How To Wash Newborn Face (10 Easy Steps)

Parenting is not easy, especially for first-time parents and one of the challenges a first-time parent may be dealing with is how to wash a newborn’s face.

And the reason for this confusion isn’t farfetched; parenting does not come with an instruction manual nor does the arrival of your baby make it any easier.

In cleaning your newborn’s face, you should be very careful so that you don’t hurt your little one nor inflict pain and injury to their sensitive skin.

In this article, we’ve listed easy steps to help you wash your newborn’s face without harming your baby.

Cleaning Your Newborn’s Face

Newborns are tender and very sensitive, hence there’s a need for the right approach when cleaning his or her face.

Parents need to be extremely careful when cleaning or washing the regions close to his or her eyes and ears to avoid causing issues that may cause impairment in the future.

What You’ll Need

Every service to be rendered usually needs the best materials handy especially when it comes to parenting.

So when washing your newborn’s face certain things should be ready and handy so that you don’t end up running around or getting stranded once you have started the business of washing your baby’s face.

Here are the things you will need:

A clean and soft washcloth
Cotton balls
Warm water
Soft baby towel

How To Wash Newborn Face: Easy Steps

To wash newborn faces without having complications or causing issues for the baby try following the steps below.

Firstly soak a cotton ball in warm water and then gently squeeze out most of the liquid absorbed by the cotton ball.
When wiping your baby’s eyes start from the inside corner to the outside and then be very careful and carry out the process gently so that you don’t injure your baby.
Do not use the same cotton ball for both eyes, make sure it is different cotton balls that you use and then for the other eye, repeat step two above.
After you have finished cleaning both eyes then you dip the washcloth you want to use in cleaning your baby’s face in the warm water and squeeze out most of the liquid.
Use the washcloths you have squeezed out the water from to wipe your baby’s face gently. Ensure that you do not apply soap when washing your baby’s face unless under doctor’s prescription and instructions. Your doctor may prescribe soap when your baby’s face is affected by acne.
When working on your baby’s face be gentle and pay attention to your baby’s forehead, cheeks, nose, and chin very well. Do not scrub.
In the case of any dirt around your baby’s eyes, nose or mouth, do not be tempted to scrub just try a gentle dab until it softens up, and then you clean it off.
When cleaning your baby’s ears and around the outside of it, use a washcloth and do not put it on the inside of your baby’s ears while cleaning as this can damage or cause infections in the ear of your newborn.
After cleaning the area of the ear, then you proceed to the neck region, lifting his or her neck and wiping the skin of the neck gently with your washcloth, pay attention to the neck region as dirt could be trapped there and also clean properly between all fold.
After the washing of the face then proceed to dry the areas with a clean and soft baby’s towel. Be sure to pat the skin rather than rub it dry to avoid irritating.

Precautions You Need To Take When Cleaning Your Baby’s Face

One of the basic duties of a parent is to take good care of their newborn. This may seem easy but sure it is a delicate task and requires a lot of attention and care.

As a result, there are basic precautions to adhere to and they include:

Make sure that the temperature of the soaked cotton balls is suitable for your baby’s skin, it shouldn’t be too hot. It is best done by testing the water temperature on the skin on the inside of your wrist.
While contemplating on the use of diaper bags that contain baby wipes which can be used for many things from cleaning your baby’s privates to cleaning their mouths, hands, and other body parts when on the go. You must know that most of them contain a harmful chemical ingredient called methylisothiazolinone that is used as a preservative. And this causes allergic reactions in babies. When cleaning your baby’s face, do not use wipes on the daily cleaning session. When making your choice of wipes check out for the ingredient methylisothiazolinone and use one that does not contain them.
In as much as you are not advised to use soap when cleaning your baby’s face but you can try using it in the case of acne. Some babies develop baby acne, while some babies are naturally born with it. Do not prescribe the soap for your baby but seek the advice of a pediatrician so that you use the best kind of soap. Do not use over-the-counter soaps as they may cause more harm than good.
Hold your baby on your knee while cleaning their face.
Do not use shampoo on your baby’s skin without consulting your pediatrician.
Do not be too harsh when rubbing or scrubbing your baby’s skin as their skin is very sensitive and can be easily damaged or irritated.
When you’re done cleaning, lift your baby out and pat him/her dry, while doing this pay special attention to the creases in their skin.
Avoid using your finger or an earbud to clean the inside of your baby’s ears, doing this can hurt your baby and could also cause an infection.

Warnings

When bathing a newborn, do not leave your baby unattended for any amount of time in any amount of water, and never take your hands off your baby during bath time.

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Conclusion

We hope this article has provided you with in-depth knowledge on how to wash newborn face along with the necessary precautions to take when doing that.

Your little one is your first and utmost priority and I am pretty sure that you wouldn’t want to expose him or her to any harm.

Your baby’s hygiene is also your responsibility as a parent and you must endeavor to keep your baby clean and warm, after all, cleanliness is next to godliness.

There is nothing as attractive as a clean and well-kept baby, who wouldn’t want to carry a well-fed and well-kempt baby? Ensuring your baby is kept clean and free of dirt helps reduce the risk of developing skin infections to the barest minimum.

Keeping your baby’s face clean every day keeps rashes at arm’s length and while doing this pay close attention to the neck region especially the folds there as they can trap dirt easily.

Finally, you mustn’t use soap when cleaning your baby and if you must use it please do so under the guidance of your pediatrician.