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Massaging your baby has numerous benefits for the little one. It helps develop bones and muscles, promotes better sleep, improves digestion, and enhances immunity. Regular massaging with oil also helps make the skin soft, nourished, and lustrous. When choosing a massage oil for their baby, many parents opt for traditionally recommended oils such as coconut. Rich in protein and essential fats, coconut oil nourishes and gently moisturizes your baby’s skin. It is also suitable for baby’s with dry skin or sensitive skin. In this article we discuss coconut oil as a massage oil for babies, how we can make it more effective and its benefits.
Why Coconut Oil?
Coconut oil is known for its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antifungal, antiviral, and antibacterial properties. Moreover, it is a gentle and nourishing oil making it perfect for your baby’s delicate skin. It has been used for ages by elders to massage babies due to its benefits. It is also a natural oil and is readily available. Listed are some of its benefits for your baby.
- Diaper Rash: Coconut oil provides fast relief from diaper rash. It helps reduce irritation and itching while providing a barrier that promotes quick healing. You can also use it as a preventative measure by applying it during every diaper change to keep your baby’s diaper area soft and rash free.
- Cradle Cap: Cradle cap is a newborn condition that usually appears in the first few weeks of the infant’s life. Symptoms include dry, flaky scalp that resembles dandruff. Coconut oil, known for its moisturizing and healing properties, can help treat your baby’s cradle cap, while nourishing the baby’s hair and scalp.
- Dry Skin: Baby’s skin is more delicate than adult skin. It also is more dry and sensitive since it produces fewer moisturizing cells. Being rich in vitamin E, coconut oil soothes and moisturizes the skin while relieving it of symptoms such as dryness and irritation.
- Insect Bites: Coconut oil is considered one of the best natural remedies for treating mosquito bites. While its anti-inflammatory properties help soothe the inflammation, being a microbial agent, it helps prevent the spread of the infection.
- Baby Acne: Acne that develops on the newborn’s face and neck is known as baby acne. It is characterized by tiny red or white pimples on the baby’s face. Coconut oil, due to its antibacterial properties, help heal baby acne while soothing the skin.
Is Just Coconut Oil Good Enough?
While coconut oil benefits a baby’s delicate skin in many ways, it is important to use it in its purest form or to go for an oil formulated especially for a baby’s delicate skin, such as Himalaya Baby Massage Oil-Coconut. It contains a unique combination of oils and a rich blend of herbs that help moisturize and nourish the baby’s delicate skin while improving luster. In addition, it helps parents save time as this baby massage oil, from a trusted brand, is readily available. Mentioned below and some of the ingredients of this oil and their benefits.
- Coconut: It is rich in vitamins and healthy fats. It gently moisturizes your baby’s skin while nourishing it. Additionally its anti-inflammatory properties can help soothe various skin conditions and irritations, such as rashes, baby acne, and skin dryness. Being gentle, it is also suitable for babies with sensitive skin.
- Olive Oil: It comprises the right balance of fatty acids and antioxidants required by the baby’s skin. It is rich in oleic acids, squalene, and healthy fats that help maintain skin health while developing baby’s bones and muscles. It is neither hot nor cold oil and thus is suitable for massaging the baby all around the year. When added to coconut oil, both oils work together to nourish, soothe, and soften the baby’s delicate skin.
- Winter Cherry: Also popular in Ayurveda as Ashwagandha, has antimicrobial and antibacterial properties that help keep the skin healthy while enhancing muscle tone. It is also known to promote better sleep, boost immunity and fight sickness, making it a useful herb for adding to baby massage oil.
- Vetiver: Also known as khus oil, it helps calm and refresh the baby’s skin while improving its texture. Moreover it is known to relieve stress and make your baby feel calmer and relaxed, making it an essential ingredient for your baby’s massage oil.
- Aloe vera: This plant is known for its soothing and moisturizing properties. From fighting baby acne and rashes to soothing dry and sensitive skin, this wonder ingredient is safe and suitable even for babies with sensitive skin. Further it helps moisturize and nourish the baby’s skin, thereby bringing a luster to it.
- Country Mallow: It is an ayurvedic herb that is used for ages for its nutritional and curative properties. It is known to improve the strength of bones, muscles, and joints, making it perfect for including in your baby’s massage oil.
Massaging your baby is a beautiful way to bond with the little one. It also benefits the baby in more ways than one. Going for a traditional oil like coconut oil, infused with beneficial herbs, can help strengthen bones and muscles, improve baby’s sleep, and nourish the skin. So just get started on those massages and enjoy this beautiful bonding time with your baby.
