Caring for baby skin’s microbiome

We know how important it is to take care of your baby’s skin, but their skin also has its own clever way to keep itself healthy – the microbiome. What is microbiome? It’s your skin’s natural community: billions of friendly living microorganisms, also known as skin flora. The microbiome helps keep baby skin healthy by protecting it from harmful bacteria and generating important nutrients, enzymes, and lipids for baby skin’s function.

Though no two births are the same, there’s one thing that every baby has in common. They’re all born with a unique microbiome which can be influenced by the mode of delivery, their genetics, and even where you live.

And though there’s still a lot to learn about the microbiome, most scientists and physicians agree that the microbiome development starts in the first months of life. “Not only is it important to prevent cuts and cracks in that protective barrier,” say board-certified dermatologists Dr. Mariwalla and Dr. Gohara, “but, believe it or not, it is equally important to nourish the natural bacteria that live on our skin.”

That’s why Baby Dove Head to Toe Wash and Lotion are made with prebiotic moisturiser – prebiotics nourish the ‘good bacteria’ in your baby’s skin microbiome, helping to promote healthy and resilient skin. Want to know how to care for the microbiome? Here are a few newborn skin care tips to help keep your baby’s skin happy and healthy.

1
How to bathe a newborn? With gentle products.
In the first few months, your baby’s skin is working hard to create lipids and natural peptides to keep itself healthy – so during bathing it’s important to avoid harsh products that could interrupt nature’s work. “When your baby is born, they are covered in a vernix (a natural white coating found on newborn skin) filled with healthy bacteria that helps seed newborn skin,” explain Dr. Mariwalla and Dr. Gohara. One easy way to take care of baby microbiome is creating a gentle, newborn skin care regime.

For mild cleansing, try Baby Dove Head to Toe Wash. It doesn’t disrupt your baby’s skin pH, which plays an important role in microbiome health, and replenishes skin-essential nutrients to help skin retain its natural moisture
2
Keep your baby’s skin well moisturised.
Dry skin is common in infants and can be due to a number of reasons, including eczema. While details are still emerging, science has shown differences between the microbiome in dry and normal skin. Studies have shown a link between a significantly imbalanced microbiome and a variety of conditions – for example, atopic dermatitis and eczema. The way to care for their skin is keeping it moisturised at all times to encourage healing.

The ideal time to moisturise is immediately after a bath, but developing a routine that involves applying a baby lotion for dry skin once a day, even when not bathing, is a healthy habit to get your infant’s skin on track. Look for a rich moisturiser like Baby Dove Sensitive Moisture Lotion, which gently nourishes baby’s delicate microbiome and hydrates skin for 24 hours
3
Trust your way.
While there are many recommendations for how parents can take care of baby microbiome, don’t feel like you have to tick everyone off the list – trust your way