What goes on a baby registry for skin care, and what can I skip?
A baby registry needs few skin care items, and the ones worth listing are the ones a parent uses daily: a fragrance-free wash that does body and hair, a fragrance-free moisturizer for dry patches, a light massage oil for after the bath, a soft-bristled brush for the scalp, six to eight soft washcloths and two hooded towels. Newborns bathe two or three times a week, so one wash and one moisturizer last months, and a trial set of minis lets the family find the routine before committing to full sizes. Scented products, talc and loose powders, which can be breathed in, and anything medicated can come off the list; a pediatrician prescribes what is needed. Diaper care is a plain zinc oxide barrier and fragrance-free wipes or cloths, both listed in quantity. Registering the items in the order they are used, wash, moisturize, seal, helps the person giving see how they fit together.
Who it's for: the registry builder, and the one set you don't have to research.
The routine, registered in order
Register the Discovery Set as the first routine, BEB Bubbly Wash, Silky Cream and Nurturing Oil in minis with $20 in gift certificates for the full sizes, then the full sizes of the same three as Wash, Hydrate and Seal, with Soothing Serum for the Soothe step. All of it is fragrance-free and formulated for the most fragile skin, so it fits whichever baby arrives.
Questions parents ask
How many baby skincare products do I need on a registry?
Three cover the skin: a fragrance-free wash, a fragrance-free moisturizer and a light massage oil, plus washcloths, a soft brush and hooded towels. One of each lasts months at a newborn's two or three baths a week. Add the rest once you know your baby's skin.
Should I register for a diaper rash cream?
Yes, a plain zinc oxide barrier, the kind on any pharmacy shelf, and more than one, since it goes on at every change once a rash starts. Fragrance-free wipes or soft cloths and a waterproof changing mat belong on the same line. Air time costs nothing and helps most of all.
Is baby powder safe?
Talc and other loose powders are advised against for babies by the American Academy of Pediatrics, because the fine particles can be breathed in and irritate the lungs. A dry diaper area and air time do the same job. If you want something, a plain zinc oxide barrier is the standard.
Should I register full sizes or a trial set?
A trial set of minis first, then full sizes of what the family keeps using. Minis last one to two weeks of daily use, which lets the family see how the skin and the parent get on with a product, and full sizes of a wash and a moisturizer last months.
When should the first bath products arrive?
Before the birth, with a fragrance-free wash in a travel size packed for the first sponge baths at home. The umbilical cord stump falls off in one to three weeks, and full baths begin after that. A moisturizer is used only where skin looks dry in the first weeks.
Why is fragrance-free the thing to register for?
Fragrance is the most common cause of skin reactions to cosmetics, and a newborn's skin is thinner and still building its barrier, so a fragrance-free product fits any baby from the first week, including one who turns out to have eczema-prone skin. It also lets anyone buying from the registry choose without knowing the baby. A faint natural aroma from plant ingredients is a different thing from added fragrance.