As a parent, you want to keep your baby fresh, clean, healthy and comfortable. You might think one of the best ways to do this is to give your child frequent baths, using soap. Stop right there!

Too much soap can irritate your baby’s skin, leading to dryness, itchiness, and one very cranky baby.

Doctors recommend that you try to use just warm water and soap free cleansers to wash your baby’s bottom. At most, only use soap about twice a week. The other days, stick to a gentler alternative, and be sure to use a comfortable water temperature.

(If you don’t have them, it might be good to install anti-scald guards on your bathtub faucets, so you can keep your baby safe from too hot water.)

Bathing your baby in a comfortable water temperature, with gentle cleansers will help bath-time be pleasant and happy for both of you.

As you may know, milia is the clinical term for those whitish bumps which may appear on your baby’s chin, nose or cheeks. Milia are not serious and tend to resolve on their own. Many people refer to milia as “baby acne”, even though it really isn’t a form of acne.

Milia occurs when dead skin gets trapped in the pores around the baby’s nose and mouth. It can be present at birth, or may appear soon after. It tends to disappear within the first few weeks of life.

Some parents are able to let the milia resolve on its own; others feel that they’d like to find a cure or treatment for milia.

Some ideas:

Gently wash the baby’s face using tepid water two or three times away. Pat dry. Do not rub. Do not use oils, lotions, or any other products.

Do not scrub, squeeze, or pinch baby milia- this can aggravate the condition and may lead to infection.

If the milia persists for more than three months, seek advice from your doctor. Until then, sit tight.

New parents tend to blame themselves if their baby develops milia; as they tend to feel they are cleaning the baby well or wiping his or her face properly- this is not the case. Just bathe the baby’s face (gently) in tepid water, and wait for the milia to clear on its own. Seek medical advice if the milia appears to be worsening or lasts longer than a few months.