The use of cleansing products compared to water alone for bathing babies has been subject to a systematic review,9 which focused on two trials. One study10 comprised of four trial arms, including washing twice weekly with a wash gel product; bathing twice weekly with water then applying a cream; bathing with wash gel and applying cream after bathing; and bathing with water only. The second study11 compared two different liquid cleansers with water for bathing infants. The results of these studies indicated no harm to skin barrier function with the tested cleaning agents, although the number of babies in each treatment arm was small.9 A large UK-based trial of a mild pH 5.5 liquid SLS-free cleanser versus water alone in bathing newborn babies for the first 28 days, conducted since this systematic review, showed essentially no differences in TEWL, hydration, skin surface pH and clinical observations.12 Skin hydration was raised in the cleanser arm at 14 days postnatal (ITT: mean wash score 49.7 (SD 9.2) vs. water 46.7 (SD 8.4), p=0.02, 95% CI -5.46 to -0.43), but was equal to those in the water group at 28 days postnatal. The evidence suggests that while some cleansers, particularly those containing SLS, can be harsh on the skin, other cleansers are available that have very mild effects on the skin, effects as least as mild as washing with water alone. The advantage of these mild cleansers is their increased cleansing efficacy and cosmetic acceptability. Given the limited number of robust clinical trials in this area there is a need to conduct further research to enable healthcare professionals and parents/carers to identify suitable and safe wash products and cleansing regimens for their babies and infants.