How to Select Soaps for the New-borns

The best baby soap is mild, moisturizing, and lacks potentially harmful chemicals. When choosing a soap, look at the ingredients list to see if it contains ethyl alcohol, propylene glycol, or other chemicals that might harm the baby when consistently used. Avoid bubble bath products and scented soaps, which contain unnecessary ingredients that can trigger a negative reaction. In addition, remember that soap is optional for most baby baths; warm water is usually enough to clean a baby. Make sure that the soap is gentle and moisturizing. A harsh soap can irritate the baby’s skin, while a good baby soap lets you skip putting lotion on the baby after a bath. You may want to rule out soaps not specifically made for babies, which can make choosing a gentle soap easier. Regular soap works just as well, however, as long as it lacks harmful chemicals and has a moisturizing ingredient or two.

Many chemicals used to manufacture commercial baby soaps are potentially dangerous. For instance, the petroleum by-product mineral oil is linked to cancer and is toxic to the human respiratory system. The foaming detergent sodium laureth sulfate causes skin irritation and is a common ingredient in bubble bath. Chemicals such as these are not necessarily dangerous in small quantities, but babies are more susceptible to negative side effects than adults. Other baby soap ingredients, such as cocamidopropyl betaine, coconut diethanolamide, and propyl paraben, have been identified as potentially toxic.