For a newborn in India, cold-pressed coconut oil or sunflower oil is the safest everyday choice. Sesame (til) oil suits babies past the first few weeks in cold north Indian winters. Mustard oil, the old north Indian favourite, damaged the skin barrier in Indian and Nepali studies, so skip it for young babies. And whichever bottle you pick, the massage does more for your baby than the oil.
Why Indian Families Massage Babies Every Day
Ayurveda calls it shishu abhyanga: shishu for child, abhyanga for oil massage. Most of us just call it maalish. A 2020 study in BMC Pediatrics surveyed 1,497 caregivers in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh and found that 93.8% massaged their babies. Nearly all of them (97%) used oil.
Research supports the massage part. Cochrane reviewers found that preterm babies who were massaged gained weight faster, though they flagged the trials as small and of mixed quality. In Uttar Pradesh, a trial of more than 26,000 newborns found that sunflower oil massage cut deaths by about half in babies weighing 1.5 kg or less. It made no difference to deaths across all babies.
The oil matters mainly in one way: some oils protect a newborn’s thin skin and some harm it.
Best Oil for Newborn Baby Massage in India: Each Oil Compared
Coconut oil (nariyal tel)
In Kerala and Tamil Nadu, coconut oil is the default, and the evidence backs it. A 2005 trial in Indian Pediatrics found that preterm babies massaged with coconut oil gained weight faster than those given mineral oil or no oil. It is light, it sinks in quickly and it contains lauric acid, a fatty acid with some antimicrobial action.
Best for: newborns, summer and monsoon, humid cities like Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata, babies prone to heat rash.
Watch for: coconut oil turns solid below about 24°C. In a Delhi winter, warm the bottle in a bowl of hot water first. A few babies get small bumps where oil sits on the skin, so stop if you see them.
Sunflower oil (surajmukhi tel)
Hardly anyone’s grandmother used it, but sunflower oil has more newborn research behind it than any other oil. It is high in linoleic acid, which helps the outer skin layer hold together. The Uttar Pradesh trial and a Bangladesh trial on preterm babies both used it. The Bangladesh trial found 41% fewer hospital infections in the oil group.
Buy cold-pressed sunflower oil. Refined cooking oil from the kitchen shelf is not the same thing.
Best for: newborns, low-birth-weight and preterm babies (with your doctor’s go-ahead), year-round use.
Sesame oil (til ka tel)
Ayurvedic texts reach for sesame oil first and treat it as warming. One of the few Indian trials to compare oils head to head backs it up. In 2000, researchers in Delhi gave 125 healthy six-week-old babies four weeks of massage with herbal, sesame, mustard or mineral oil, or no massage at all. Only the sesame group grew significantly more in length and arm and leg girth, and their blood flow in the thigh improved.
Best for: babies over a month old, winter in north and central India, dry skin.
Watch for: a strong smell and stained clothes. Buy cold-pressed (kachi ghani) oil, not the dark roasted kind sold for cooking.
Is mustard oil good for baby massage?
Not for newborns. Walk into a Punjabi or UP home in December and you will still smell sarson ka tel, sometimes warmed with garlic or ajwain. But a Nepal trial of 995 newborns found that skin massaged with mustard oil recovered more slowly than skin massaged with sunflower oil. A separate study tracked water loss through the skin, a sign of a leaky barrier, and found it rose over the first month in mustard-oil babies. Researchers blame erucic acid and other fatty acids in the oil.
Millions of Indian babies have had mustard oil massage with no visible harm. Still, there is no reason to choose it for a baby under three months when better oils are sitting in the same shop. For an older baby in a cold winter, test a patch first and stop at any redness. Never use it on eczema or broken skin.
Olive oil for baby massage
Olive oil is more popular than many people think. In the Madhya Pradesh survey it was the top choice, ahead of mustard. Yet a 2016 UK trial of 115 healthy newborns found that babies given olive oil (and, in that trial, sunflower oil too) developed their skin barrier more slowly than babies given no oil. Olive oil is high in oleic acid, which loosens the skin’s outer layer. Keep it for older babies with normal skin, if you use it at all.
Almond oil (badam tel)
Almond oil feels rich and suits dry winter skin. The concern is that almond is a tree nut. Babies with eczema can become sensitised to food proteins through damaged skin, so if your baby has eczema or a family history of allergies, choose another oil.
Ghee and herbal oils
Some families massage with ghee in winter. There is no research on it for baby skin and it goes rancid in heat, so it has no edge over coconut or sesame. Ayurvedic blends like Dabur Lal Tail use a sesame base with camphor and herbs. Camphor can be toxic to infants in larger amounts, so read the label and ask your paediatrician before using any camphor-based oil on a baby under three months.
Best Baby Massage Oil for Winter and Summer in India
India’s climates differ too much for one oil to suit everyone. Use this as a starting point:
| Season | Months | Oil to try | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Summer | April to June | Coconut, sunflower | Light, absorbs fast, less sweat rash |
| Monsoon | July to September | Coconut | Light in high humidity |
| Autumn | October to November | Coconut or sunflower, moving to sesame | Skin starts drying out |
| Winter | December to February | Sesame (over 1 month), warmed coconut | Thicker oil for dry, cold skin |
In an air-conditioned flat, the air is dry even in May. Use a little less oil and choose a lighter one.
When to Start Oil Massage for a Newborn
Most paediatricians suggest waiting until the umbilical cord stump has fallen off and the belly button has healed, usually 10 to 14 days. Until then, keep oil away from the stump. Preterm and low-birth-weight babies are different. Hospitals in India often use oil massage as part of their care, but start only when your neonatologist says so.
You can carry on with daily massage through the first year.
How to Massage a Newborn Baby, Step by Step
Before you start
- Pick a warm room with no draught and lay the baby on a soft towel.
- Wash your hands and take off rings and bangles.
- Warm a teaspoon or two of oil by setting the bowl in warm water. Never microwave it. Check the temperature on your inner wrist.
- Patch test any new oil on a small spot of the forearm and wait 24 hours.
The sequence
- Legs and feet. Long, light strokes from thigh to ankle, then small circles on the soles.
- Arms and hands. Shoulder to wrist. Open the fingers gently.
- Tummy. Clockwise circles only, following the direction of the gut. This can help with gas. See our baby burping guide.
- Chest. Strokes outward from the middle.
- Back. Turn baby onto their tummy and stroke from shoulders to bottom.
- Head. Light circles on the scalp, away from the eyes. Do not press on the soft spot (fontanelle).
Ten to fifteen minutes is enough. Massage when your baby is calm, about 45 minutes after a feed. If they turn away, arch their back or cry, stop for the day.
Oil massage before or after bath?
Before is the Indian tradition and it works well. Let the oil soak in for 15 to 20 minutes, then give a quick lukewarm bath with plain water or a mild cleanser. If your baby has very dry skin, a few drops of oil after the bath, on damp skin, help hold in moisture. A massage before bed suits babies who settle well with it.
Baby Massage Oil Myths: Weight Gain, Hair and “Fair Skin”
“This oil will help my baby gain weight.” The weight-gain trials were mostly in preterm babies and the benefit came from massage. Coconut and sunflower look slightly better than mineral oil. A healthy full-term baby gains weight from milk.
“Oil on the head makes hair grow thick.” No study shows this. Hair growth depends on genetics.
“Massage with besan or haldi paste makes the baby fair.” Skin colour is genetic. Rough pastes and scrubbing hurt a newborn’s thin skin. Skip them.
“Massage strengthens bones.” Bones grow with good nutrition and vitamin D. Massage helps with sleep, comfort and the bond between you and your baby, which is reason enough. Our post on dad and baby bonding explains why fathers should take a turn too.
When Not to Massage Your Baby
- During fever, vomiting or diarrhoea, or when your baby seems unwell
- Over a rash, eczema patch, cut or infected skin
- Right after a feed
- Within hours of a vaccine, on the injection site
- Never put oil in the nose, ears or eyes. Some families pour oil into the ears or nostrils. It can cause infection or get breathed into the lungs.
Stop using an oil and call your paediatrician if you see spreading redness, swelling, pus-filled bumps or a rash that does not fade within a day.
For more on which old-school habits still hold up, read our guide to Indian grandmother newborn care tips. Building your shopping list? See the newborn essentials checklist.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which oil is best for newborn baby massage in India?
Cold-pressed coconut oil or cold-pressed sunflower oil. Both have Indian research behind them and suit most babies. Start once the cord stump has healed.
Is mustard oil safe for baby massage in winter?
Avoid it for babies under three months. Trials in India and Nepal found it slowed skin barrier recovery. For older babies, sesame oil gives the same warming feel with better evidence.
Can I use olive oil for my newborn?
It is not the best choice. A UK trial found olive oil slowed skin barrier development in healthy newborns. Coconut or sunflower oil is better in the first months.
Is Dabur Lal Tail safe for newborns?
It contains camphor, which can be toxic to babies. Check with your paediatrician before using it on a baby under three months.
Which oil is best for baby dry skin in winter?
Warmed sesame oil for babies over a month old, or coconut oil. If your baby has eczema, ask your doctor about a fragrance-free emollient.
Sources
- Prevalence and perceptions of infant massage in India. BMC Pediatrics, 2020.
- Summers A et al. Sunflower seed oil versus mustard seed oil on skin barrier function in newborns. BMC Pediatrics, 2019.
- Agarwal KN et al. Effects of massage and use of oil on growth, blood flow and sleep pattern in infants. Indian Journal of Medical Research, 2000.
- Sankaranarayanan K et al. Oil massage in neonates: coconut versus mineral oil. Indian Pediatrics, 2005.
- Cooke A et al. Olive and sunflower oil on baby skin weakens natural defences. University of Manchester, 2016.
- Stanford Medicine. Changing infant care to improve newborns’ health in India. 2022.