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Our wide range of hair and skin products can sometimes confuse people who are not sure what they are choosing. The same confusion occurs in Krya’s range of baby products. Choosing a Krya hair product for your baby is quite easy – we have a single herbal hair wash / shampoo powder and baby hair oil. But choosing a Krya baby ubtan or Krya baby oil becomes trickier. We have 3 Krya baby ubtans / bodywash powders and 3 Krya baby massage oils. This post is to explain the differences between the 3 Krya baby ubtans and bodywashes today and the formulation philosophy behind them.
Benefits behind traditional Abhyanga-Snana for baby:
Krya advises following the Ayurvedic principle of skin cleansing. In this, we FIRST oil and massage baby’s skin well with a correctly prepared Ayurvedic massage oil. The baby is then bathed using a herbal Snana powder (Ubtan) which has been formulated as per season.
This oil massage practice is especially beneficial in the case of babies where the skin structure is yet to be completely formed. The oil massages improves circulation in baby’s body and creates warmth. As skin structure is not yet completely formed, it helps the movement of toxins to the surface of skin, from where it can be removed. It delivers powerful herbs through the oil which work on various functions in the skin. We will see these functions of the baby massage oil in a separate post.
A Snana with a herbal baby ubtan works on a much deeper level than using synthetic baby soap. Our previous post spoke about the hazards of baby soap. Apart from being much safer to use compared to a baby soap, a herbal baby ubtan through cleanses skin. As baby’s skin is underdeveloped, the Srotas do not perform as efficiently as they do in adults. Hence the use of a herbal baby ubtan helps suck out hidden dirt, dead cells and toxins more efficiently from baby’s skin. Remember, soap works SUPERFICIALLY, but an ubtan works holistically and DEEPLY.
Ayurveda tells us that a daily oil massage + Snana (bath) using correct set of herbs is very beneficial to both babies and post partum Mothers. For babies, this practice improves complexion, strengthens bones and muscles, and encourages proper growth and development. Because it assists in removing Ama (toxins) so efficiently, the baby’s appetite and hunger levels are good and well adjusted. Elimination takes place properly in the body. Therefore nutrient metabolism is good, so baby receives the correct dose of nutrients as the system is able to extract this efficiently from food.
So, the Abhyanga-Snana in a baby assists not just in the baby’s external appearance and skin health. It works at deeper and fundamental levels and helps improve baby’s health and immunity.
Principles behind Krya baby ubtans & bodywashes:
All Krya baby ubtans are formulated and manufactured as per Ayurvedic principles. The Krya baby ubtans are made up of 2 kinds of basic ingredients.
Proprietary blend of lentils and grains:
The first set of ingredients is a proprietary blend of lentils and grains. We use organically grown, desi grains and lentils in all Krya products. For the Krya baby ubtans, we also add a set of medicated grains and lentils. These base grains soak for 24 hours in a specially prepared medicated herb decoction. This process softens the grains giving us a much finer powder. It also transfers the base properties of the herbs into the grains, so we have a much more powerful set of base grains.
These base grains and lentils have slight variations as per season. We generally use a mixture of Desi Mung bean, Himalayan Adzuki bean and Himalayan Navrangi bean in the Krya baby ubtans. To this, we also add a small proportion of heritage, desi Rice (typically we add Rajmudi Rice or Kavuni Rice, as is seasonally available). Heritage rice is extremely beneficial for baby’s skin AT THE RIGHT LEVEL – it is sweet, nourishing and gently cleansing.
Proprietary blend of Herbs:
The second set of ingredients we use in the Krya baby ubtans is our proprietary blend of herbs. This set needs to be at the correct level and the right herbs must be chosen. If we add too much of these herbs, they can be astringent and slightly harsh on baby’s skin. If we add too little, we have a formulation that is inefficient at ama removal and does not work too deeply.
In our herb set, one of the things we monitor is the synergistic action of these herbs along with our proprietary blend of base lentils and grains. Ayurveda advises that the overall formula must be slightly “ushna” in veerya or warming. Again here the balance is delicate. If the formula is too ushna, it can cause heat rashes and itching in baby’s skin. If it is too “Sheetya” (cold), the baby is prone to catching colds. The balance must be mildly warming without irritating skin.
Ayurveda also suggests that baby ubtans use a special set of Rakshoghna herbs. The word “Rakshoghna” can be interpreted in many ways – these are herbs which give “Raksha” or protection. At one level Rakshoghna herbs give protection at a physical level. So they have krimihara properties and help keep away disease causing microorganisms. However, at a deeper, emotional level, they drive away mental agitation and anxiety by calming down the baby and keeping vata dosha at the correct level.
We use a special set of herbs for the Krya baby girl ubtan. These herbs help in naturally lightening excess hair growth and are also considered auspicious for women. Apart from aesthetic reasons, Ayurvedic Acharyas recommend that we use specific Divya oushadi herbs for women (and baby girls) to bring about upliftment of mood, and increase positive energy.
Seasonal variations in formulation:
Ayurveda tells us that herbs must be chosen according to “Desha” (place), and “Kala” (time or season). So what is appropriate in hot and humid weather is inappropriate in winter.
For example, Badam (almonds) are often advertised as being present in certain Baby ubtans. Ayurveda tells us that the skin of Almond (badam) is full of Pitta and is highly irritating both when eaten and when applied. So traditionally, we are ALWAYS supposed to soak Badam overnight, and then rinse it in the morning, peel the skin and then only consume. This overnight soaking brings down the heat in the nut and removing the skin brings down its irritating effect. Unless Badam is pre-processed this way, it is not suitable for either internal or external use.
We use Badam in the Krya Intense hair oil. But even in our Hair oil, we pre-process the Badam in the same way described above. This takes us much more time, but we are sure that Badam will not irritate.
The high heat of Badam is very welcome in cold climate. So it is appropriate to use in a product meant to be used in cold countries or in cold seasons. But in hot weather, if the bay ubtan contains other warming ingredients, using Badam may make the entire product extremely “Ushna”.
Therefore Krya baby ubtans are always appropriately researched and formulated to ensure they are pleasant and comfortable for the baby to use in each season.
3 Krya baby ubtans and differences between them:
Krya has 3 baby ubtan products: the Krya Ubtan for Baby girls, the Krya Ubtan for Baby boys and the Krya Gentle Baby Bodywash powder.
The differences between the Krya Ubtans by gender are quite obvious. The Krya Baby ubtan for baby girls is designed to also mildly thin down excessive hair growth in babies. So it contains natural hair thinning herbs which also help improve the complexion. We use 3 kinds of turmeric in the Krya Baby Ubtan for baby girls – Turmeric is a “mangalya” (auspicious) Divya oushadi (divine herb). It is considered especially beneficial for Women, and is recommended to be used in any product meant for girls / Women.
While differences between gender are quite low in babies (apart from the hair thinning requirement), we also have a Krya baby ubtan for baby boys to complete our range logically. This ubtan uses a different combination of herbs from the Krya baby ubtan for baby girls. In this ubtan, we use safe, Rakshoghna herbs and skin nourishing herbs like Daruharidra (Tree turmeric), Rosemary, Kacholam (south Indian Zeodary), etc. This combination gently yet thoroughly cleanses and uplifts tender skin.
Many of our customers buy the Krya baby products during the last month of pregnancy. They want to ensure that there is no chance of running out of time and having to depend on synthetic baby products. Who can blame them? This IS a wise choice. Obviously at this time of purchase, the gender of the baby is not known. So we advise that they use the Krya Gentle baby bodywash powder. This is a unisex formulation, so it does not contain our set of hair lightening and hair thinning herbs. However, it can be used if you do not know the gender of your baby, have 2 babies that are close in age, or if you have twins and want to economize.
The Krya Gentle baby bodywash powder uses protective Rakshoghna herbs like Neem flower, Ram tulsi and Forest Tulasi. We also use skin nurturing and circulation improving herbs like Babchi, Khadira, Manjishta and Mulethi. In addition to keep the baby’s mood cheerful and calm baby down, we use Divya oushadi herbs like Vacha and Amla.
To complement these 3 Krya baby ubtans, we also have 3 Krya baby massage oils. We will speak about these oils in a separate post.
To sum up:
We hope this post gave you an understanding of the traditional practice of Abhyanga-Snana and how much it benefits a baby if done regularly. An abhyanga Snana must always be done with products carefully chosen for babies as their skin is unformed and they are very vulnerable to imbalanced products.
We also hope that this post helped you understand the differences between the 3 Krya baby ubtans, so you could choose the appropriate one for your baby.
If you have any questions on the Krya baby ubtans or any of our Krya baby products, please write to us.
Krya Products Recommended for Baby:
- Krya baby ubtans & bodywashes – made from organic or forest collected herbs, grains and lentils . Cleans thoroughly yet is extremely soothing and gentle on baby’s skin. Can be used everyday from the 1st day of baby’s birth.
- Krya baby massage oils – made using authentic ayurvedic herbs, and organic cold pressed vegetable oils processed through a rigorous ayurvedic manufacturing process. Can be used from the time a baby is 1 week old
- Krya traditional baby massage oil with Bala & ashwagandha – traditional formula that aids baby’s muscle development . Can be used from the time a baby is 1-2 days old. Not recommended for babies with sensitive skin, dermatitis, eczema or psoriasis. For these conditions, see below.
- Krya Palmarosa &Rose nourishing baby massage oil – Can be used from the time a baby is 1-2 days old. Recommended for dry , non oozing skin conditions like dermatitis, dry eczema. Not recommended for oozing skin conditions.
- Krya Lemongrass & Grapefruit nourishing baby massage oil– Can be used from the time a baby is 1-2 days old. Recommended for dry , non oozing skin conditions like dermatitis, dry eczema (sensitive skin). Not recommended for oozing skin conditions.
