Everyday Baby Products And Ingredients To Avoid In Them

Before knowing which products and ingredients to avoid for your baby, it’s important to know why are you doing so. This is because a baby’s skin is different from that of an adult’s. A baby’s skin is more fragile, has a skin barrier that isn’t well formed, and is prone to trans-epidermal water loss, hence needing special creams, diaper creams, ointments, and appropriate hydration to protect the same.

The products that you should avoid on baby’s skin include:

Soaps

When choosing a soap make sure they aren’t alkaline as they generally include surfactants like sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS). SLS when used on baby’s skin can disrupt their skin barrier, and cause red rashes and dryness of the skin. Instead, go for neutral or slightly acidic pH soaps or you can even go for liquid soaps. Always consult your dermatologist when choosing a soap for your baby.

Baby lotion with specific ingredients

When choosing baby lotions avoid going for lotions that have skin-lightening agents as they may cause irritation to the baby’s skin, lotions with anti-bacterial properties like triclosan as an ingredient is notorious for causing irritant contact dermatitis and eczema in babies. Instead choose baby lotions that have ingredients like glycerin, colloidal oat extract, and white soft paraffin as they provide good nourishment and intense hydration required for the baby’s skin.

Diaper creams

Diaper creams that have glycerin, zinc oxide, and petroleum jelly are good to use on your baby as they have anti-inflammatory properties and well as hydrate the skin. Since the diaper area is the area that you clean very frequently, sufficient hydration is very important to ensure the barrier is normal.

Wipes

Choose wipes that are fragrance-free and alcohol-free as alcohol can take away the essential oil in the skin and make the skin dry. Wipes that have alcohol in them may lead to intense redness in the diaper areas.

Massage oil

The best go-to massage oil for babies is coconut oil. Avoid using mustard oil on the baby as it contains a component called Allyl isothiocyanate that can lead to allergic contact dermatitis.

In addition to all these harmful ingredients avoid using over-the-counter medication on your baby. always consult your dermatologist before giving any medication to your baby.