THIS week's contributor is Catherine Cervasio, Founder - Aromababy Natural Skincare.
BABIES have skin which is one third the thickness of an adult - for babies born prematurely this is a concern as they have not yet built up adequate protection to keep harmful bacteria away and sebaceous glands (which help to lubricate the skin) are not yet active.
Choosing the right bath care product is vital especially during those early weeks and months following birth - particularly so for a pre term baby.
"Sulphate free" is common these days and options are widely available across a variety of price points however there are more skin-drying culprits used in baby bath wash products which may be best avoided.
Suggest parents seek out specialty products which are low-foaming, utilise mild vegetable based surfactants and are fragrance free. Highly foaming baby washes can strip the delicate skin of its natural, protective oils which are there to protect. Ingredients such as lauryl sulphate, laureth sulphate (there are many variations of these) and cocoamphodiacetate can all be not only drying to the skin but potential allergy triggers.
Fragrance free (essential oil free) and selecting product from a baby care category specialist can all play a part in keeping babies skin integrity at optimum levels.
The above article was sent to subscribers in Pharmacy Daily's issue from 26 Sep 16
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