Choosing an Infant Massage Oil
What is a baby massage?
Baby Massages are best with massage oil as it reduces any friction or irritation the baby may feel
But which oil should you use
Most massage therapists recommend edible vegetable or plant extract oil like vegetable oil, organic olive oil, or grapeseed oil.
However, any edible plant based oil has the potential to cause an allergic reaction. You should take into account your infants skin type, oil availability, and likelihood of an allergy risk which can be linked to cultural or national preferences e.g. seasame oil in the UK is more likely to cause an allergic reaction than in other countries where it has been a traditionally used oil.
If there is a chance of an allergic reaction, you could conduct a “patch test” which involves applying very small amounts of different oils on different patches of skin and watching the results over the next day or so to see which ones have a reaction with the skin.
Don’t use any massage oil on areas of broken skin as this has a greater chance of causing an allergic reaction.
Why vegetable or plant extract oil?
Here are the reasons that plant based oils are recommended
- Plant based oils are easily absorbed by your baby’s skin
- Plant based oils are not harmful if the baby sucks their thumb
- Most commercially produced massage oil is mineral oil (paraffin oil) based. Mineral oil is not as easily absorbed by the skin as plant based oil, so leaves a greasy film on the baby’s skin, and can block the pores in the baby’s skin.
- Commercially produced oil are highly processed and often have scent added, which may not be appropriate for newborn babies that are very sensitive to the normal smells of their parents for feeding and bonding.
- Some commercially available massage oils can contain a mixture of different oils which makes it more difficult to identify if any one element is or has caused irritation.
- Some commercial infant massage oils can contain essential oils which are known for their therapeutic benefits. Essential oils are not appropriate for babies, and so for safety reasons, you should first consult with a qualified professional who can advise you on your specific circumstances before using essential oils for baby massages.
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