My Expert Midwife, the brand for pregnancy, birth and beyond has launched a collection of midwife-developed and paediatrician-approved skincare products that can be used from newborn and beyond, designed to work alongside a step-by-step guide to help baby’s skin get the best start in life.  

Midwives recommend against bathing newborns frequently, as skin flora and the baby’s microbiome needs to develop – this helps their skin and bodies develop resistance when transitioning from growing inside the womb to living in the outside world. However, there are times when baby’s skin needs to be clean. To cause minimal disruption to the microbiome, only most gentle, fragrance-free products possible should be used.  

To help new parents give their baby’s skin the best start in life, midwives at My Expert Midwife have created seven essential steps to expertly care for your baby’s skin: 

  1. Prepare to have skin-to-skin contact with your baby at birth by writing this in your birth plan 
  2. Have skin-to-skin straight after the birth to encourage their skin flora and microbiome to develop (your partner can do this too) 
  3. The first few days – use a bowl of water to clean your baby’s face and bottom (top and tail) 
  4. The first few weeks – bath your baby a maximum of 2-3 times a week unless visibly dirty 
  5. Always use the mildest products and moisturise after bathing to keep skin healthy and hydrated 
  1. Protect your baby’s skin by having skin-to-skin contact daily as often as possible 
  2. After three months you can start to use carefully selected essential oil blends to settle and soothe your baby 

A newborn’s skin is around 30% thinner than that of an adult, therefore from the moment of birth their skin needs different and more careful treatment than adult skin as it is more prone to being sensitive to irritants encountered and breaking down. My Expert Midwife’s new collection of baby skincare products are midwife-developed, paediatrician-approved and are specifically designed for use on a newborn baby’s skin. Using an appropriate bathing routine can help cause minimal disruption to the microbiome. 

Mega Mild Cleansing Wash – This midwife-developed, 97.6% naturally derived, gentle formula leaves skin feeling clean and soft. It contains soothing calendula, marshmallow, and oat kernel. It can be used from your baby’s first wash and has been developed to be gentle on your baby’s skin. Use when necessary to clean baby’s skin – for example after a poo explosion, or messy feed.

Mega Mild Moisture Milk  – A baby’s skin dries out more quickly than an adults, therefore needs different products and care, so after washing, a gentle and fragrance-free moisturiser should be used to support their delicate skin. Mega Mild Moisture Milk is a midwife-developed, 99.5% naturally derived, gentle formula that keeps baby’s skin soft and soothed. It contains hydrating and softening argan and rosehip oils and soothing oat kernel. Mega Mild Moisture Milk is safe to use from newborn and has been developed to be gentle for baby’s skin. 

Totally Immense Dribble Defence – Babies can get a rash and/or soreness around the neck and chin area, often, this is caused by dribble which contains digestive enzymes which irritate the skin and cause the rash. Dribble can also make the baby’s clothes wet and lead to rubbing and chafing against their skin. Totally Immense Dribble Defence is specially formulated with lanolin for skin protection and calendula which soothes and calms inflamed skin. It also contains nourishing castor and grapeseed oil to  create a nourishing and soothing barrier between your baby’s skin and their dribble, preventing rubbing and chafing. Midwife developed, dermatologist and paediatrician approved, No Harm Dribble Barrier is suitable for use from newborn.

Super Charged Skin Salve – Newborn skin is delicate and in baby’s first few months, their own microbiome supports natural skin development, however they might develop problem areas of dryness that should be targeted with a specially-designed moisturiser. By targeting specific areas of skin which need support/moisture, it leaves the areas which are fine without product to develop naturally, supporting baby’s microbiome. This midwife-developed Skin Salve is a 100% naturally derived, gentle formula which targets and soothes dry, sore, irritated and inflamed skin. It contains protecting and anti-inflammatory lanolin and calendula, and soothing oat kernel oil. Super Charged Skin Salve is safe to use from newborn and has been developed to be gentle for your baby’s skin. 

Mega Calm Massage Balm – Colic (when a baby cries a lot but there’s no obvious cause) can come at any time of the day, although for most babies, it usually occurs before bed. An evening routine, including a massage, can help disrupt the onset of colic. Mega Calm Massage Balm contains no artificial ingredients and has been designed to help nourish and moisturise baby’s skin during massage whilst supporting skin integrity. Midwife-developed, the massage balm contains calendula, oat kernel, sweet almond and coconut, chosen for their soothing, softening and calming properties. It is safe to use from newborn and has been developed to be gentle for your baby’s skin and to support a calming, bonding massage experience. 

 

Lesley Gilchrist, registered midwife and co-founder of My Expert Midwife said: “As new parents we want to bath our babies, it’s what we are conditioned to think and do. We are told that it helps build a routine, it will help achieve a good sleep pattern, it’s time for parents to bond with baby and we know they are all fresh and clean.  What is less well known is that is that minimising the disruption to the microbiome will help baby fight off infections and build up a strong immune system in the long term.  

“As midwives we do not recommend regular newborn baths, but we appreciate that there are times where a dip in the bath might be the only solution to removing the poo explosion or the sick up that happens after a feed, so when you do need to clean baby,  we recommend using the most gentle products, that don’t have a fragrance so you know that their skin is clean, but you are minimising the impact on the microbiome.

“We have developed our collection of baby skincare products to prevent skin problems, soothe problem areas and create naturally simple, practical solutions. Doing some skin-to-skin contact after the bath will also help baby rebuild its microbiome” 

All products are suitable for sensitive and eczema-prone skin. My Expert Midwife Mega Mild Cleansing Wash (€9.99), Mega Mild Moisture Milk (€11.00), Totally Immense Dribble Defence (€8.50), Super Charged Skin Salve (€9.99) andMega Calm Massage Balm (£9.95) are all available from Boots pharmacies nationwide and Boots.ie.