When your baby has sensitive skin, you’ll do anything you can to ease their irritation.
Changing to cloth nappies can help but could switching to natural skin care be the key to soothing your baby’s sensitive skin? Here we look at the best Green People products designed for babies with sensitive skin.
Why does my baby have sensitive skin?
Newborn skin is very delicate and according to the NHS it is normal for young infant skin to experience sensitivity as it adapts to life outside the wombi. The following sensitive skin conditions are all common in infanthood:
- Baby acne
- Cradle cap
- Eczema
- Nappy rash
- Prickly heat
- Impetigo
- Milia
- Ringworm
- Slapped Cheek Syndrome
- Hives/nettle rash
These sensitive skin conditions can be caused by many factors but allergies and bacterial infection are known to trigger inflammation in young skin. Lifestyle factors such as the skin care and nappies you use on infant skin are also linked to nappy rash, eczema and prickly heat.
Can organic skin care help with sensitive skin?
It can be distressing to see your child with sore skin and this is something the founder of Green People, Charlotte Vøhtz, knows all too well.
In 1994 Charlotte’s daughter, Alexandra, developed eczema. An experienced nurse, Charlotte investigated what could be causing Alexandra’s skin to be so sore and was alarmed to learn the damage that chemical ingredients could do to delicate young skin.
Charlotte’s research led her to discoverer that some children's skin care products can consist of up to 200 chemical components including skin-irritating ingredients such as SLS, parabens, petrochemicals, propylene glycol and synthetic fragrances.
Determined to find a natural solution to help her daughter, Charlotte created one of the first Green People products, Baby Salve, using natural, anti-inflammatory ingredients such as Lavender, Chamomile and protective Beeswax.
Charlotte's top tips for babies with sensitive skin
Here, Charlotte tells us why the salve is so good for sensitive skin and shares her top tips for shopping for products for babies with sensitive skin.
SOOTHE WITH A SALVE
A soothing skin salve should be an essential component of every child’s skin care collection. A great multi-purpose product, it can be used all over the body to calm irritations such as cradle cap and nappy rash.
When choosing a salve for babies with sensitive skin, opt for a non-aqueous cream that is water-resistant to protect against dampness when your baby has nappy rash. Beeswax naturally repels water and is a key ingredient in our Organic Babies Soothing Baby Salve.
CALM CRADLE CAP WITHOUT CHEMICALS
Cradle cap develops when a baby’s skin cells grow faster than the rate they are being shed. It is very common in babies under 12 months but you can help to lift the flakes by gently rubbing our Organic Babies Soothing Baby Salve into your baby's scalp before bed time.
Made with Rosehip and Pomegranate Seed oils, this scent-free, chemical-free formula softens the skin so that it can be released from the scalp with a fine-toothed comb the following morning.
MAKE BATHTIME BUBBLY WITH THE BEST BABY WASH FOR SENSITIVE SKIN
Babies love bubbles and bright colours and whilst these make bath time fun, the soap and synthetic fragrance and colourants they contain can dry out delicate skin and aggravate eczema.
My top-tip for choosing a baby wash is to banish soap, bright colours and artificial fragrances from the bathroom. Instead, safeguard young skin by switching bubble bath to our Scent Free Baby Wash. Containing Sodium Coco Sulfate (SCS), this skin-friendly foaming agent creates natural bubbles to make bath time just as fun but gentle on the skin.
BUY THE BEST BABY LOTION FOR SENSITIVE SKIN
My top tip for purchasing baby lotions for sensitive skin is to check the label for Omega-6 rich ingredients such as Sunflower seed oil or Evening Primrose oil. Rich in essential fatty acids, Sunflower seed oil is a remarkable ingredient that soothes dry and irritated skin whilst helping the skin to absorb nourishing vitamins and minerals.
TOP TIP: Baby lotion should be applied to dry skin but rubbing your little one’s skin dry with a towel after bath time can aggravate inflamed skin so always consider patting the skin dry instead.
SELECT A SUITABLE SUNSCREEN FOR BABIES PRONE TO PRICKLY HEAT
Applying sun lotion to a wriggling child can be challenging and some parents choose to use brightly coloured and tropically scented sun lotions to make the prospect of wearing sun lotion more appealing to a child.
Unfortunately, using sun lotions containing pore-clogging chemical ingredients can leave young skin vulnerable to prickly heat, a skin condition often brought on by the skin overheating and unable to breathe.
Characterised by a rash of red spots, prickly heat develops when sweat ducts become blocked as a result of low water intake and/or the use of pore-blocking personal care products, such as waterproof sun lotions. To avoid this, Green People does not use chemical or pore-clogging ingredients in their Organic Children’s Sun Lotion and instead, uses skin friendly Beeswax to offer water-repellent sun protection.
Which Green People product has helped your child’s sensitive skin? Let us know @GreenPeopleUK on social.
[i] https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/rashes-in-babies/
