The Best Baby Massage Oil? Reach for the Sunflower

With so many parents discovering the benefits of baby massage, I’m often asked for advice on which baby massage oil is best for little one’s skin.

It’s a good question, and an important one, too. Just as us grown-ups are seeking out more natural, less processed alternatives in the food we eat and the beauty products we use on our skin, many parents are choosing to move away from traditional baby lotions and use plant-based baby oils instead, like the organic sunflower oil I use in our baby massage classes.

Why the change? You only have to look at the raft of recent litigation against Johnson & Johnson – the brand that springs to mind when we think about baby oils and baby powder – to understand why parents are becoming less willing to accept what the big brands are pushing their way.

Parents are also wising up. We’re more aware nowadays of the ways these big pharma companies prey on that wanting-what’s-best mindset that we all have as new parents. Johnson’s, once one of the world’s most trusted brands, is now anything but.

Yes, the adverts are all warm and cosy, and their baby oil has that built-in ‘new baby’ smell, but finding oils which are actually best for baby’s skin is a different matter altogether.

So what are the alternatives to baby oils like Johnson’s?

In a nutshell, it’s a case of vegetable vs mineral. Talcum powder and synthetic baby oil are out, and organic, plant-based oils are in.

We use organic sunflower oil in our baby massage classes. Why? Because plant-based oils work differently to petroleum-based baby oils, and are more in keeping with baby skin’s natural development.

Picture a roadside puddle and you’ve got a perfect example of how petroleum-based oil (like that used in your car) sits on top of water.

It’s the same thing with traditional baby oils like Johnson’s. You get a layer of oil that sits on top of any moisture on your baby’s skin, after bath-time for instance. So from the outside, to our touch the skin feels all lovely and moisturised, but the reality is nothing is really happening underneath.

With a plant-based oil, on the other hand, you’re actively nourishing your baby’s skin as it develops.

It’s important to note that the NHS advises against using any kind of oil or lotion in the first month since birth. This is to allow baby’s skin to mature naturally and develop its own protective barrier against the elements.

But after month one, doesn’t it make more sense to support this natural process, rather than covering it all up with something synthetic?

Sunflower oil in particular contains high levels of linoleic acid, which replenishes the skin’s own protective barrier from within. It’s also preferable to olive oil, which is high in oleic acid and can dry out certain layers of baby’s skin.

Coconut oil, almond oil, and sesame oil are also perfectly good for baby massage. Just make sure that the baby massage oil you’re using is 100% plant-based and free from any mineral additives or synthetic fragrances.

Remember, if your little one was born prematurely or has eczema, dermatitis or another type of skin condition, it’s always best to seek guidance from your midwife or health visitor. We always start our baby massage classes with a skin test to check for any adverse reactions to the massage oil we use. You’ll also get a bottle of our organic sunflower oil to take away with you.

For more details on our baby massage classes, click here.

See you at the Sanctuary,

Siobhan x