There’s nothing cuter than seeing your little one in the tub, smiling and splashing in the water while he gets clean. Bath-time is one of the best times to bond with your baby, and bathing has many proven benefits that will improve both your lives. It’s important to prepare your baby’s bath carefully, to ensure safety and the best possible bathing experience.

But newborns aren’t old enough to safely bathe in the tub, so here are some tips to make your very own “mini-bath” for your littlest one.

Tips for The Perfect Baby Bath:

1.  Keep all your bathing things in a shoebox so it can be ready to go (if you forget anything, you’ll have to bring your baby with you, which is hard when they’re slippery from the tub!) In your box, keep supplies such as a clean diaper, a washcloth, toys, and some mild soap. Also, don’t forget to bring your fluffiest towels. Once everything you need is in the bathroom, bring in your baby!

2.  Fill a basin or a large bowl with warm water. Be sure to check the water and make sure it isn’t too hot. Don’t be afraid to add spongy toys or rubber duckies!

3.  Pick a place to bathe your baby. Be sure that the area is warm, not drafty or cool, as you don’t want your baby to experience drastic temperature changes.

4.  If you use a liner (foam or otherwise) in your basin or bowl, be sure to rinse it out after each use. This limits the growth of bacteria and the spreading of germs.

5.  Wash your baby’s face with a clean, damp washcloth. Don’t use soap, water is all you need. Don’t forget to wash behind those ears!

6. Wash your baby’s scalp and hair with baby shampoo (the kind that doesn’t irritate eyes, like “No Tears” by Johnson & Johnson).

7.  After washing your baby, be sure to rinse him or her off and be careful that no soap bubbles or suds get into the eyes or nose.

8.  Pat your baby dry very gently with a soft, fluffy towel and make sure your baby is warm and covered until dry.

Now It’s Your Turn
After your baby is nice and clean, smelling fresh and fast asleep in bed, take some time for yourself and take a nice relaxing soak in the tub. Don’t forget to add some soothing bath salt . Taking caring of a newborn is hard work so a nice bath should help take away some of the daily stress.

Some Important Safety Notes:
Tragedies can occur in less than 10 seconds: before, during, and after your bath, don’t leave your baby alone - not even for a second. Before bath time, tell your family/roommates/friends you are busy and can’t be disturbed. If you must leave the room to answer the phone (and really, do you?) or to retrieve something you forgot, wrap your baby in a warm towel and take him with you. While your baby is in the tub, don’t turn your back on him, and, obviously, don’t leave the room. Also, be very careful that the water isn’t too hot. Water that seems hot - in a good way - to you, might be too warm for your baby.  Test the water by leaving your wrist in it for a few moments. Also, do not use bubble baths or detergents - in very young infants, they can cause rashes.

Stay safe, and have fun!!

That’s right - bath salts aren’t the only way to achieve baby-soft skin. Exfoliation, a popular spa treatment, involves sloughing off the skin’s outermost, dry, dead skin cells to reveal newer, softer skin underneath. There are a variety of tools out there that helps us do this: pumice stones (often for the feet), sea sponges, scrubs made of nuts, seeds, or (of course) salt crystals, and many more. But flesh-eating fish are becoming a popular addition to spa treatments and bathtubs around the world. Seriously.

The fish hired to do the job go by the name of Garra Rufa, and are also referred to as “nibble fish”, “reddish log sucker”, and “doctor fish”. These fish are mostly found in the waters of the Middle East, particularly in Iran, Syria, Iraq, and Turkey. What really sets these fish apart from others is their voracious appetite for dead skin - your dead skin. You get softer skin, he gets a nice big meal. Talk about a symbiotic relationship!

This exfoliating fish treatment is catching on all over the globe, but its roots lie in Asian and Turkish spas. This year, the first “fish spa” treatment in the United States opened up for business in Virginia - apparently this trend is catching on! The treatments take place in outdoor pools, which add to the benefits and pleasure. The fish are commonly used in pedicure treatments but can be used in bath water to exfoliate the entire body. A pedicure or bath using these little guys can cost anywhere from $35-$50 for a half hour. Proponents say the sensation of being nibbled on actually feels quite good, and people say it is an amazing treatment for psoriasis and other skin disorders. For some, the treatment offers nothing more than the promise of impeccably clean skin.

So how can it possibly feel good? For one thing, this hungry little fish is actually toothless - so “nibble” and “bite” aren’t really accurate terms for what they do. Interestingly, they only consume dry and dead areas of the skin - everything else is left alone, so you don’t have to worry about being eaten alive.

If you don’t feel like driving to Virginia, or the thought of being “nibbled” on by a bunch of fish spooks you, you can always try adding high quality bath salts to your tub instead - it’s a little easier, and a lot cheaper. While you take your bath, gently rub a handful of sea salts over your body to exfoliate your skin. You’ll be softer and smoother, and reap all the benefits of a bath with flesh-eating fish - without any flesh-eating fish.

When people think of taking a bath, they generally only think of taking one at night. Baths are extraordinarily relaxing and often make you feel sleepy, so it’s logical that we think of bathing before bedtime.

But did you know that bathing can also be invigorating, and even energizing? If you find yourself groping for your coffee in the morning and taking a quick shower only to show up at work tired, you should consider taking a bath before you go.

For an energizing bath, keep the water warm but not necessarily hot, and mix in some bath salts infused with essential oils from energizing sources. Orange, lime, tangerine, and ginger are all good choices. Color, believe it or not, is also important - choose a bright color such as yellow, orange red or even green to lift your spirits. You’ll save money on coffee, you’ll look radiant, and you’ll feel mentally sharp - so tomorrow, take your bath in the morning and start the day right!