First-time mum shares super weird treatment for baby acne on TikTok

Be it traditional medicine or advanced sciences, everyone agrees that breast milk is a great source of nutrition for infants. In fact, it is the only source of food for many babies up till the age of six months.

Plus, it has all the right nutrients required for the little one’s growth and development. 

While no one has ever doubted this claim, there now seems to be a new benefit of breast milk, or so claims a certain mum. 

Turns out breast milk is great for the baby’s skin, especially as a self-care ritual. To demonstrate this, one mum recently shared how she treats baby acne with breast milk in a video on TikTok. 

Understandably so, this has left the internet divided. 

Baby acne on face treatment

@ahlingaling

When your baby has acne so you make a breastmilk mask for him. ? #baby #babiesoftiktok #fyp #levi #babyhack #alphathalassemia #survivor #skincare

♬ Banana (feat. Shaggy) [DJ FLe - Minisiren Remix] - Conkarah

The mum, who goes by Linh Ta on TikTok, shared a video that shows a face mask soaked in breast milk placed on her son Levi’s face. 

The video is captioned “When your baby has acne and you make a breast milk mask for him.”

The video then transitions to the mum placing the breast milk soaked face mask on the baby’s face while he is asleep. 

The baby then looks extremely cute sleeping peacefully with the mask on. And the video ends with what appears to be more radiant facial skin on the little one. 

The internet is not convinced

The baby with that face mask on looks super adorable. But the short video does not exactly elaborate on how the process works. And netizens don't seem to be buying into this idea. 

One user wrote, “Babes, it has to do with ur diet.”

Another commented, “It’s a reaction. Verify your diet if lactating. Great idea with the spa day.”

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One user chimed, “I thought those pimples in babies was calcium build-up from drinking too much milk.”

Some did find it hilarious and said that the baby would love these photos when he is older. 

One person wrote, “Your baby is going to LOVE these photos when they are like 16 years old.”

Meanwhile, there were many who were simply jealous of the baby’s self-care routine.

One user commented, “Lil’ guy living his best life.”

Another wrote, “This is just amazing and too cute! Go momma.”

What is baby face acne?

Baby skin is extremely sensitive and goes through a lot of changes in the first few weeks after birth. Acne is a part of this transitional process. 

Baby acne is essentially little milk pimples known as millia.

They are tiny white lumps that form on the baby’s face soon after birth. And they are completely different from the skin acne that teenagers and adults get at a later stage in life.

What causes millia?

Millia is a result of a collection of dead cells or keratin from the top layer of the skin. This gets trapped just below the surface of the skin. Over time, the baby’s skin will shed millia by itself.

Unless you observe redness, swelling or crusting around these, there’s nothing to be worried about. Meanwhile, do visit your paediatrician if you see any of the red flags. 

Are there any risks of applying breast milk on the baby?

Absolutely not! There are no known side effects of breast milk. In fact, the first-time mum said that she experimented with the “mask purely out of boredom.” 

How do you treat baby acne on the face?

While acne or millia is pretty common with babies, it may take some time to shed off from the child’s skin. Here are some useful tips to help deal with the acne 

• Keep your baby’s face clean. 
• Wash your child’s face every day with warm water and mild baby soap.
• Pat the skin dry. Do not rub the face with a towel.
• Avoid pinching or scrubbing off the acne, you will damage the little one’s skin causing rashes or infection.
• Do not use lotions or oil on the baby’s face.

In addition to these, it is also advisable to always keep a close watch on your baby’s skin. If you spot anything abnormal, rush them to the doctor.

ALSO READ: There's a new TikTok ugly baby challenge and we are not sure what to think

This article was first published in theAsianparent.