What should I use to bathe my newborn baby? Her skin seems to be peeling off 😦

– mom of a newborn who is not exactly like her first-born

Newborn skin peeling, while apparently normal, seems to be one of those things that you know will stop, yet, you worry till it does.

Regarding bathing, what I use and recommend for young and old alike is besan, or chickpea flour. Sunnipindi – mung dal (green gram) flour mixed with rice flour – feels even better but requires mixing two ingredients rather than just one. Be it besan or sunnipindi, I simply add water to make a paste, rub on the skin and rinse off. If you leave it to dry for a minute, you have to rub while rinsing, getting the exfoliating effect. Voila – clean, smooth, baby-soft skin. Some people get fancy and mix in yogurt, oats, honey, or dry flowers, neem leaves, orange peels, turmeric etc.  So if your little one gets his oatmeal all over his face, he just may be onto the secret of a glowing complexion!

Make sure your oranges aren’t sprayed or your turmeric artificially coloured. An even simpler approach is to use plain water, especially if bath is primarily a time for  play and relaxation.