Let’s do a simple activity. Think about your most favourite food. Now think about what makes the food good to eat. If you are thinking about nasi lemak, it may be the taste of the santan or sambal, or maybe the saltiness and crispiness of the ikan bilis. If it is pizza, it may be the type of cheese used or the sauce that brings all the toppings together.
Great food stems from the ingredients used and how it is cooked. It is the same for skincare and cosmetics. What more when it comes to products for babies’ skin!
We cannot stress enough on how important it is to know what is inside the products you buy for your child, especially if they have sensitive skin. If you do not look at what makes up a skin product for your baby, you risk exposing them to an ingredient or formulation that their skin is not happy with.
What happens when their skin is not happy?
It gets angry.
And more often than not, angry skin goes red with a rash or sudden breakout. We want to stop this unhappy story right at its tracks and teach you how to make the right choice when shopping for products related to your baby’s skin!
1. Calming Calendula
If you see calendula in the ingredients, that is a good sign!
Also known as pot marigold, it is a plant with bright yellow flowers. The flowers are regarded as a herb used in skincare treatments for centuries – made through extraction to make body products like lotions, creams, and oils. It has been revered for its calming, regenerative, and antibacterial properties because it contains properties, such as triterpene saponins, carotenoids, and triterpene alcohols – all the good stuff, which you can do further reading on this later on.
2. Soothing Shea
If you have occasionally been around the beauty counter, you will spot shea butter as one of the main ingredients of a skin product. Shea butter is made from seed fat from shea trees found in the tropical part of Africa. It is rich, creamy, and packed with essential fatty acids.
But why do we promote shea butter for babies?
You see, shea butter contains very low levels of protein that can treat allergies. Believe it or not, after many years of testing and research on shea butter, there is currently no medical literature written regarding an allergy caused by applying shea butter on the skin!
Therefore, it is a great natural choice to use in babies’ daily skincare routine. It reinforces their skin’s natural barrier – making the skin incredibly soft. It also contains antifungal properties. As a natural anti-inflammatory ailment, it helps to relieve even the most sensitive skin. When not using it on your baby, you can slab some on your skin, too!
3. Allantoin as Aid
Another super-safe compound widely used in the cosmetics and topical pharmaceuticals industry is allantoin. It moisturises, soothes, and promotes the renewal of your skin cells with no history of bad reactions on the skin. Even those with sensitive skin can use allantoin due to its calming effect on the skin. It is found in plants like chamomile, wheat sprouts, sugar beet, and comfrey. Though it is gentle enough for the most sensitive skin, it also works wonders for the driest of skin!
Basically, allantoin is the ‘holy grail’ of ingredients for skincare!
4. 0% Paraben
Parabens are great and not great at the same time. It is a synthetic chemical that protects cosmetics against microbial growth and bacterial contamination – which is crucial for users. Nobody wants to apply sprouting fungus and bacteria on their skin, am I right?
Unfortunately, it also has neurotoxins and is linked to reproductive toxicity, hormone disruption, and skin irritation. Now, there is a lot of debate among skincare industries regarding the use of parabens. Though we are not scientists, we think it is better to move it to the ‘keep-in-view’ shelf and not buy products that contain parabens for your baby.
5. 0% Mineral Oils
Imagine wrapping cling wrap around your body. That would not feel nice, would it? It would feel like suffocating your skin!
Yuck!
That is what mineral oil does to the body. It is a cheap byproduct of petroleum processing, and when used in a topical product, it acts as a plastic wrap on the skin and hence, is a no-no for babies. Many cosmetic brands use mineral oils because they give short-term relief by making the skin silky smooth. However, prolonged use can lead to toughening of the skin, which puts the skin at risk of being very dry, clogging of pores, and causing irritation.
Want the best for your baby’s skin? Choose Cetaphil®!
Now that you know the ingredients to look out for and avoid when shopping for skincare products for your baby, allow us to introduce Cetaphil‘s range of products that are gentle for baby skin but works effectively – yes, there needs to be a balance.
1. Cetaphil® Baby Gentle Wash & Shampoo with Organic Calendula
It is formulated with organic calendula extract that soothes dry skin and prevents skin sensitivities. It is also hypoallergenic, gentle, and tear-free. Lather up and rinse clean easily!
2. Cetaphil® Baby Daily Lotion with Organic Calendula
With none of the bad stuff like parabens, mineral oils, and colourants, this gentle baby lotion with calendula works to moisturise and protect your baby’s skin from dryness.
3. Cetaphil® Baby Advanced Protection Cream with Organic Calendula
Suitable to calm sensitive skin and protect against irritation and discomfort. It nourishes baby’s skin for up to 8 hours. Your baby will cry no more with this soothing cream!
4. Cetaphil® Baby Daily Lotion with Shea Butter
The lotion that contains shea butter to nourish and soothe delicate skin. It is also clinically proven to keep your baby’s delicate skin hydrated for up to 24 hours.
5. Cetaphil® Baby Gentle Wash & Shampoo with Glycerin & Panthenol (Provitamin B5)
A head-to-toe, tear-free formula specifically designed for daily baths (dermatologist and ophthalmologist-tested). It is hypoallergenic and pH balanced for happy skin!
6. Cetaphil® Baby Shampoo with Soothing Chamomile
It contains chamomile, a herb that is antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antiseptic. It works on sensitive scalp without drying it.
7. Cetaphil® Baby Moisturising Bath & Wash with Aloe Vera and Almond Oil
This Moisturising Bath & Wash blends 1/3 moisturisers with soothing aloe vera for a lather-rich and soothing baby bath
The best way to care for your baby’s skin is to apply products that keep it smooth, supple, and free from any skin irritation. Cetaphil is always transparent with their formulations and ingredients, so you always know what you are putting on your baby’s skin. It is paediatrician-recommended, based on the endorsement by 200 dermatologists and paediatricians in Germany surveyed online from Feb to March 2015.
Now, go and take a good look at the current products you are lathering your baby’s skin with. Don’t you think it is time to provide their skin with the BEST protection without harsh (and potentially dangerous) ingredients?
The new baby range, Cetaphil® Baby with Organic Calendula is now purchasable in Watsons pharmacies nationwide and on Motherhood.com.my, too!