Dos and Don'ts of Baby Health Care

Having and raising a baby is a wonderful and exciting part of life. However, baby health care is considered to be an overwhelming task by many parents. Any parent who has spent several sleepless nights and days taking care of an ill infant knows how difficult baby health care can get. Fortunately, there are many baby care products available to help parents care for their babies. If you are looking for baby care online, you're doing the right thing. The first step to finding good solutions is to do some research.

While researching on the internet, be careful, because many internet resources may not provide the best advice or accurate information. Consult your doctor for proper advice on baby health care. This article provides a few tips to help you know what to avoid in baby products. Watch out for any of these terms on baby skin care products, and avoid them.

Baby Care Basics - Avoiding Synthetic Chemicals:

*"Added Fragrance": Products which have added scents use synthetic petrochemical bases to instill the odors. These can be damaging to the skin.

*"Added Colors": Be wary. Most colors are made from industrial-grade synthetic dyes. Many of these are caustic and carcinogenic.

*Sodium Lauryl Sulfate: This is a strong chemical used as an industrial cleaning agent, and is also commonly found in shampoos. This chemical is used to make shampoos produce more lather. Most adults don't react adversely to it, but it can cause allergic reactions and awful rashes when used on babies.

*Triethanolamine - Also a common baby care product chemical, generally found in skin and hair care products. Studies indicate that it can cause severe rashes on the skin.

*PEG 80 / Sorbital Laurate: This is a surfactant which can cause severe blisters on babies.

*Lauramide DEA: One of the most widely used substances in shampoos, this chemical oftentimes causes irritation and skin flaking.

Good Baby Skin Care Products:

Experts recommend the use of organic baby care items. As a rule, the natural substances are more skin-friendly and aren't harmful like their synthetic chemical counterparts. Natural oils are the best substances to take care of an infant's delicate skin.

Substituting commercial creams and lotions with a natural oil to serve as your baby skin care product is a great idea. Even with these, it's best to first test the substance on a small area of the baby's skin, to be on the safe side. Here are a few suggested oils.

* Rosemary Oil: This is safe oil which can be used to treat skin irritation and itchiness.
* Almond Oil: A great oil for baby massages, with a gentle aroma.
* Lavender oil: Highly recommended for aromatherapy, thought some babies might find the scent too strong for direct application. May be diluted into bath water to help infants sleep.
* Jojoba Oil: Very gentle oil for treating rashes on the skin.