Thank you Baby Dove for sponsoring this post.
It seems the first year or two of a baby’s life brings many learning moments when it comes to how to take care of their skin—from that very first bath to learning when it is safe to apply sunscreen (and what to do in the meantime).
Rather than just following a set of rules or suggestions about caring for a baby, I think it is important to understand the why behind important tasks and products to help us take care of our babies.
One of those things is learning why and how to protect a baby’s microbiome. Not sure what that is? That’s ok! Keep reading to find out more and see how easy it is to include care for it in your everyday routine.
Baby’s Skin in Summer
Summer with a baby brings an almost endless list of fun activities—and so many different things that can affect your baby’s skin. Being exposed to regular applications of sunscreen and bug spray, getting dirty during fun outdoor or active play dates, or interacting with chlorine and other chemicals found in pools means there is a constant stream of both potential skin irritants and baths to wash them away.
That is most definitely the case around here. Ensley is drawn to getting dirty and having “hands-on” experiences in life. She is perfectly happy (overjoyed is a better word actually) to sit in the sand or a pile of dirt and use her little fingers to dig deep and explore everything she can touch. I love this about her—I was the same way, as is Charlie—and know it helps aid in her sensory development.
She loves swimming or being near water and is already crawling towards the pool the second she is put down, so we will be starting swim lessons the next session we can get into.
In true curious baby style, Ensley is drawn to germ-filled situations—like the dogs’ water bowl and food dishes or trash cans—and there is just no way I can prevent those encounters from time to time. She is seriously so quick these days!
Add in all of the sticky summer popsicles and snacks, and we are looking at least 2x the number of baths each week when compared to winter time.
The more baths that occur, the more moisture that gets stripped away from a baby’s delicate skin and the more damaged a baby’s microbiome can become.
What’s a microbiome? I’m glad you asked!
A Baby’s Microbiome
A microbiome is a community of microorganisms that live in a common place and help protect our body and immune system against outside factors. It’s the outermost layer of your skin, and it helps protect the skin beneath it. Since the skin is the body’s largest organ—keep that fact tucked away for trivia night—the skin microbiome is especially important.
A baby’s skin microbiome is its first line of defense against germs, bacteria, viruses, and so much more. It is also unique to each individual and changes over time. That means it is important to nourish and keep the skin’s pH balanced to keep a baby’s skin microbiome healthy and resilient to these potentially harmful factors.
How to Protect a Baby’s Microbiome
With microbiomes being so vital to the overall health and well-being of a child, we obviously want to protect it from the harmful bacteria that it comes in contact with while promoting the good bacteria that helps our bodies fight off infection and disease.
Skincare plays an important role in protecting the skin microbiome. Prebiotic moisturizers, for example, help support skin health and function by nourishing the good bacteria and are easy to add to a regular bath or night time routine by simply finding the right products to use.
That’s why we use Baby Dove wash and lotion! They are formulated to support a baby’s natural skin health by using prebiotic moisturizers and 100% skin-natural nutrients (i.e. what the body already possesses) to help promote healthy skin and a healthy baby overall.
They support the skin a baby was born with—one that is uniquely theirs!
Our Family’s Favorite Skincare Line
As a family, we trust and use Baby Dove, and have for over 2 years. I started using Baby Dove when Charlie was little and she has used it ever since. I love that all Baby Dove products are hypoallergenic as well as pediatrician and dermatologist tested, and are created without dyes, parabens, sulfates or phthalates.
When Ensley was born, we continued with Baby Dove products right from the start and to this day it is still what we genuinely use for the kids. That is why I continue to partner with Baby Dove—it is a brand I truly recommend and trust and one I feel good about sharing with all of you.
I especially love Baby Dove Rich Moisture products. Baby Dove Rich Moisture Tip to Toe Wash helps restore essential moisture in a baby’s skin that is stripped away by frequent bathing and leaves their skin so soft and nourished. It is also tear-free, which is so important for newborns and squirmy toddlers alike!
Baby Dove Rich Moisture Lotion is made with both prebiotic moisturizer and 100% skin-natural nutrients to nourish the skin after a bath, and it helps keep it moisturized all day long.
And while I knew I was helping to nourish their skin, I honestly was not aware early-on of just how important the microbiome is to our body—or why it is essential to protect for little ones! It is a great feeling to know that our regular bath and lotion routine has been helping their skin stay healthy as well. Now that I know, it makes the choice so easy when picking up Baby Dove products at the store.
Keeping our babies healthy and protected doesn’t always have to be complicated. Sometimes it really is as easy as enjoying all that Summer has to offer and ending the day with some bathtime snuggles!