Bathing Newborns Just Once a Week May Prevent Eczema, New Trial Finds

For an adult managing a chronic skin condition like eczema, a recent landmark trial proved that a daily shower is just as safe as a weekly one. But for a newborn entering the world, the rules of the bath are entirely different: their skin barrier is not just sensitive, it is actively under construction.[1]

The ritual of the evening baby bath—warm water, lavender-scented bubbles, and a fluffy towel—has long been sold to parents as the ultimate soothing bedtime routine. Yet, dermatologists and pediatricians are increasingly warning that this nightly soak might be doing more harm than good, actively stripping away the very oils meant to protect an infant's developing epidermis.[1]

A new feasibility trial published in the British Journal of Dermatology in June 2026, known as the BabyBathe study, has put a hard number on this advice. Led by researchers including Dr. Michael Perkin, the study asked whether drastically reducing bath time could prevent eczema in infants with a family history of allergies.[2]

The researchers split 105 pregnant women into two groups. One group was instructed to bathe their babies no more than once a week for the first six months of life, keeping the water exposure short and mild. The control group followed standard maternity ward advice, which typically permits bathing two to three times a week.[2]

The results were striking. By the six-month mark, the infants in the once-a-week bathing group showed a significantly lower rate of visible eczema—just 16 percent, compared to 29 percent in the control group.[2]

To understand why water can be an enemy to newborn skin, you have to look at the mechanics of the epidermis. A baby is born coated in vernix caseosa, a thick, waxy substance that naturally moisturizes and protects against bacteria.

Even after the vernix absorbs, a newborn's stratum corneum—the outermost layer of the skin—remains thinner and more porous than an adult's. When submerged in a tub, especially in areas with hard tap water, the skin undergoes transdermal water loss. The water evaporates, taking the skin's natural lipid barrier with it.[4]

Dr. Thomas Marrs, a pediatric allergy specialist at King's College London who has studied infant skin barriers, notes that each additional bath increases the risk of skin-barrier dysfunction. "More bathing results in higher transdermal water loss," Marrs explained, adding that for young babies, especially those with risk factors, a weekly bath is sufficient.[4]

This preventative approach for newborns stands in sharp contrast to how doctors treat older children and adults who already have eczema. In late 2025, the Rapid Eczema Trials run by the University of Nottingham found that for 438 people with established eczema, bathing daily versus weekly made zero difference in symptom severity over a four-week period.[3]

"The findings of our study are great news for people living with eczema. It means they can choose a frequency of bathing that suits them," said Lucy Bradshaw, the lead author of the Nottingham study.[3]

But prevention is a different biological game than management. For a newborn, the goal is to avoid triggering the immune system's inflammatory response in the first place, preserving the acid mantle before it is ever compromised.[2][4]

So how do parents keep a baby clean without a tub? The UK's National Health Service (NHS) and pediatricians advocate for a method known as "topping and tailing."

This involves using warm water and a soft cotton pad to gently wipe the baby's face, neck creases, hands, and diaper area. Because newborns do not sweat like adults and are not rolling in the mud, this targeted cleaning removes milk spills and diaper residue without submerging the entire body.

While the BabyBathe study is a feasibility trial—meaning a larger, definitive trial is needed to confirm the exact efficacy—the 80 percent adherence rate among the once-a-week group proves that parents are willing to trade the nightly bath for healthier skin.[2]

The shift away from frequent bathing asks parents to rethink what cleanliness looks and feels like for a baby. A healthy newborn does not need to smell like artificial lotion; they just need their natural defenses left intact, allowing their skin to adapt to the outside world on its own timeline.[1]