Should I use oil to massage my baby?

Using an oil can make massage easier for you and more relaxing for your baby.

Everyone seems to have an opinion on which oil is best for baby massage. Some parents favour baby mineral oils, while others choose a particular vegetable oil. Some oils are thought to be more easily absorbed into skin. You may find massage easier with an oil that soaks in, or you may prefer one that stays more slippery on your baby's skin.

Your decision about what to use also depends on your baby's skin. If your baby has eczema, it is better to use her medical emollient cream or ointment.

There are some oils or creams that it's best not to use, whether or not your baby has eczema. These are:

• Mustard oil, because it has a toxic effect on the skin barrier, causing irritation and potential damage to delicate baby skin.

• Unrefined peanut oil, because the proteins it contains may sensitise your baby to an allergic reaction to peanuts or cause a reaction on your baby's skin. It's also best not to use refined peanut oil. Although it's unlikely to cause a problem, refined oil may be cross-contaminated with unrefined oil.

• Aqueous cream, because it contains a harsh detergent called sodium lauryl sulfate that may irritate your baby's skin and damage her skin barrier.

What if my baby has sensitive skin?

Vegetable oils that are high in linoleic acid may be gentler on your baby's skin. Linoleic acid is an essential fatty acid that helps to protect the barrier element of your baby's skin. Vegetable oils that usually contain high levels of linoleic acid include:

• sunflower oil

• grapeseed oil

If your baby has dry or broken skin, or atopic eczema, avoid vegetable oils that are higher in another type of fatty acid called oleic acid. Vegetable oils high in oleic acid may be harsher on your baby's skin than vegetable oils rich in linoleic acid or baby mineral oils.

Olive oil is high in oleic acid. One study on adults found that, compared with sunflower seed oil, using olive oil on the skin damaged the skin barrier. It caused mild redness even when there was no history of sensitive skin.

Oleic acid can make some layers of your baby's skin more permeable. This permeability could help oil and water to be absorbed into your baby's skin. But it could also mean that oil and water is lost, rather than trapped in. So if your baby's skin is already dry and tender, then oleic acid could increase moisture loss from it, which causes dry skin.

Research into olive oil and the effects on babies with and without eczema is currently happening. The findings should help us to have clearer answers to the questions about olive oil and its effects on babies' skin.

Vegetable oils that usually contain high proportions of oleic acid include:

• olive oil

• high-oleic sunflower seed oil

Labels on vegetable oils don't tend to list the oleic or linoleic acid content. They do list the proportions of polyunsaturated or monounsaturated fats, though. As a general guide:

• vegetable oils that are higher in linoleic acid are higher in polyunsaturated fats

• vegetable oils that are higher in oleic acid are higher in monounsaturated fats

Use oil that is high in polyunsaturated fats, if you are concerned. However, some vegetable oils have both polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, so it is not always clear.

Perfume-free baby mineral oils are another option if your baby has dry or broken skin. Mineral oil is derived from petroleum. Petroleum-based skin softeners (emollients) are effective and safe for treating skin problems such as dermatitis and eczema. If your baby has eczema, you should only use her medical moisturiser for massage.

Mineral oils or petroleum-based ointments have also been shown to help protect premature babies' skin. The oils are thought to improve the barrier function in vulnerable areas of a premature baby's skin because they help to seal in moisture.

Mineral oils work particularly well for baby massage if you give your baby a bath, and then massage her with the oil while her skin is still damp.

Whichever oil you choose, read the label and store it carefully. Mineral oils may have a use-by date, whereas vegetable oils may have a best-before date. This refers to their use for cooking rather than skincare, but may give you some idea of how long they keep for.

Buying a small bottle of vegetable oil specifically for baby massage may be better than buying a large bottle. Or you could buy a large bottle for cooking and decant a small amount into a clean bottle to use for baby massage.

If you use emollient to massage your baby, it's best that you use a pump dispenser or decant the amount of emollient you need into a small dish with a spoon or spatula. This is more hygienic than scooping out the emollient with your fingers, which may, over time, contaminate the emollient.

Source: Indian Pediatr