The thing most of us love about babies is that they are unencumbered. They eat when they are hungry, even though many adults eat when they are emotional. Babies cry when they are sad, even though many adults push those feelings away. In some ways, they have life figured out in a way that would take an adult years of therapy and meditation classes to achieve. Babies haven’t developed thick skins.
The world could do with thinner skin.
A baby’s skin is also not used to the abuse that our poor adults skin cells have endured, from suntans to highly processed and chemical beauty products. Many baby products claim that they are safe for a sensitive baby’s skin but cause the baby to cry or break out into a rash when used.
Parenting is hard enough. We don’t need to put products on our babies that make our lives harder.
A skin rash was in fact what led to Jessica Alba’s Honest Company, now a billion-dollar business. After breaking into a rash washing her daughter’s clothes, she thought, “I'm so allergic to this detergent, how can this be safe for babies?” (1)
Many moms are wondering the same thing, especially after we are told that baby’s skin is “prone” to rashes. (2)
Is this true, or is it the products we are putting on their skin?
1 in 10 children develop eczema, an inflammatory condition that is characterized by a raised red rash. (Teething cheeks can look suspiciously similar.)
Allergy medication can be approved for children as young as 6 months, but it is important to figure out the cause of the rash. In some cases, the cause is unknown or suspected to be the mother’s hormones. In many cases, it goes away on its own.
Many websites claim, “avoid the irritant.” What can be irritating to fragile, delicate baby skin?
Almost everything.
Perhaps that is an exaggeration, but it is true that the cutaneous layer of your baby’s skin is developing and the protective hydrolipid film is still very thin. (4)
Special treatment is necessary for cells to preserve their strength. Parents will do almost anything to preserve that baby soft skin.
It is important to choose dermo-cosmetics that are specially formulated for easily irritated baby skin. There is speculation that exposing a baby to harmful ingredients can make them develop allergies to certain chemicals. Keep it simple with allergen free hypoallergenic products. (5) Be careful to buy products free of scents, preservatives or colours. This will help to raise the baby’s tolerance level to any aggression. (4)
There are a few other super easy tips and tricks to keep your baby protected. Use lukewarm water to bathe them. It may not feel like a great temperature for you to have a bath, but it is important that the water is not too hot (higher than 97 degrees F).
It is also good to keep in mind that your baby needs a barrier from weather that is both too hot or too cold. If possible, avoid exposing your baby to abrupt temperature changes. Cover sensitive areas in the cold. Wearing socks as mittens can work wonders for a baby who likes to pull off their mittens, which quite honestly, is every baby.
In the warmer months, make sure that your baby has protective clothing as well as sunscreen. (At least mittens aren’t necessary in the summer.)
As much as we may want to protect our babies from, well, everything, life happens and sun happens. It is our job as parents to get them ready for it.
1. Kirshner, Lisa. See How A Skin Rash Led To Jessica Alba’s Billion Dollar Business. AOL. https://www.aol.com/article/2015/05/29/see-how-a-skin-rash-led-to-jessica-albas-billion-dollar-busines/21188964/Retrieved 11 December 2018.
2. Your Newborn’s Skin And Rashes. WebMD.https://www.webmd.com/parenting/baby/baby-skin-rashes#1Retrieved 11 December 2018.
3. What Do Skin Allergies In Children Look Like? Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/pictures-skin-allergies-childrenRetrieved 11 December 2018.
4. Your Baby’s Skin: Intolerant and Easily Irritated. Mustela. https://www.mustelausa.com/intolerant-and-easily-irritated-skinRetrieved 11 December 2018.
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5. Top Allergen Free. SkinSafe. https://www.skinsafeproducts.com/top-allergen-freeRetrieved 11 December 2018.
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