Features Of Children’s Skin

Children’s skin is very different from adult skin and is especially vulnerable to external environmental influences. To provide comfort to your baby’s skin and prevent dryness and irritation, it is important to choose the right delicate products for daily care.

After a baby is born, its thin epidermis (the top layer of skin) just begins to adapt to the environment. The epidermis, which performs the barrier functions of the skin, is 3 times thinner in a baby than in an adult, so in children there is increased evaporation of moisture from the surface of the skin and it is more prone to rapid dehydration. The top one, the so-called The stratum corneum of the epidermis in a child is looser than in an adult, which is why there is a higher risk of penetration of harmful substances. In addition, a child’s skin contains more water and fewer lipids than an adult’s skin, and the sebaceous glands practically do not secrete sebum – that is, there is an imbalance of the water-fat barrier, which can lead to dryness. By the end of the first year of life, skin cells mature, the stratum corneum of the epidermis gradually thickens, and by about three years the child’s skin adapts to the external environment.

A child’s skin has a low acidity pH and virtually no protective pigment melanin, a poorly developed immune system to protect the skin, so it is more susceptible to microbes, UV radiation and external factors that can provoke negative skin reactions.

Why Do You Need Baby Cream?

Dry baby skin is one of the most common problems that almost every young mother faces. Peeling, microcracks, inflammation and irritation – all this brings discomfort to babies and is a cause of concern for their parents. A properly selected baby cream will help strengthen the hydrolipidic (protective) layer of the child’s skin, supporting its barrier functions and ability to resist external aggressive factors, prevent dehydration and prolong the feeling of comfort.

Beneficial Properties Of Baby Cream

Traditionally, children’s skin care formulas are aimed at moisturizing, softening, reducing discomfort and protecting. Let’s look at the main properties of cosmetics for the little ones:

• Moisturizing and softening are the main functions of baby care formulas. Since the protective lipid barrier of the skin is not sufficiently formed, cells quickly lose moisture. Moisturizing components in the composition will help maintain water balance and prevent dehydration and dryness of the skin.
• Accelerates recovery, strengthens and protects the skin. Children’s skin often needs special care products that quickly soothe and restore the child’s skin.

Strengthening and restoring the natural protective properties of sensitive skin is another important function. Babies’ skin is especially susceptible to external irritants, which is why it is so important to support its protective mechanisms.

How To Choose A Baby Cream: Composition Features, Labeling

Choose care based on your baby’s basic skin needs. Products from your mother’s cosmetic bag may not be suitable for his delicate, thin, sensitive skin, as they can provoke an undesirable reaction. If you find it difficult to choose children’s cosmetics on your own, contact a specialist.

What should you pay attention to when choosing baby cream? First, you can evaluate its composition. help soothe, moisturize, soften, restore and strengthen children’s skin. Among them are:

• vitamins E, F;
• B vitamins (niacinamide, panthenol);
• plant extracts (calendula, chamomile);
• zinc oxide;
• glycerol;
• madecassoside;
• vegetable oils, for example, shea butter, coconut, avocado.

Remember that not all baby skin care products are suitable for newborns. Check the packaging for age markings, they are: “for babies” marked “0+”, for older children – marked “3+”. Also on the packaging there may be marks hypoallergenic” or “tested under the supervision of dermatologists and pediatricians.

Rules For Using Baby Cream

Children’s products also differ in the purposes of their use:

• moisturizers can be used regularly from birth;
• soothing – for example, for sensitive and atopic skin;
• before putting on a diaper, special products with soothing and protective components are used;
• rich nourishing creams create a protective film on the surface of the skin, preventing the effects of bad weather;
• During periods of sunny activity, before going outside, use children’s sunscreen with the maximum degree of protection against UVA and UVB rays (SPF 50+).

Before using a new baby cream, experts recommend testing for allergic tolerance of its formula: apply a small amount of the product to the child’s forearm and wait 48 hours. If there is no redness, swelling or discomfort on the skin, you can use the product as directed.