Baby Massage Oils

Choosing the right massage oil for you and baby.

Baby Massage – What type of oils can I use?

Oil is used to make the massage experience more pleasurable for both the baby and the parent or carer. However it is important to use the correct type of oil.

For infants without any special needs, the International Association of Infant Massage recommends the use of natural, edible and food-grade fruit or vegetable oil. Organic and cold-pressed are recommended, but by no means the only choice. This means we can look in the baking/cooking aisle of the grocery store.

Extra virgin olive oil was, until recently, the oil of choice however recent research suggested that it can break down skin cells. This appears to still be causing some controversy.

Please do your own research on organic seed oils, information is frequently updated as more research is done.

Babies will tend to chew, suck and gnaw on their hands, feet and also the hands of their caregivers, they end up eating the oil.

If it is oil that you would cook or bake with and be comfortable feeding to a child, then it is oil that that can be used to massage a baby.

Patch testing

Generally, a patch test is advised, try a little of your chosen oil on a patch of skin the baby can not reach.

The tummy or behind their knee are good areas to do the patch test

• Rub a small amount on an area that your baby cannot further irritate (if irritation occurs).
• If no redness and/or bumps appear after about 20 minutes and/or if your baby does not seem to be having any systemic reaction (check respiration and skin & muscle tone), then you’re probably doing fine with the chosen oil.

Which oils are generally considered safe?

• Sunflower oil
• Grape seed
• Sesame seed oil
• Apricot kernel oil
• Fractionated coconut
• Almond – botanically, almond is a fruit related to the plum & peach family. It is a tree nut, so do take care (not recommended in childcare settings where nut allergies may be a problem).

Beware of oils produced for cosmetic purposes. Typical “massage oils” are not food grade and therefore not suitable for babies delicate skin.