The Steady Hands Routine
What is a simple, safe skincare routine for a baby, and in what order?
The Steady Hands Routine is a four-step baby skincare routine, Wash, Soothe, Hydrate and Seal, finished with a cuddle and done in the same order every time, so your hands become what your baby knows. Wash with Bubbly Wash at bath time (about two or three baths a week is typical for a newborn, with a spot-clean between), Soothe with Soothing Serum where skin looks unsettled, Hydrate with Silky Cream every day, Seal with Nurturing Oil in a warm-hands massage, and Cuddle, which is always part of the routine and never sold.
The four steps
What is the Wash step? A gentle wash with Bubbly Wash that rinses clean: a bath or a quick spot-clean.
What is the Soothe step? A light layer of Soothing Serum over face and body, every day after the wash.
What is the Hydrate step? Silky Cream, fast-absorbing with a non-greasy finish, the step you will repeat most.
What is the Seal step? Nurturing Oil, warmed in your palms, for glide and to seal in moisture.
What is Cuddle? The invariant floor of the routine. A cuddle alone is still the routine.
When you only have a minute
The Steady Hands Routine is the reliable return of care: the same hands, in a familiar order, coming back. Its fullest form is Wash, Soothe, Hydrate, Seal and Cuddle.
On a tired night the routine runs at a smaller size: a step or two, then Cuddle. Smaller still, a cuddle alone. Tonight, a cuddle alone is still the routine. The smallest version counts.
Kim's sons are teenagers now. The routine that is left is a morning hug, held for a silent count of six.
What your hands do
Touch is where it all begins. It is the first sense we develop, and the way a baby first learns what safe feels like.
Warm in palms. Slow hands, gentle pressure.
Stop when your baby has had enough.
Begin the same way every time: rub your palms together where your baby can see. The cue becomes the routine's first step.
Cooing, a hand to the mouth and a loose body say keep going. Hiccups, a frown, a colour change or an arched back say stop for today.
Two kinds of safety
We build product safety so caregivers can create felt safety.
Our products are tools. The ritual is the message.
How to start
Start with the Discovery Set: BEB Bubbly Wash, Silky Cream and Nurturing Oil in minis, three of the four steps. Add Soothing Serum for the Soothe step.
Questions parents ask
Do I have to do every step every night? No. The routine is the return, not the completeness: a smaller night is still the routine.
How often should I bathe my baby? A full bath about two to three times a week is typical for a newborn, with a spot-clean between.
Where do I start? With the Discovery Set, three of the four steps in minis.
Keep reading in the Care Guide
Read about baby massage, bath time and building a bedtime routine in The Care Guide.
The Steady Hands Routine
Four steps in one order, finished with a cuddle.
Then a cuddle. Tonight, a cuddle alone is still the routine.
The Complete Vital Touch Bundle: Bubbly Wash 16 oz, Soothing Serum 2 oz, Silky Cream 4 oz and Nurturing Oil 2 oz.
