Baby Skin Care
It probably won't come as a shock when I tell you that a baby's skin is extremely sensitive and vulnerable. Your first response might be that cleansing and moisturizing your children's skin probably seems not just logical but obvious. Based on the anatomical and functional characteristics of a baby's skin, it is accepted and relatively self-evident that their skin is more delicate than an adult's and, therefore, more prone to irritant and allergic skin problems. The ideal cleansers, moisturizers, powders, and sunscreens should be very mild to avoid irritation, allergic, or sensitizing skin reactions (Source:
Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, September 2001, Supplemental, pages 12–15).
Despite this fairly intuitive, commonsense information, it turns out that most skin-care products aimed at children are formulated to be anything but gentle and soothing. They are often an irritation waiting to happen. There are an alarming number of expensive and inexpensive baby products that are marketed as better for young, delicate skin—yet, for the most part, they aren't.
The baby section in the drugstore—and at a growing number of cosmetics counters and health food stores—have sweet, adorably packaged shampoos, moisturizers, cleansers, and sun products. You assume the manufacturers have taken special care to use only ingredients that will be the most gentle to your baby's skin, but that assumption is not accurate. Think about the wafting, appealing fragrances emanating from most baby products you've shopped for. Right there you've recognized a major problem—fragrance—one serious enough that it makes me leery of using baby products for anyone's skin, let alone a baby's!
Products for babies and young children are usually highly fragranced. That delicious, recognizable aroma you could smell a mile away is nothing more than added fragrance, which we know can cause irritation. Moreover, baby products almost always have a pretty yellow or pink tint, which is contrived by coloring agents, another group of problematic skin-care ingredients for sensitive skin. If baby products were really gentler than those that adults put on their skin, they would be fragrance free and contain no coloring agents. Sadly, few of those exist.
Cosmetics and hair-care companies know that mothers have an impulsive emotional pull toward scents that trigger the image of their babies. That subconscious pull is difficult for a marketer to ignore, given the way women gravitate to the fragrance generated by other perfume-laden products. In other words, hair and skin-care companies don't have much motivation to take these problematic ingredients out. That means you, the mother and consumer, as an advocate for your child, need to pay attention to this issue and choose fragrance-free and color-free products whenever you can!
Aside from the issue of fragrance and coloring agents, it is even more shocking when baby products contain such skin irritants as peppermint, menthol, and citrus. The very idea of their presence is disturbing because these are all problematic for an adult's skin and, thus, so much more for a child's. It is essential to avoid products for your child's skin (and yours for that matter) that contain any unnecessary irritants. Just paying attention to the ingredient label will give you far better information than the product description or claims on the package. Ignore the picture on the label of the sweet innocent child, especially when it can disguise a formula that is anything but sweet and innocent.
What to Use?
In general, a child's delicate skin is better served with products that are fragrance- and color-free, and completely gentle, with no added sources of irritation or sensitizing ingredients. The basics for any child's skin are:
- Gentle cleanser
- Gentle shampoo
- Fragrance-free baby wipes
- Lightweight, soothing, nonirritating moisturizer. Most of the fragrance-free versions are those at the drugstore packaged for adults, such as Cetaphil Moisturizer, Eucerin Daily Replenishing Lotion Fragrance-Free, and Lubriderm Seriously Sensitive Moisturizing Lotion, but these are also excellent for children.
- Zinc oxide- and petrolatum-based diaper rash ointment. Definitely fragrance-free—it hurts to put fragrance on red, rashy skin.
- Talc-free dusting powder. Never use talc on a baby's skin. Plain cornstarch is an excellent alternative. It is the primary ingredient in most talc-free baby powders anyway, and plain cornstarch from your kitchen cupboard doesn't contain fragrance.
- Sunscreen with SPF 15 or greater and UVA-protecting ingredients. During the day, if the child's skin is going to be exposed to the sun, a sunscreen is essential. The UVA-protecting active ingredients should preferably be titanium dioxide and zinc oxide. (Avobenzone does protect from UVA rays, but it can be a skin irritant and the goal here is to eliminate all sources of irritation as much as possible.) Formulations with only titanium dioxide or zinc oxide as the active ingredient are best because of their reduced risk of irritation compared to other sunscreen ingredients. Besides, babies don't mind the white cast these kinds of sunscreens give to the skin. (For more information about sun care for children and babies refer to The Beauty Bible, 2nd Edition)
Remember: It's important to be alert in the defense of a baby's sensitive skin. There is no reason for a baby to put up with fragrance just because a mother thinks it smells better.
The following is an assortment of baby products available at drugstores, boutique cosmetic stores, and department store cosmetic counters, including a general grouping for baby wipes, baby powders, and diaper ointments. You'll notice my ratings for baby products are more rigorous in regard to the fragrance issue. In defense of a baby's sensitive skin, there is no reason for a baby to put up with fragrance just because a mother thinks it smells better.
A&D
Diaper Rash Ointment ($2.59 for 1.5 ounces) is exceptionally emollient, containing mostly petrolatum, lanolin, cod liver oil, fragrance, mineral oil, and wax. It would be best if it didn't contain fragrance, but this is exceptionally moisturizing.
Diaper Rash Ointment with 10% Zinc Oxide ($5.49 for 4 ounces) isn't as emollient as the one above and it also contains benzyl alcohol rather high up on the ingredient list. It's probably not a problem, but for a rash ointment maybe think twice about this one.
Aveeno (Baby Care Only)
Aveeno's baby products are noteworthy because they are fragrance- and surfactant-free (meaning no detergent cleansing agents), which definitely makes them more gentle than most all other baby products out there. That's the reason to consider them, not the small concentration of oatmeal flour these products contain. Besides, oatmeal flour is not as effective as plain oatmeal when it comes to anti-irritant properties anyway.
Creamy Baby Cleanser, Fragrance Free ($4.49 for 8 ounces) is indeed fragrance-free, but it is also surfactant-free, meaning no detergent cleansing agents, and it's therefore extremely gentle for a baby's skin. It isn't a great cleanser, but it is still a good option for cleaning a baby's skin without irritation.
Daily Baby Lotion ($4.49 for 8 ounces) is a very good, standard, fragrance-free moisturizer. It contains mostly water, glycerin, thickener, Vaseline, and silicone. The preservative used in here is benzyl alcohol, which is less problematic than most all other preservatives for skin, and that makes this a good gentle option for a baby, or for those with very sensitive skin. (Please note that the amount of benzyl alcohol in here is less than 1% so the risk of irritation is minimal.)
Baby Magic Baby Care
What would really be magical is if these products didn't have such a notable odor about them.
Baby Bath, Original ($2.99 for 9 ounces) is an exceptionally gentle cleanser with way too much fragrance. It contains mostly water, detergent cleansing agents, fragrance, preservatives, and coloring agents.
Baby Bath with Aloe ($2.99 for 9 ounces) is similar to the one above, only this one has a teeny amount of aloe.
Laugh and Splash Baby Bath ($3.49 for 15 ounces) is virtually identical to the two above, and the same review applies.
Rich and Creamy Moisturizing Baby Bath, Original ($2.99 for 6.75 ounces) is similar to those above, only this one has more thickening agents. It isn't moisturizing for the skin in the least.
Rich and Creamy Moisturizing Baby Bath with Aloe Vera ($2.99 for 6.75 ounces) is similar to the one above only with a tiny amount of aloe added.
Baby Lotion, Original ($2.99 for 9 ounces) contains mostly water, glycerin, thickeners, mineral oil, fragrance, lanolin, and preservatives. This is a good moisturizer for dry skin, but the fragrance is overwhelming. Some skin types can be allergic to lanolin..
Baby Lotion with Aloe ($2.99 for 9 ounces) is similar to the one above only with a tiny amount of aloe added.
Balmex
Diaper Rash Ointment ($5.75 for 4 ounces) uses balsam as one of the main ingredients, and that can be a skin irritant.
Bobbi Brown Baby Essentials
All of the Bobbi Brown baby products have a distinctive fragrance, yet the ingredient list doesn't include any. The fragrance isn't as bad as others but it is still unmistakably present.
Silkening Powder ($18.00 for 3.5 ounces) is a pricey, talc-free powder that is highly fragranced and contains primarily cornstarch, oat flour, rice starch, preservatives, and fragrance. Plain cornstarch would work just as well without the fragrance and preservatives.
Diaper Balm ($14.50 for 2.5 ounces) contains mostly castor oil, plant oil, silicone, slip agent, thickeners, more plant oil, Vaseline, and preservatives. This is a very good, emollient, although greasy moisturizer for dry skin.
Massage Oil ($16.00 for 4 ounces) contains mostly plant oils, emollient, vitamin, and fragrance. Skip the fragrance and oil blend, and just use some pure soybean or almond oil from your pantry.
Gentle Body Wash and Shampoo ($18.00 for 6.7 ounces) is a fairly gentle face and body wash using many of the ingredients mentioned above that make a shampoo gentle. It does contain fragrance, but it's not as bad as some.
Soothing Body Balm ($22.50 for 8.5 ounces) is a very good moisturizer for dry skin, and contains mostly water, thickener, plant oil, thickeners, emollient, vitamins, water-binding agent, Vaseline, silicone, and preservatives.
Boudreaux's Butt Paste ($7.49 for 4 ounces) has a great name, but the second ingredient is balsam, and that can be a skin irritant.
Burt's Bees Baby Products Buttermilk Soap ($5.00 for 3.5 ounces) is a standard bar soap and too drying (and overpriced) for most all skin types.
Buttermilk Bath ($15.00 for 7.5 ounces) If there is a reason why a mother would want to soak her child in milk, I don't know it. OK, let's say there is a reason: this product is only nonfat dry milk, whole dry buttermilk, and fragrance. Forget the fragrance and just dump some nonfat dry milk in the bath. I'm not saying it's a good idea, but it's better than using this product.
Baby Bee Skin Creme ($11.00 for 2 ounces) contains mostly water, plant oil, aloe, glycerin, thickeners, and fragrance. This is a good, extremely standard moisturizer for dry skin. The price is unwarranted for what you get.
Buttermilk Lotion ($9.00 for 8 ounces) contains mostly water, plant oils, glycerin, thickeners, vitamin E, aloe, buttermilk powder, thickeners, and fragrance.
Baby Bee Apricot Baby Oil ($8.00 for 4 ounces) pretty much contains what the name implies, so you can save a lot of money and take better care of your baby's skin by just using plain apricot oil and forgetting the fragrance in this product.
Diaper Ointment ($7.00 for 1.7 ounces) contains mostly zinc oxide, plant oils, vitamin E, and plant extracts.
Dusting Powder ($8.00 for 2.5 ounces) contains mostly cornstarch, fragrance, and clay. Again, forget the fragrance and just use plain cornstarch from the grocery store.
Solid Perfume ($7.00 for 0.3 ounces) I know there must be a reason why a mother would want to apply perfume to her child, I just can't think what it might be.
Caldesene Protecting Powder, Fresh Scent ($3.79 for 4 ounces) is a talc-based powder, and is not recommended.
Chubs Baby Wipe with Aloe ($2.49 for 80 towelettes) is a very gentle liquid cleanser soaked onto soft towelettes. It does contain fragrance so forget this one and use the others that are fragrance-free.
Crabtree & Evelyn (Baby Care Only) Soap Collection ($5.00 for 3 ounces) is a collection of standard, tallow-based bar soap that can be drying and irritating for a baby's skin.
Baby Wash ($10.50 for 8.5 ounces) uses sodium lauryl sulfate as the cleansing agent and is not recommended.
Baby Shampoo ($8.50 for 8.5 ounces) is identical to the Baby Wash above, and the same comment applies.
Baby Lotion ($10.00 for 8.5 ounces) is a fairly emollient, though standard moisturizer containing water, thickener, mineral oil, Vaseline, more thickeners, fragrance, and preservatives. It's good for dry skin but it would be better without the fragrance.
Cream for Baby ($5.00 for 7 ounces) is almost identical to the one above only in cream form.
Baby Powder ($8.50 for 3.5 ounces) is mostly rice starch and cornstarch, with fragrance.
Desitin Cornstarch Baby Powder ($2.99 for 14 ounces) is just fragranced cornstarch.
Zinc Oxide Ointment, 10% Zinc Oxide ($5.29 for 4 ounces) is a good, emollient, zinc oxide–based ointment with silicone, preservatives, mineral oil, Vaseline, and thickeners.
Diaper Rash Ointment, Hypoallergenic, Zinc Oxide (40%) ($5.29 for 4 ounces) is not hypoallergenic; it still contains fragrance.
Diaper Rash Ointment, Ultra Smooth Cream Formula ($2.99 for 2 ounces) is similar to the one above only in cream form.
Diaperene Baby Wash Cloths, Fragrance-Free ($2.49 for 100 towelettes) is almost identical to the Chubs above only without fragrance!
Dr. Smith's Diaper Ointment ($6.99 for 2 ounces) is extremely emollient and doesn't contain fragrance! It contains mostly zinc oxide, Vaseline, lanolin, mineral oil, wax, plant oil, and preservative.
Givenchy Baby Care Delicate Bath Gel ($20.00 for 8.4 ounces) is an extremely standard, gentle cleanser that contains coloring agents and fragrance too.
Gentle Baby Lotion ($18.00 for 8.4 ounces) is a good, standard moisturizer that contains mostly water, thickeners, glycerin, plant oil, emollients, preservatives, and fragrance. This one offers no benefit over the less expensive ones I've mentioned above.
Gold Bond Children's Medicated Baby Powder ($3.99 for 4 ounces) is a talc-based powder, and is not recommended.
Good Sense Baby Powder with Cornstarch ($2.09 for 15 ounces) definitely makes better sense than their talc version, but this one still contains fragrance and just plain cornstarch would be better.
Gymboree CradleGym Baby Care Gentle Soap ($3.50 for 3.65-ounce bar) isn't gentle. It is a standard soap using detergent cleansing agents and fragrance.
Baby Shampoo ($3.99 for 8 ounces) is similar to other gentle baby shampoos. It would have been great if they had just left out the fragrance.
Moisturizing Lotion ($4.49 for 8 ounces) contains mostly water, plant oil, thickeners, silicone, fragrance, vitamins, and preservatives. This is a good moisturizer for dry skin, but Lubriderm or Eucerin accomplishes the exact same thing without fragrance.
Diaper Rash Cream ($9.50 for 2 ounces) is an emollient, 2% zinc oxide cream that also contains silicone, thickeners, plant oil, tea tree oil, eucalyptus oil, grapefruit seed extract, and preservatives. Even the thought of putting eucalyptus and tea tree oil on a baby's tender, irritated backside makes me want to scream.
Huggies Baby Wipes Refills, Natural Care, Unscented ($5.29 for 160 towelettes) is almost identical to the Chubs above, only this one doesn't contain fragrance! Huggies does have a scented version but why bother?
Johnson & Johnson Baby and Kids Products Baby Powder ($3.69 for 22 ounces) is a talc-based powder, and is not recommended.
Corn Starch Baby Powder with Aloe Vera & Vitamin E ($2.89 for 9 ounces) is just fragranced cornstarch; the amount of aloe and vitamin E is negligible.
Medicated Baby Powder ($2.29 for 9 ounces) is fragranced cornstarch with zinc oxide. The fragrance doesn't add much benefit to the powder.
Diaper Rash Ointment with 13% Zinc Oxide ($3.99 for 2 ounces) contains mostly zinc oxide, water, silicone, glycerin, Vaseline, lanolin, thickeners, and preservatives. Another fragrance-free, emollient ointment!
Baby Bar ($1.89 for 3-ounce bar) is a standard bar cleanser using sodium cocoyl isethionate as the cleansing agent, which is fairly drying, plus the fragrance can just about knock you out.
Baby Bath ($2.69 for 9 ounces) almost reeks with fragrance. It is a gentle cleanser but that fragrance is an irritation or allergic reaction waiting to happen.
Head to Toe Baby Wash ($2.69 for 9 ounces) at least has a milder fragrance in comparison to the others in this line. This is a good, gentle cleanser using standard detergent cleansing agents.
Minnie (and other cartoon characters) Bath Bubbles ($3.49 for 13.5 ounces) is not only heavily fragranced but it isn't as gentle as most baby shampoos and cleansers.
Moisturizing Baby Bath with Aloe Vera and Vitamin E ($3.69 for 15 ounces) is far more gentle than those above, and if not for the fragrance, would be a great option.
Baby Cream, Soothes and Protects ($3.73 for 4 ounces) would be great for dry skin, but fragrance is the third ingredient in this product and that makes it a problem.
Baby Lotion ($2.59 for 9 ounces) is a highly fragrant standard moisturizer for dry skin that contains mostly water, slip agent, thickeners, silicone, fragrance, and preservatives. There are far better moisturizers for a baby's skin than this.
Baby Lotion with Aloe Vera and Vitamin E, Soothes and Nourishes Dry Skin ($2.59 for 9 ounces) is similar to the one above, and the same review applies. It does contain aloe and tiny amount of vitamin E, which is OK but nothing special for a child's skin.
Baby Lotion with Daily UV Protection with SPF 15 ($3.59 for 4 ounces) is a good, in-part titanium dioxide–based sunscreen in a lightweight, standard moisturizing lotion.
Kiehl's Baby Care Mild Gentle Shampoo for Babies ($7.95 for 4 ounces) is a standard detergent-based cleanser that is about as gentle as any including plant oils, and there are no fragrance or coloring agents!
Baby Body Lotion ($19.95 for 8 ounces) contains mostly water, film former, slip agent, plant oils, vitamins, thickeners, and preservatives. It's a nicely formulated, emollient moisturizer that is fragrance free and has no coloring agents.
Nourishing, Soothing Diaper Area Ointment ($18.95 for 2 ounces) contains mostly thickeners, plant oils, vitamins, zinc oxide, preservatives, and anti-irritants. This is a fairly emollient ointment that would be very good for dry irritated skin.
Diaper Rash Treatment Cream ($26.50 for 6.2 ounces) is similar to the one above and the same basic comments apply. There is no reason to spend this kind of money on a diaper rash product.
Baby Lip Balm ($4.95 for 0.17 ounce) is a very emollient lip balm with no fragrance or coloring agents; it contains mostly thickeners, plant oils, and preservative.
Sun Shield Sunblock with SPF 15 ($23.50 for 4 ounces) is a very good, pure titanium dioxide–based sunscreen with no fragrance or coloring agents. What a shame it's so pricey, because this would be very good for a little one's skin.
Kleenex Cottonelle Flushable Moist Wipes with Aloe ($2.49 for 50 towelettes) The Kleenex brand name is recognizable but the formulation is problematic due to the inclusion of fragrance and propylene glycol. Propylene glycol is used in skin-care products to help other ingredients penetrate the skin better, and that is not necessary for a baby's skin.
Little Forest Baby Care Baby Soap ($6.50 for 3.65 ounces) is supposed to be pediatrician recommended, but that would only be because they didn't read the ingredient listing. This is soap, and can be drying, and the tea tree oil can be a skin irritant.
Baby Shampoo ($8.00 for 4 ounces) contains tea tree oil, eucalyptus oil, and grapefruit seed extract, and is absolutely not recommended.
Baby Oil ($10.00 for 4 ounces) contains tea tree oil, eucalyptus oil, and grapefruit seed extract, and is absolutely not recommended.
Baby Cream (for Diaper Rash) ($10.59 for 2 ounces) This product made me want to cry because some unsuspecting mother might use this on her baby's red, irritated skin not knowing it contains tea tree oil, eucalyptus oil, and grapefruit seed extract, and that can be so terribly irritating even on skin that isn't abraded and raw.
Baby Powder ($11.50 for 3 ounces) contains tea tree oil, eucalyptus oil, and grapefruit seed extract, and is absolutely not recommended.
Mustela Baby Products Hydra Bebe Facial Hydrating Cream ($9.00 for 1.4 ounces) contains mostly water, thickeners, plant oils, vitamin, fragrance, silicone, and preservatives. It is a good, standard (albeit ordinary) moisturizer for dry skin.
Bain Mousse Bebe, Bubble Bath for Babies ($9.00 for 6.8 ounces) contains sodium lauryl sulfate and several other detergent cleansing agents that make it too irritating for all skin types, and especially a baby's skin.
Neutrogena (Baby Care Only) Sensitive Skin UVA/UVB Block SPF 17 ($8.99 for 4 ounces) Neutrogena isn't really a product line for kids but their new Sensitive Skin UVA/UVB Block SPF 17 (8.99 for 4 ounces) and Sensitive Skin UVA/UVB Block SPF 30 ($8.99 for 4 ounces) are superior for anyone with sensitive skin using only titanium dioxide as the active sunscreen agent, which has minimal to no risk of irritation!
Origins Baby Care Short Cake Baby Cleansing Bar ($7.50 for 4.2-ounce bar) contains several fragrant plant oils that be can irritating to skin, and the cleansing agents are not as gentle as those found in other baby products.
Bare Hug Baby Massage Cream ($12.50 for 3.5 ounces) would have been just a good basic moisturizer containing thickeners and plant oils, but they included balsam, neroli, pine, and orange, and that's way too irritating for most babies' skin.
Love Me Tender Soothing Baby Lotion ($13.50 for 6 ounces) is similar to the one above except in lotion form. No baby needs cedarwood, geranium, cinnamon leaf, lavandin, patchouli, or styrax on their skin.
Diaper Service Baby Bottom Balm ($10.00 for 3.5 ounces) is much like other baby balms at the drugstore, and contains castor oil, zinc oxide, plant oils, emollient, fragrance, and preservatives. The fragrance isn't necessary, so Johnson & Johnson Diaper Rash Ointment with 13% Zinc Oxide for half the cost is far better.
First Sun for Children Chemical Free SPF 15 ($14.00 for 3.5 ounces) is a titanium dioxide–based sunscreen, and that part is great. However it also contains many of the same fragrances that the other Origins baby products do.
Smooth Baby Baby Oil ($11.00 for 8.5 ounces) contains mostly soybean oil and fragrance. Skip the fragrance and just use some soybean oil from the grocery store.
Pampers Baby Fresh Tub, Original ($3.19 for 84 towelettes) Tis similar to the Kleenex brand above, and the same comments apply.
Baby Fresh Alcohol Free Wipe Refills, Unscented ($5.99 for 168 towelettes) is similar to the Kleenex brand above, minus the fragrance.
Suave Baby Care Powder with Cornstarch ($2.29 for 9 ounces) is fragranced cornstarch.
| PRODUCT RATING KEY: |
 identifies a "Paula's Pick," meaning a product that exceeds expectations and goes beyond the criteria for a product in its category with minimal to no concerns.
 identifies a "Paula's Pick," meaning a product that exceeds expectations and goes beyond the criteria for a product in its category with minimal to no concerns, but is unreasonably priced.
specifies a great product that is highly recommended because of its performance or impressive formulary characteristics.
designates a great product that meets and/or surpasses the criteria set for that category of product but is unreasonably priced.
indicates an OK but unimpressive product, or an OK product that can cause problems for certain skin types. I often use this face to portray a dated or old-fashioned product formulation.
indicates an ordinary, boring product whose excessive price makes it ludicrous to consider.
reflects a product that is truly bad for skin from almost every standpoint, including price, dated formulations, performance, application, and texture, as well as potential for irritation, skin reactions, and breakouts. |
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