Use baby wash or very mild soap – the kind that doesn't really lather up – to clean your child for the first 12 months. Skincare products formulated for babies are gentler and less likely to irritate the skin, and babies just don't need the deep lathering effects of regular soap.
If your baby has eczema (patches of red, dry, scaly skin, especially on the face and in the bends of the elbows and knees), ask your pediatrician to recommend a bathing and skincare regimen as part of his treatment. Children with eczema can be particularly sensitive to the ingredients in lotion and soap.
But even children who don't have eczema can be sensitive to the ingredients in bath products, so call your baby's doctor if he develops a rash or feels itchy.
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