Bathing your baby is, without a doubt, one of the most stimulating and rewarding experiences you can have as a new parent. However, it also requires a lot of care and precautions, especially in regard to the products you use.
For example, the introduction of bath-time products like soap is crucial. You can start using soap with their first bath but always keep in mind that the baby’s skin is extremely sensitive. Therefore, you have to be especially mindful to use products that have been specially formulated for a baby’s delicate skin.
Ideally, you should be using baby products exclusively during their first 12 months of life, as it is the only way to ensure that your baby is not exposed to toxic and abrasive substances that have been formulated for other purposes.
So if you were wondering if general products like Dawn dish soap is safe for baby skin, stick around because we are going to give you all the details.
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Is Dawn Dish Soap Safe For Your Baby’s Skin?
No. Dawn dish soap is not safe for babies’ skin. Bathing your baby with Dawn dish soap could result in a baby with irritated skin at best, and with more severe skin conditions at worst.
Dawn dish soap, while one of the more gentle offerings on the dishwashing market, is full of harsh chemicals whose primary purpose is to break down grease and oil residue, as well as a host of dyes, fragrances, and alkaline compounds.
You will want to stick to products that have been formulated with a baby’s sensitive skin in mind.
These are products that have fewer additives and more neutral components.
Here is our Easy Baby Cleaning “Quick-Start” shopping list from Amazon
Wondering if you can bathe your baby with dish detergent doesn’t make you a bad parent. In fact, it is completely normal to have questions about what is and isn’t safe and even make a few mistakes early on, especially if this is your first time tackling these sorts of parent conundrums.
Here are some other common bathtime mistakes to avoid.
Most Common Baby Bath Time Mistakes
Leaving Your Baby Unattended
Never leave your baby alone or unattended, even for a brief moment. It only takes a second for the baby to slip and hurt
Ignoring Water Temperature
Don’t forget to keep an eye on the temperature of your baby’s bathwater. Either too cold or too warm can be distressing for your child. Remember that a baby’s skin is far more sensitive to temperature changes than adult skin, so even a difference of a few degrees can be significant.
I suggest that you maintain your baby’s bathwater between 98 and 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
Overuse of Hygiene Products
Adults are used to using a plethora of personal hygiene products such as shampoo, body washers, talcum, cologne, creams, etc. However, babies do not have a need for the majority of these products. In fact, their use too early in life can lead to altered skin pH levels later on.
Drafty Rooms
Leaving windows or doors open during your baby’s bath can let in some drafty cold air and open the possibility for your baby to catch a cold, or worse yet, develop adverse respiratory conditions.
Not Drying Your Baby Well Enough
This is another common mistake made by new and experienced parents alike. Make sure to dry your baby thoroughly after their bath is done. Do so using gentle pats instead of the vigorous rubbing motion that you likely use on yourself, otherwise, you can easily irritate their soft skin.
Not Using A Baby Bath
I’ve known plenty of parents who regularly bathe their babies in the kitchen sink. After all, it has access to plenty of fresh water and it is usually spacious enough to accommodate your baby.
This is likely why some people wonder if they can bathe their kids using things like Dawn dish soap. However, a plastic baby bath is going to be infinitely better suited to keeping your baby boy or girl safe and protected.
Forget To Wash The Baby’s Bath
This one is especially easy to commit because most people assume that the baby bath is a sort of self-cleaning object. After all, when you bathe your baby there’s plenty of water and soap involved. This belief, however, could not be further from the truth. You need to remember to always give your baby bath a wash before and after bathing your baby.
Taking Too Long
Baby bathing sessions should be short. After all, babies are small and there’s not much to wash. Just think about the fact that the longer your bath takes, the colder the water will turn.
Your baby’s bath time can be a wonderful and rewarding moment of bonding. The most important aspect is to generate an atmosphere of peace and calm (I know this can be challenging if your baby starts crying). But if you manage to keep your cool and avoid the mistakes above, you will have a safe, content, and clean baby.
Is Dawn Dish Soap Safe On Baby Bottles?
Well, now you know not to use dish soap on your baby’s skin, is it okay to clean your baby bottles with Dawn dish soap?
Yes, it is okay to clean your baby bottles with Dawn dish soap, but it’s not recommended, and if you do, you should take some additional actions and precautions.
While using dish soap to wash your dirty baby bottles is not in the same league of harmful as using it to wash your baby’s sensitive skin. You have to remember that baby boys and baby girls are extra sensitive to external stimuli because their immune system is not yet fully developed.
As a result, they can easily develop allergic reactions as well as gastrointestinal problems due to exposure to the various dyes, surfactants, abrasive compounds, and heavy fragrances that are commonly found in dish detergent.
Liquid dish soaps are not inherently toxic to humans if used properly. However, when you use them to wash your baby bottles you run the very real risk of leaving chemical residue on their surface. Even if you are very careful to thoroughly wash the soap out, there will still be a slight chemical aroma that while not unpleasant to your nose may be irritating to your baby.
If you insist on using regular dish soap to wash your baby bottles, You should check out Dawn Gentle, but I recommend investing in a good bottle brush and going with a fragrance-free soap specifically made for baby bottles. Just make sure to rinse everything thoroughly.
Our preferred method of cleaning baby bottles is to use a bottle sterilizer after cleaning to make sure that your baby is protected and covered as much as humanly possible.
Here is our Easy Bottle Cleaning “Quick-Start” shopping list from Amazon
Last update on 2024-04-23 at 21:03 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
