Baby massage is a beautiful way to spend one-to one time with your little baby. The multitude of benefits to be had from a daily massage are too numerous to mention and not a day passes where I’m not recommending infant massage to a new parent. The one question that props up all the time is what oil should I use?

I always recommend an edible, digestible, cold/first pressed organic oil. Examples of such oils are sunflower, grapeseed, coconut and vegetable. Apart from the fact these oils are natural and easily absorbed by your baby’s skin, they’re generally naturally scented and therefore don’t interfere with the bonding process in the early days. Initially your newborn baby relies on his/her sense of smell as one of the main ways to detect the presence of Mum and Dad as opposed his/her sight.

I always recommend avoiding all mineral oils which are usually synthetic and often chemical based.

Similarly, the use of essential oils is not recommended for babies in the first year of life.

So, keep it simple and have a look at the health food section of your local supermarket or health food shop for a good quality natural oil to massage your baby and enjoy!