Do you know that a newborn baby’s skin is quite thin and sensitive and requires utmost care and attention? Around 20 percent of newborns get dry and peeling skin and sometimes even baby eczema. To prevent these conditions, you have to nourish your baby’s skin so it remains soft and healthy. Here is where lotions and creams with shea butter help. Shea butter has anti-inflammatory properties and is the solution to many skin conditions. It hydrates and moisturizes your tiny tot’s skin. It nourishes, soothes, and heals your baby’s skin and makes it smooth, soft, and healthy. Let’s know more about shea butter and its benefits below.  

What is Shea Butter?

Shea butter is extracted from the shea nuts of the Karite tree. It has a lot of beneficial nutrients that are great for the skin. Some of these include saturated fatty acids like stearic, oleic, palmitic, and linoleic acids and vitamins like A, E, and F. It is an effective emollient with anti-inflammatory properties and is used in hair and skin care-related cosmetics products.  

Benefits of Shea Butter

Shea butter has several benefits related to hair and skincare. It is used to hydrate the skin and help in skin conditions like rashes, insect bites, and even eczema. Its moisturizing and anti-inflammatory properties are especially beneficial for expectant mothers and newborn babies. Let’s have a look at these benefits in detail below. 

1. Moisturizes and Protects Skin

Shea butter is loaded with skin-friendly fatty acids and vitamins. It hydrates and moisturizes the skin by forming a protective barrier on the skin’s surface. Shea butter for babies is a natural emollient and skin softener that protects your cuddle bunny’s skin and keeps it smooth and healthy. Try baby lotions and creams made of Shea butter along with other seed oils like Jojoba oil and Cocoa butter. These are especially skin-friendly as they are similar to body oils natural to human skin. O’Mumsie’s face and body butter for kids contains all the above ingredients along with other skin-friendly organic oils and vitamins. Their unique combination protects and moisturizes your baby’s skin and keeps it nourished and healthy.  

2. Heals Diaper Rashes, Insect Bites, and Eczema

Shea butter is anti-inflammatory and has antibacterial and antifungal properties too. It prevents diaper rashes and keeps your baby’s skin smooth and supple. It is also helpful in treating minor insect bites like that of mosquitoes. Fatty acids in shea butter reduce inflammation and boost collagen production. These are absorbed by the skin quickly and help reduce baby and adult eczema flare ups. Regular shea butter massage also cures skin and scalp rashes in babies. Try O’Mumsie’s baby shampoo and wash with shea butter that cleans and keeps your baby’s skin moisturized even after bathing. 

3. Protects from Harmful UV Rays

Shea butter is full of antioxidants and vitamins. Along with saturated fatty acids, it is rich in cinnamic acid which boosts cell regeneration and heals the skin. Nutrients present in shea butter like Vitamin A, E, and K have antioxidant properties and protect your baby’s skin from harmful UV radiation. For harsh sunlight, use a shea butter lotion along with a regular sunscreen for babies as it offers around SPF 4 protection only. 

4. Great for Baby Massages

Shea butter for babies soothes and nurtures your cuddle bunny’s skin. Formulations like O’Mumsie’s face and body butter contain no harmful chemicals, parabens, dyes, and sulfates. It has natural organic ingredients like shea and cocoa butter that are great for baby massages. A gentle massage with it before bedtime will relax your baby and help him/her fall asleep sooner.   

5. For Expecting or New Moms

Shea butter is great for pregnant women and new moms too. You can use it during pregnancy and after post-baby birth too. Application of shea butter during pregnancy and after it reduces chances of stretch marks on bellies, hips, and other areas where expecting mothers tend to gain weight. Breastfeeding mums often get dry and cracked nipples that lead to sensitivity and pain. Application of shea butter keeps them moisturized leading to a pain-free breastfeeding experience.  

6. Other Benefits

Shea butter has a whole lot of other benefits too. It has anti-inflammatory properties that reduce skin swelling and heal acne-prone skin. Cinnamic acid in it has anti-aging benefits as it boosts cell regeneration and collagen production. Saturated fatty acids in it hydrate the skin and lock in the moisture keeping the skin smooth and supple. Shea butter has antifungal properties too and is used in topical creams for treating ringworm, athlete’s foot, and yeast infections. 

Shea Butter for Babies-Precautions and How to Use

1. Do a patch test on a small area of skin before applying shea butter on your baby and wait for a couple of hours. If there are no itching, redness, or swelling symptoms then go ahead with the butter. Even though there are no documented cases of shea butter allergies, testing is necessary as the safety of your baby comes first.
   
   
2. If you are using unrefined shea butter, then check out for kernels or solid bits in it. Your newborn’s skin is sensitive as it is 20 percent thinner than yours. Applying it directly may hurt the baby’s skin. So, heat the shea butter, pass it through a strainer, and check the temperature before using it. 
   
   
3. You can use moisturizing creams and baby formulations like O’Mumsie’s face and body butter without heating as these do not contain any grit or nut bits. Take a spoonful in your palms and gently massage your bonnie baby. Take care to avoid genitals and eye areas. In case of skin dryness or baby eczema, apply it on the affected part after bathing the baby. Skin conditions like these generally heal in a month, but if the issue persists then consult your pediatrician. 

Final takeaway

Shea butter for babies is a panacea for many skin issues that a newborn may face. It is packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, saturated fatty acids, and several other nutrients that are beneficial for your little one’s skin and hair care regimen. Get O’Mumsie’s made-for-baby products today and get all the benefits of shea butter along with other organic nutrients.