Tips For Bathing Your Baby
Giving your newborn a bath can be an amazing bonding experience, but we know how nerve-wracking it can be when they’re so small and fragile. From when to first bath a baby, to how to bathe a baby - here are some helpful tips so you can enjoy a safe and happy bathtime routine with your tiny tot.
How to top and tail a baby
In those precious newborn days, topping and tailing is the perfect alternative to giving your baby a full bath. You can use a washcloth, cotton pads or Natural Baby Bath Sponge to gently wipe your baby’s skin with plain warm water (no product is needed for a newborn).
Choose a time when your baby is awake and content. Get everything ready beforehand. You will need:
Start at the 'top'
Start at the 'top' with their eyes, ears, neck and face. Pay attention to neck creases, where milk and fluff can get trapped. Then do their hands and feet, before cleaning their nappy area (this is the 'tail').
As you top and tail your baby, keep them wrapped up and cosy, only uncovering the body parts you’re washing. Make sure you dry them gently and carefully, paying attention to their skin folds where trapped moisture can cause redness.
Baby's first bath
When you're ready to give baby their first full bath, make sure the room is warm and you've gathered all the essentials (as above). Our top bathtime tip is to start with quick baths at first, to help them get used to the experience. A lot of babies love the feel of the warm water, practicing their kicking and splashing. But others take some getting used to bath time.
Newborn bath temperature
Baby's skin is around 20-30% thinner than an adults, so it's extremely sensitive to their environment. Therefore, to protect their skin, a newborn's bath water should be at body temperature. It shouldn’t feel too hot or too cold. You can check this by putting your elbow in the water. If using a baby bath thermometer, aim for a bath water temperature of around 37C - 38C.
How to hold your baby in the bath
Lower your little one slowly into the water so they don’t feel as though they’re falling. Have one arm behind their shoulders and neck, holding their outside arm with your hand. This helps keep their head supported. Place your other hand under their bottom.
Enjoy this special bonding experience
Once their bottom is resting on the floor of the bath, you can free that hand to wash them. You can gently splash the warm water over your little one to wash them and/or use our soft wash cloth or sponge. Use this time to talk to your baby, sing songs and make eye contact to create a positive and enjoyable experience.
Gently pat them dry
When you finish washing your little one, get a firm grip on them as they will be slippery. You can put your free arm back under their bottom and hold their legs, then lift them out onto the towel. Dry your baby carefully, paying particular attention to any skin folds that can get easily irritated. Once dry, smooth on a little Kokoso Baby Coconut Oil to keep these delicate folds fresh and happy.
How often to bathe your newborn
Two or three baths a week is enough, as long as you top and tail your newborn daily to clean up the face, neck, hands and bottom - and thoroughly clean the nappy area at each nappy change. If your baby has nappy rash, it’s recommended to give your little one a bath once a day until the rash clears up.
When should I start using products in baby's bath?
In the first few weeks, midwives recommend using plain water to cleanse baby’s super sensitive skin. You can then start to introduce a very mild, unfragranced cleanser such as Kokoso Baby’s Gentle Hair & Body Wash with organic coconut oil and aloe vera.
We also have a naturally scented version of this product, for when baby’s skin has matured and strengthened and you are ready to use a gently fragranced wash product. We recommend introducing this at around three months old.
Skincare for newborn babies
If you want to massage and moisturise your baby after their bath, try our premium organic Baby Coconut Oil. You can apply a small amount to their nappy area too, as a soothing natural nappy balm. This light nourishing oil is also perfect for any red skin folds, dry patches or flaky skin and scalps.
When to start bathing baby daily
At around 6-12 months, when baby becomes more mobile and starts eating solids, you may decide you need to begin bathing them more frequently. It's totally up to you whether you want to start a daily bathtime routine, or give your baby a couple of full baths a week along with continued sponge baths.
Benefits of bathing baby daily
Bathing a baby with eczema
Hot water and longer bath times can irritate and dry out skin, often causing eczema to flare up in little ones with sensitive and eczema-prone skin. For this reason, it’s recommended to keep bath water warm and avoid bathing baby for longer than 10 minutes. Choose a mild bath wash that has been dermatologically approved for eczema-prone skin, such as our Gentle Hair & Body Wash.
After bathing, pat skin dry gently rather than rubbing. Moisturise the skin using a mild and natural eczema-friendly lotion or oil such as our Coconut Oil Baby Lotion or Kokoso Baby Coconut Oil.
What products should I use to clean my baby's bath?
It’s also important to use a skin-friendly bathroom cleaner such as Kokoso Protect’s Surface Disinfectant. This germ-busting biodegradable spray is fragrance-free, with no toxic fumes and doesn’t leave a harmful residue on surfaces that can irritate skin. It’s also dermatologically tested and clinically approved for sensitive skin, making it perfect for families with little ones.
Kokoso Baby's range of nourishing bathtime products is designed to cleanse and protect delicate skin in the water, without stripping moisture.
Please note we always recommend doing a patch test when first using any product on baby’s skin.
