From top to bottom, your little one's skincare needs will change constantly throughout the first year. Are you keeping up?

While you were pregnant, you were a walking, talking skincare maker for your baby. The white, buttery substance you produce in the womb – called vernix – not only keeps your little one from emerging from nine months underwater shrivelled (just think about the skin on your fingers after a long soak in the bath) but, according to new research, it also helps her skin stay hydrated and fight off infection. It’s so powerful, scientists are even working on a synthetic version to use on adults (which could end up being the mother of all moisturisers). But, now she’s out, how do you keep your baby’s skin peachy?

BATHTIME RULES

A newborn’s skin is very delicate and, when you first come home from the hospital, you need to treat it very gently to avoid breaking down its natural barrier. ‘This outer defence helps reduce water loss from the skin’s surface, preventing it from becoming dry, itchy or dehydrated,’ says Dr Nick Lowe, a consultant dermatologist at the Cranley Clinic.