Can I bathe my 5-month-old every day without drying out her skin?

My daughter is 5 months old. I have heard that bathing her every day with baby soap will dry out her skin. Is this true?

Absolutely not. While it is true that long baths with hot water will dry the skin, short baths (less than 10 minutes) with warm water are very beneficial to the skin. The cells in our skin actually take up the moisture and if you apply a thick moisturiser to your baby after she comes out of the bath, this moisture will be "locked into" the skin. Gentle soap is fine as long as you rinse the residue off completely before she leaves the bath. Children enjoy bathtime, and it's an important time for bonding between parent and child. There is no need to eliminate this wonderful activity if you use a little common sense. Bath away!