Parents need proper care and attention while selecting the skin product for their babies. As a baby’s skin is delicate, soft and is still undergoing development. Children’s skin can be more sensitive to irritation or dryness as compared to adult’s skin.
Which is why selecting the right skin care product for everyday use is very important for keeping the child’s skin hydrating and glowing. Moreover they should also avoid using too many products as child skin is gentle and it cannot tolerate a lot of products.
One of the essential everyday products during bath time is a gentle cleanser which helps in removing dust, sweat, oil and other environmental impurities from the skin pores without disturbing the skin’s natural moisture.
Therefore in this guide we will talk about why does baby need gentle cleaning, what makes a cleanser gentle, bar soap or liquid cleanser, right way to clean the baby’s skin and what should avoid will help the parents to pick the right gentle cleanser for their baby’s skin which helps in cleaning skin without causing skin damage.
Why Do Baby and Children’s Skin Need Gentle Cleansing?
Children’s skin has a skin’s protective barrier which helps in locking moisture onto the skin and preventing the entry of harmful substances into the skin pores. But regular washing, using hot water, scrubbing the skin vigorously or using harsh soaps can severely damage the skin barrier which results in skin irritation or dryness and makes the skin more vulnerable.
But still cleansing is important for skin particularly the areas where saliva, food, sweat and diaper contents get accumulated. That’s why parents should look for a gentle cleanser which helps in removing the impurities without withdrawing the skin’s natural oil.
For children’s skin, experts have highly suggested using a gentle, fragrance free, non-abrasive soap or cleanser and mainly applying on the skin which is more likely to get accumulation of food, saliva, diaper contents and needs cleaning.
What Makes a Cleanser ‘Gentle’?
Parents should avoid picking the cleanser based on its trends and should look for the following characteristics while choosing the gentle cleanser.
Fragrance Free Formula
Artificial fragrances used in the cleansers can totally lead to skin irritation for baby or children’s skin and it generally does not provide any skin related benefits. This is why dermatologists recommend parents to focus on cleansers which are free from synthetic fragrances to avoid any skin irritation.
Gentle Formula
Children’s skin is sensitive and easily gets irritated by external factors and skin care products. That’s why it is beneficial if you avoid products that contain exfoliating acids, combinations of ingredients, alcohols or potentially irritating ingredients. Parents should look for a soap or cleanser which contains gentle and non-drying formula.
Mild Cleansing Ingredients
For babies skin, a cleanser which contains mild cleansing ingredients which helps in removing the excess oil and other irritants from the skin without pulling out the skin moisture is generally recommended. They should totally avoid cleansers with harsh surfactants that make the skin more dried.
Bar Soap and Liquid Cleanser
One of the common questions of every parent is having a query about bar soap and liquid cleanser. They often feel confused about which is best for their children. But dermatologists highly advised to use liquid cleansers on the babies having eczema prone or irritated skin rather than a traditional bar soap.
A cleanser is convenient to use because a small amount can be directly applied on the hands or wash cloth. However a cleanser should be free from any synthetic fragrance and harmful preservatives to avoid any skin irritation. Cleanser texture can be taken creamy, gel or liquid based according to the children’s skin.
Right Way to Clean Baby’s Skin
Parents should not complicate the baby bath, it should be gentle and simple. Follow the below steps to wash the baby skin properly and safely:
- Use lukewarm water to properly rinse the baby skin and avoid hot water.
- Put the cleanser on the hands and gently massage the cleanser on the baby skin particularly to clean the areas which are more prone to accumulate food, dust, saliva and diaper contents.
- Avoid scrubbing the baby skin aggressively and gently massaging is enough and clear off the cleanser residue with water.
What Parents Should Avoid?
Parents should strictly avoid these ingredients and bad bathing habits to prevent their baby from any skin related issues.
- Parents should avoid using higher concentrations of exfoliating acids such as glycolic acid face wash as it can totally lead to skin irritation and burning.
- They should avoid cleansers with harsh surfactants such as sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS) as it can remove the natural oil from the skin barrier.
- Common chemical preservatives such as methylparaben are used to prevent bacterial growth but can totally penetrate the baby’s skin and damage the skin barrier.
- Over washing the baby skin can contribute to drying out the baby skin. That’s why 2 or 3 times a week is sufficient for babies but parents should keep the diaper area clean.
- Leaving the child to sit on soapy water for a long period of time can totally irritate the skin and severely dry out the skin. That’s why you should avoid children sitting for a long time in bubbly and soapy water.
The Bottom Line
Children’s skincare should be simple and gentle as it is more beneficial for keeping the baby’s skin healthy rather than excessive skincare products. A gentle cleanser is one of the important steps in protecting the child’s skin barrier.
As it helps in removing the dust, sweat, saliva and other impurities from the skin. But parents should focus on a mild, fragrance free cleanser which helps in keeping the skin clean without any unnecessary irritation.
Yet sometimes children’s skin feels irritated by some products which is why parents should pay attention to baby’s skin and if they notice redness, irritation or dryness they should stop and change the product. With gentle cleaner, using the right way and proper bath time can make the bathing time an enjoyable experience for children.
