Baby care
Baby care products, zinc oxide, mild preservatives
Delicate baby skin needs special care and excellent baby care products. A baby’s skin is particularly sensitive. It differs in many ways from the skin of an adult:
- Baby skin is five times thinner than adult skin. It does not yet have the protective mechanisms of adult skin. Both care products and harmful substances can penetrate the organism very easily. Babies cool down more quickly and are particularly sensitive to UV rays.
- A baby’s sebaceous glands do not yet work at full capacity, the protective lipid film is not fully developed. Baby skin loses moisture particularly quickly and is more prone to irritation and inflammation.
- The sweat glands also do not yet work optimally: the baby cannot regulate its body temperature as well as an adult.
Baby care products: As much as necessary, as little as possible
Babies and toddlers do not need a wide range of care and active ingredients. They can simply be cleaned with warm water and do not need bath additives.
If you still want to use something, you can use a bath product with ultra-sensitive surfactants and lots of lipids that replenish the skin. For skin care, a baby lotion or milk is suitable to replace the missing lipid film.
To prevent redness in the nappy area, there are wound protection creams containing zinc oxide.
Fine baby fuzz does not yet need shampoos or treatments; warm water is also sufficient here. Special baby shampoos are suitable for older babies. Here, ultra-mild surfactants and the purest raw materials should be used (sulphate-free surfactants!).
Babies should never be exposed to direct sunlight. If it is necessary, they need very high UV protection factors and, if possible, a sunscreen that contains a physical UV filter.
Aloe vera, jojoba oil, calendula oil, camomile, olive oil, panthenol, avocado oil, almond oil, lime blossom extract and wheat germ oil are among the well-known skin care substances and are often used in baby care products.
Here it is very important to look at the documentation including by-product analysis to make sure that the raw materials are pure and of high quality.
As the skin of babies is much thinner and more permeable than that of adults, baby care products and infants should generally not contain any synthetic dyes, fragrances or preservatives in order to avoid unnecessary stress for the children.
We support you in the development of your own baby care range. Feel free to contact us!
Literature:
Skin Barrier Function in Infants: Update and Outlook.
Skin care interventions in infants for preventing eczema and food allergy.