What product should I use for my baby's massage?

Babies are usually well hydrated so you can actually do their massage without any oil or lotion. But if you do want to use something, avoid any product that contains mineral oil or anything with heavy scents. Mineral oil is a byproduct of petroleum, left over when gasoline is made. It is plentiful and cheap, and also sits on top of the skin so it gives the impression of being shiny and moisturized, so it is used in a lot of products. In reality, the shininess is basically anoil slick containing chemicals and byproducts that you probably don't want on your skin - let alone baby's skin. Additionally, many products can be heavily scented to cover up the smells of preservatives or for better advertising. Heavy scents are usually artificial and can be overwhelming to baby's tiny sinuses, so it is best to stay away from these products. Ideally, you want a product that has as few ingredients as possible on the label, and preferably ones you can pronounce.

Remember that anything you use on baby, especially on their hands - may end up in their mouth, so you'll want to use products that you don't mind them eating.

One of the best ways to keep the ingredient list simple is to use a straight, single-note oil. You can actually use any oil found in the grocery store, but avoid any nut oils such as peanut, almond, or walnut. You will want to avoid nut oils jut in case baby has a nut allergy. Once they are old enough to rule out any nut issues, almond oil is a popular massage oil. Grapeseed, olive, or coconut oil are good options since they are mild and usually don't have any allergy-inducing effects. Another oil that is popular is jojoba oil which is a natural, usualy hypo-allergenic oil that is very close to the oil naturally found in human skin. (Jojoba oil isn't as commonly found in grocery stores, but it can easily be found in some beauty supply stores or online. Just be sure it isn't mixed or blended with other 'stuff'.)

Another non-oil, non-lotion option for baby's massage is corn starch. Thsi may seem odd, but the granuals are big enough and the product is soft and smooth enough to give a little bit of glide without the mess of an oil or lotion. Baby powders are not recommended because the particles are often very small and therefore more easy to inhale and irritate baby's lungs, plus it can often contain scents and anti-caking agents and preservatives which you also donl't want baby to inhale.;

Do not use corn starch in a few instances:

• If baby has a corn allergy

• If baby is on an antibiotic - yeast loves corn starch so being on an antibiotic can increase the chances of baby developing a yeast-based diaper rash, so avoid corn starch in this instance.

• Anywhere near the diaper area - again, warm, dark, moist areas are a breeding ground for rash and yeast so keep the corn starch away from the moist creases.