Caring for your baby

Caring is more than skin deep

Pharmacies are often the first port of call for parents seeking both advice and quality products to suit their new baby’s individual skincare needs. Following are five of the most frequently asked questions, with suggested responses, all aimed at educating pharmacy staff. This information can be used to equip new parents with enough knowledge to facilitate a more informed decision making process when it comes to choosing personal care products for their baby.

My baby has sensitive skin (this question could include that the baby has dry, irritated or eczema-prone skin). Are there any ingredients I should avoid when choosing bathing and skincare products for my child?

Many parents fail to realise the importance of correctly choosing baby products to suit their child’s needs. Taking care to avoid products that contain ingredients commonly linked to skin irritations is paramount. Culprits include artificial colours, perfumes (particularly synthetic), some preservatives, petro-chemicals and some surfactants (ingredients that cause a product to foam) such as sodium lauryl or laureth  sulphate and cocoamphodiacetate to name a few.

Don’t be confused by the word “natural” or other label claims merely aimed to attract unassuming shoppers. Some manufacturers of so-called “natural” products still use strong preservative systems, foaming agents and even oils, for example peanut oil, in their formulations which may be linked to allergies in susceptible infants and young children.

While those with an existing family history of allergies and/or sensitivities are of course most at risk, it makes good sense to avoid as many of the ingredients thought to be linked to irritation as possible. Preferably, encourage parents to seek out products that contain a short list of natural or naturally derived ingredients, produced by organisations that are well known for their work in the area of natural baby care specifically. Having a great range of women’s face cream doesn’t automatically qualify a brand as being the best choice in baby care, simply because they decide to develop a new baby range.

As essential oils are not always recommended for use in products aimed at young babies, aroma-free or no essential oils is best to begin with. Where a product does include essential oils (for older babies), you can be sure they would amount to less than 0.5 per cent of the overall product. The more certified organic ‘base’ or main ingredients in a product, the better. The longer the list of ingredients a product has overall, the higher the risk a baby may be sensitive to one or more of them.

 

What is ‘soap-free’? Does a ‘soap-free’ product clean baby’s skin effectively?

There appears to be some confusion in general, over the use of the words ‘soap-free’. The word ‘soap’ is generally used to describe a solid bar used for cleansing. Liquid foaming or ‘wash’ products simply don’t contain the same ingredients as a solid bar of soap. A bar of soap is generally made from animal fats (or vegetable oils in the case of manufacturers who choose natural ingredients) and a lye solution made of caustic soda and water. The reaction between the oils/fats and lye neutralisers the caustic soda. For those who are sensitive to soaps, it is more likely to be the fats or oil, the preservatives, fragrances or colours added rather than the lye solution or caustic soda component.

For a product to foam/create bubbles or ‘froth’ it needs to contain a surfactant (surface active agent), which bonds water to grime (i.e. the skin’s natural oil) and washes away, thus providing a ‘cleansing’ action on the skin.

All foaming (bubbling, frothing, lathering) products still actually use a detergent base of some kind to create this reaction.

Suggest parents check the ingredients list of a product and make their judgement this way may be a better alternative.

Does using skincare products actually provide any benefits to the skin?

The skin is a living, breathing and permeable surface which boasts the number one ranking as our body’s largest organ. The skin’s main function is to act as a barrier, from infection and absorption of toxins, as well as to prevent the loss of fluids.

“Babies actually require very little in the way of skincare products for the first few months of life.”

Some studies conducted in the UK found that the skin of a newborn baby should be left to develop naturally, even when it appears to be dry, for at least the first important several weeks of life. The use of water only for this period of time was recommended as an outcome. A gradual introduction of gentle, natural-based product which is free from fragrant oils and that has been specifically developed for babies could then follow.

If eczema or dry skin is already present, it is important to keep the skin from being dehydrated any further, which will cause cracking, irritation and sometimes itching which can be worrisome for parents and cause discomfort to all involved. But young babies and new parents will both benefit from adopting a simple approach to baby’s personal care requirements.

The eczema Association suggests an unscented/aroma free (no fragrance or essential oils), natural moisturising lotion or cream to help combat existing dry skin conditions as the skin needs to be kept hydrated. Nothing extra is needed, aside from a gentle wash product, a simple moisturiser and perhaps an organic, natural massage oil. If parents wish to introduce other kinds or personal care, including aromatic products, seek out a quality product that once again, has been specifically formulated for babies and that contains true, therapeutic (not ‘BP’ or ‘standardised’) essential oils and check ingredient lists for the main ingredients. Avoid anything that appears to be formulated using mostly synthetics.

Is fragrance harmful to baby’s skin?

For young babies, smell is the first of the senses to develop and in fact newborns are able to recognise their own mother’s scent within a few hours of birth. If left to rest on their mother after being born, a new baby is able to crawl instinctively toward the breast using only the scent of its mother’s milk as a guide.

The introduction of artificial perfumes on mother’s skin during birthing can therefore confuse baby’s sense of smell at this important time. The use of any aromatic product on baby around this time can cause a loss of distinction between mother’s smell and the new, introduced smell.

“Fragrance or aroma of any kind can cause problems for some individuals.”

Some fragrances are in a base of alcohol or synthetic soluble liquid which in themselves can cause sensitivities, Natural aromas from pure, therapeutic-grade essentials oils appear to be less irritating than their synthetic counterparts; however it is advisable to avoid products with artificial fragrance or perfume as well as those with non-therapeutic, aromatic or ‘essential’ oils early on.

How do you tell the difference? A high quality pure essential oil is generally listed on the ingredient list of your product, accompanied by a Latin name (botanical name) in brackets, which describes the specific type of plant used to extract the oil, for example, some oils with the same common name are derived from different plant species, each with different therapeutic properties and different botanical names. This is the case with lavender, for example, which is sometimes substituted by lavandin, a less expensive, more camphorous oil. Another example is chamomile, which can be either the deep blue, chamazulene-rich German variety (matricaria recutita) or Roman (anthemis nobilis). The use of botanical names is not, however, always a hard and fast rule. A guide may be to first determine how much the company producing the product specialises in baby care and/or aromatherapy.

The addition of a gentle, true aromatherapy-based cleansing product to the bath water for older children may enhance their bathing experience and help soothe irritated, cranky members of the household by encouraging relaxation. Parents should refrain from using their own bath products when baby or young children are joining them in the tub as these may be too harsh for delicate, younger skin.

Are there any early signs of allergies I should be aware of?

If baby’s skin begins to show early signs of irritation including redness or drying, it’s best to suggest parents check ingredient lists on their baby product for the possible causes and discontinue use at least temporarily. Parents can give baby’s skin a product free day every second day and then use the product again. A ‘patch test’ is another good way to ensure the product parents are using is not causing the irritation. Simply rub a small amount of the product onto the skin inside baby’s wrist or in the elbow crease and leave for a further 24 hours. If no irritation develops it should be suitable to continue using.  Once again, suggest that parents take extra care if there is a family history of skin sensitivities or allergies.

Summary

Babies actually require very little in the way of skincare product for the first few months of life.

If parents wish to use a bath solution or enjoy massaging baby, opt for products which are pure and made from natural ingredients, specifically formulated for young babies and aroma-free. A product with a high certified organic content further ensures a minimal amount of artificial fertilisers and pesticides in the plant-derived portion of the formulation would be detected.