CHOOSING YOUR BABY OIL | 选择一款适合的婴儿油

It is well documented that baby massage can play a vital role in aiding relaxation, digestion and promote bonding with a newborn. Research has also found massage to be a valuable tool in encouraging muscle strength and weight gain, particularly for the premature baby.

Supervised massage is an ideal way for older siblings to bond with a new baby and is a great way to get fathers involved in caring for their newborn. For toddlers who seem unable to settle, massage time can also be used as ‘sharing’ time or story time and provide an opportunity for quiet and gentle communication. The long, rhythmic and fluid strokes of massage can be instrumental in helping even older children prepare for sleep time and research aside, massage can definitely be used as a nurturing and soothing practice for all.

Some parents, however, fail to understand the importance of the actual product they use to massage their baby according to Infant Massage Instructor and organic baby care industry specialist of 25 years, Catherine Cervasio. According to Catherine, for a newborn or very young infant in particular, a good choice should be a cold pressed, low allergenic and preferably organic, vegetable oil(completely petro-chemical free). Oils such as sweet almond, sunflower or jojoba are ideal but offer little nourishment to the skin as a single oil. “A pre-blended product that contains a simple mix of additional cold pressed, naturally nourishing oils such as calendula or evening primrose oils, may provide additional benefits to dry, sensitive skin. These types of oils are rich in natural fatty acids and vitamins and can help to moisture dry skin whilst providing a medium for gentle, fluid movement during massage” says Catherine.

“Both major infant massage Associations in Australia (IMA Infant Massage Australia and IAIM International Association of Infant Massage) recommend unscented massage oils for young babies which is in line with UK-based research that suggests unscented product in general is best for new babies and those with sensitive skin or eczema. Despite this recommendation, some baby brands still rely on highly aromatic, essential oils (or artificial perfume) for fragrance and at times, are used purely to maskthe unpleasant smell of other ingredients such as foaming agentsand preservatives. Baby skincare products are specifically targeted to new parents - who are often feeling overwhelmed with the influx of information which surrounds the arrival of a newborn. Without exception, parents want to do the best for their baby by purchasing a safe and generally ‘natural’ based product. Catherine’s suggestion is always to avoid smells/aroma (including essential oils) of any kind during the early weeks after birth and especially when the infant has a family history of sensitive skin, allergies or eczema. Some product labelling and associated marketing can be confusing to new parents. By choosing simply-formulated (baby care with a short list of ingredients), products which are unscented, is the best option in my opinion” she concludes.

Catherine developed her brand Aromababy, as the first natural brand of its kind for babies and children more than twenty-five years ago. She went on to study aromatherapy and then infant massage as a specialty.

For further information, please visit http://www.aromababy.com

有充分的证据表明，婴儿按摩有助于放松、消化和促进与新生儿的关系。研究还发现，按摩可以增强肌肉力量和增加体重，尤其对早产儿有益。

在家长监督下，哥哥姐姐可以给新生儿按摩来建立链接。父亲也可以通过按摩更多地参与照顾新生儿。对于那些很难安抚的幼儿，按摩时间也可以被用作“分享”时间或讲故事时间，提供一个安静和温柔的交流机会。长时间、有节奏且流畅的按摩可以帮助大一些的孩子为睡眠时间做准备。按摩对于所有人来说，都绝对是一种抚慰人心的体验。

据有25年从业经验的婴儿按摩教练和有机婴儿护理行业专家Catherine Cervasio说，一些父母并没有理解他们实际使用的按摩产品的重要性。对于新生儿或非常小的婴儿来说，可以选择冷榨、低致敏性的，最好是有机的植物油(完全不含石油化学成分)。甜杏仁油、葵花籽油或霍霍巴油都很好，但作为单一的油，对皮肤提供的营养很少。“预先混合的产品，包含额外的冷榨、天然滋养油的简单混合，如金盏花油或月见草油，对干燥敏感的皮肤十分有益。这些类型的油富含天然脂肪酸和维生素，可以帮助滋润干燥的皮肤，同时为按摩提供润滑。”

澳大利亚的两大婴儿按摩协会(IMA Infant Massage Australia和IAIM International Association of Infant Massage)都建议幼儿使用无香味的按摩油，这与英国的一项研究一致。该研究表明，无香味的产品通常最适合新生儿、敏感皮肤或湿疹患者。尽管有这样的研究证明，一些婴儿品牌仍依赖高芳香、精油(或人造香水)来调香，有时纯粹是用来掩盖其他成分(如发泡剂和防腐剂)的难闻气味。婴儿护肤品是专门针对初为父母的人群——他们经常因为新生儿初来乍到而不知所措。父母都希望为孩子提供最好的，包括安全且“天然”的产品。凯瑟琳的建议是，在出生后的最初几周，避免任何气味/气味(包括精油)，特别是当婴儿有敏感皮肤、过敏或湿疹的家族史时。一些产品标签和相关的营销可能会让新父母感到困惑。在我看来，选择配方简单的(成分清单很短的婴儿护理产品)、无香味的产品是最好的选择。”她总结道。

获取更多信息请参考http://www.aromababy.com