A newborn skincare routine, in the right order

You have been given a shelf of baby products and no idea what order any of it goes in.

Your baby's skin is thinner than yours, loses water faster and reacts to things yours ignores. That calls for a short routine, done in the right order.

How often should you bathe a newborn?

Less often than you might think, with warm water and not for long.

The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests that about 3 baths a week in the first year is plenty, because more can dry the skin out. Until the umbilical cord stump falls off, sponge baths are enough.

In the Malaysian heat you may want to freshen your baby up more often. A quick wipe of the face, neck folds, hands and diaper area with warm water does that without a full bath. The diaper area needs cleaning at every change anyway, and keeping it clean and dry matters every day.

If you use a wash, choose a mild one made for babies, and rinse it off well.

The order after a bath

Everything goes onto skin that has been patted dry but is still very slightly damp. That is when moisturisers do their best work.

1. Hair lotion, onto the scalp. Smooth a little over the clean scalp and hair and massage gently. Mama's Choice Baby Hair Vitamin Lotion moisturises the scalp, helps protect it from dryness and softens fine baby hair so it is easier to comb, with candlenut, sweet almond oil, chamomile and Ecocert-certified organic aloe vera. It promotes healthy hair and leaves your baby smelling lovely.

2. A gentle massage. If you like, use a little of the body cream for a slow massage over the tummy, arms and legs. Many parents trace the letters I, L and U across the tummy, which most babies find settling. Skip it if your baby is tired or hungry.

3. Diaper cream, before the diaper goes on. Spread a thin layer over the diaper area and any skin folds that stay damp. Mama's Choice Baby Diaper Cream leaves a light layer between your baby's skin and the diaper, helping protect it from wetness and keeping it moisturised and comfortable between changes. It is made with sweet almond oil and seven plant extracts, among them centella asiatica and chamomile, and it is not sticky. Use it at every change, not just after a bath.

4. Body cream, over the rest of the body. Mama's Choice Baby Body Cream moisturises and softens your baby's skin and helps protect it from dryness, with avocado, olive and sweet almond oils and shea butter. It absorbs quickly, so you can dress your baby straight away. In a Mama's Choice use test with 29 mothers in Indonesia (2022), all 29 agreed it helps moisturise their baby's skin.

5. Face cream, for the face. Baby faces dry out fast in air-conditioned rooms. Mama's Choice Daily Nourishing Face Cream moisturises dry skin on the face, with ceramide and centella asiatica to help maintain the skin's moisture barrier.

All four are formulated for babies from birth and dermatologically tested, and are halal certified by BPJPH, Indonesia.

What your newborn can do without

Powder. Loose powder can be breathed in, and it is not needed to keep skin dry. Patting dry with a soft towel does the job.

Strongly perfumed products. Fragrance is a common cause of irritation on reactive skin. If a product is scented, try it on a small patch first.

A long routine. A few steps after a bath, about 3 times a week, is the whole thing.

Your own products. Adult formulas are not made for skin this thin.

Cotton buds inside the ears or nose. Clean what you can see and leave the rest.

Reading a baby product label

• A shorter list is easier to judge
• "Fragrance" or "parfum" can cover many undisclosed ingredients
• "Dermatologically tested" means the formula was tested on skin; the product page should say what was done
• Introduce one new product at a time, so you can trace a reaction back

Patch testing works on babies too. Dab a little on the inner arm and wait a day.

Things that are simply common

Redness in the diaper area, usually from wetness and rubbing.

Cradle cap, yellowish flaky patches on the scalp that settle on their own over months.

Baby acne, small red or white spots in the first weeks that clear without treatment.

Heat rash, tiny red spots where clothes trap sweat. Common in this climate; dress your baby in light cotton and keep the room airy.

Dry, peeling skin in the first fortnight, as your baby adjusts to air after nine months in fluid.

Almost all of it passes. Keeping your baby clean, dry and moisturised, and resisting the urge to add more products, is what helps.

For a step-by-step guide to the bath itself, read how to bathe a newborn baby.

When to see a doctor

• A rash that spreads beyond the diaper area, blisters or oozes
• A rash with a fever, especially in a baby under 3 months
• Skin that is red, hot and swollen
• Cracked skin that bleeds
• Anything not improving after a few days of simple care

Fungal and bacterial infections and eczema each need their own treatment from a doctor, so take your baby to your klinik kesihatan or GP. If your baby is under 3 months and has a temperature of 38°C or more, see a doctor straight away, and call 999 in an emergency.