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Baby Skin Care: Protection from Sunburn and Irritations

Since a baby’s skin is more delicate and sensitive than that of an adult, it needs special attention. It is a fact that the skin produces enough melanin to protect it from sunburn (if sun exposure is not excessive), however this is not the case for babies. This is reason enough to protect their skin from sunburn as well as associated problems, such as freckles and premature wrinkles. (Yes, you should be thinking about this even in their infancy!)

There may be a misconception in the minds of parents that it is healthy to expose children to sun, but medical evidence to support this has not been found. Using a sunscreen is essential to shield your baby from harmful UV radiation, though one should first test the baby’s skin with the lotion to ascertain if he/she is allergic to it.

Six Baby Skin Care Products

There are six baby skin care products that may be used to protect the skin and these are soap, bubble bath, shampoos, lotions and oils and baby powder. Mostly, plain water is protection enough for baby skin but once in a while, a little bit of soap is required. Such soaps should be mild and contain olive, coconut or palm oil and also some herbal extracts like calendula. It is best to avoid the harsher, antibacterial soaps.

Bubble bath products can be used on baby’s skin but care must be exercised as they are based on detergents that destroy beneficial bacteria and so may harm the baby. The FDA has ruled that bubble baths need to carry warning labels to advise parents against using excessively when bathing their children.

Another baby skin care product is shampoo and one should take care to only use mild, tear-free shampoos. Baby shampoos should not contain synthetic fragrances, artificial colors or highly allergenic warnings as well as irritating preservatives. Buying your baby shampoo from a health shop is advisable as the shampoos bought here will surely contain preservatives, including citrus seed extracts and vitamins A, C and E.

Babies who have skin irritation may need to use baby skin care products such as lotions and oils, but these should not contain any petrochemicals, which would act as irritants. Healing herbs in the baby’s lotion or oil may also be useful and worth using.