn, specifically when you are doing it with really hot water and frequently. Always remember, letting your offspring soak in bubbly or soapy water for a longer time will increase the chances of irritating skin. 

Those long, fun baths also can remove some of your baby’s natural oil and might be dehydrating to them. This is one of the reasons why babies get rashy, dry, itchy skin. If the baby’s skin turns red after the bath, it means the water is too hot. 

So, you have to ensure that you are not using too much hot water and provide your baby a longer bath. After the bath, apply mild newborn lotion. Ensure the product is fully absorbed in the baby’s skin for retaining moisture. Keep a bottle of lotion handy on the go in your diaper bag and reapply when needed.

3. Dry Air

Dry air comes with dry and itchy skin for your newborn angel. Dry air always contains less humidity. This lack of humidity dries out the skin. The lower the humidity of the air, the more chance of your baby’s skin getting dry.

By using a vaporizer and humidifier, you can fight against the dryness in the air. A humidifier will just add humidity to the air. This will not only help but also will prevent your baby from getting flaky, dry, dehydrated, or irritated skin.

When you are using a vaporizer or humidifier, it is extremely crucial to maintain it and clean it properly on a daily basis. So, clean the humidifier and refill new water daily. 

When Can You Put Lotion On A Newborn Baby? 

As I have mentioned earlier, there is an organic milky substance, which covers the newborn baby’s skin. This waxy layer of protection mainly covers the little life’s skin in the womb from the amniotic fluid. 

After the baby is born, in the first few weeks, this very layer starts to peel off, and the flaky, dry baby skin appears. The skin, which lies below the layer, has enough moisturizer and does not need extra moisturization. 

If the baby seems to have very dry skin, specifically around the elbows, ankles, and hands, you can choose to apply lotion on their skin. Olive oil, petroleum jelly, or Vitamin A-D cream is safe to use in order to help the appearance of the skin when the vernix is peeling off. 

In case you are planning to go with store-bought lotion or moisturizer, take advice from your pediatrician or go with a fragrant-free mild one. 

Putting Lotion On Newborn

When you are asking the question, “when can you put lotion on a newborn baby,” it will also be helpful for you to reconsider how to apply lotion on your newborn. 

1. Apply Lotion After Bath

I have already told you how a longer and hotter bath takes out the moisturizer from your baby’s skin. So, after every bath, use gentle, fragrance-free lotions for your little angel. 

Wash your hands thoroughly, take a very small amount, and take it on the palms and fingers of your hands. Now massage the newborn’s body gently so that the moisturizer spreads evenly all over. 

2. Try Not To Use More Than One Product

As the chemicals present in commercially manufactured newborn lotions can harm the delicate skin of your newborn, avoid using more than one product on your baby. Ask your pediatrician for recommendations and stick to a single product. 

3. Apply Lotion On Those Areas That Look Dry

Apply the baby lotion to the areas where the baby’s skin appears dry, for example, elbows, hands, and ankles.

4. Different Times Of The Year May Require Extra Care

If you reside in a dry climate with chilling winters, your baby could become more prone to dry and dehydrated skin. Cold air tends to strip the moisture from the baby’s skin. In such cases, precautions must be taken, and if you must apply a lotion, make sure you check with a dermatologist. Lotions may become your last resort to lock in the moisture.

Safety Measures To Take While Putting Lotion On Newborn

When it is about your precious prince or princess, you can not afford to negotiate the safety precautions. When can you put lotion on a newborn baby? Though you get the answer to this, still, it is still important to get some idea about the safety measures. 

Here are some tips to follow while applying moisturizer to your newborn. 

• Always select a mild lotion without any harmful chemicals. 
• Before applying lotion to your baby’s body, always clean your hands thoroughly.
• Do not use more than one baby product. It can damage your baby’s delicate skin. 
• Before putting your baby into new clothes, wash them properly. It will reduce the chances of allergies and skin irritations. 
• Pat the baby’s skin instead of rubbing it to avoid redness and sensitivity.
• Ensure you do not have sharp nails or any sharp ornaments on your hands that can damage your baby’s skin while you are massaging and applying the lotion. 
• Bathing your baby thrice a week is enough. Regular bathing can strip the natural oils that help with the moisture of your newborn’s skin.

Choosing The Best Lotion For Newborn Baby

With “when can you put lotion on a newborn baby,” you also need to pay attention and consider some essential things when you are choosing a motion for your newborn. The following tips will help you in doing that. 

• Instead of buying a usual commercial product, go for a product that is recommended by the doctor. 
• Choose a gentle and mild lotion, which is free of colors, perfume, phthalates, parabens, preservatives, phenoxyethanol, and organically extracted plant oils. 
• In order to avoid any allergic reaction, go for a hypoallergenic lotion on your little offspring’s skin. 
• In case you do not prefer to go with a lotion, you can rely on petroleum jelly, olive oil, or a doctor-recommended vitamin A-D cream. 

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

When as new parents, you are asking, “when can you put lotion on a newborn baby?” I also think you might have several other questions on giving care to your baby’s delicate and soft skin. So, here are some common questions with their answers. 

Q1. When To Start Using Lotion On Baby?

I have already answered this question in the above section. And as I have mentioned already, in the first few weeks, when the upper vernix layer starts to peel off, this is the time when to use lotion on newborn. Use gentle and mild lotion, which is specifically designed for babies only. 

Q2. When Can I Start Using Baby Products On My Newborn?

There is no need to use any soap or cleanser for your newborn. It will be enough to clean the bottom and folds on the hands and legs of your newborn angel. Before starting any baby products, consult with your pediatrician and go for their recommendation. 

Q3. Can You Put Lotion On A Baby’s Face?

Many parents ask me when to use baby lotion on newborn face. As I have mentioned earlier, once the vernix layer starts to peel off, you can apply lotion. Though the beneath layer has natural moisture, due to the reasons I have mentioned above, your newborn’s delicate skin can lose its natural moisture. You can choose your pediatrician’s recommended gentle and mild lotions, which is a hypoallergenic moisturizer for your baby’s face as well. 

Pamper Your Little Angel

So, this is all you need to know when you have the questions, “when can you put lotion on a newborn baby?” Babies are loved by all. I personally feel too attached to every baby I meet. They are like little plants that will bloom in the future if you take care of them properly in the present day. 

So, be a little careful about the smallest things and choose the right lotion to keep your newborn’s delicate skin healthy and soft. And if you ask me, “Can I put lotion on my newborn?” I will always say yes, but at the same time, you need to keep a lot of things in your mind.  

With time your baby’s immune system will start to develop, and in those months, it is recommended to use mild cleansers and avoid lotions as much as possible. The most amount of changes happens in the initial years of life for your baby. To protect their skin barrier, it is recommended to use mild and gentle products.

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