News — baby skin

Oh no! you have noticed your precious little one has an angry red rash around the diaper area.

Usually called diaper rash or diaper dermatitis it is inflammation of the skin surrounding the diaper area. As common as it is there seems to be very little progressive thought and consideration to properly treating this. Here is the problem, water strips the hydro-lipid (sebum) layer of the skin, the very needed fatty acid composition that keeps your skin soft and supple and protects the outer layer (epidermis) from the environment. To compound, this urine and feces are irritants to the skin especially if left on for any length of time.
Leave a wet diaper for part of the night or an hour during the day and you have the perfect recipe for irritation and discomfort.

What is the best solution? let your child go diaper free especially in the Spring/Summer, get some sunshine (moderate amount) and fresh air on that bottom.

What not to do? Gloop on an occlusive (heavy barrier forming and or pore-clogging) ointments containing petrolatum, paraffin, beeswax, zinc oxide, mineral oil, propylene glycol, etc.

Why you ask? This area needs to dry and rejuvenate, using the above only traps wetness and like water strips the hydro-lipid layer of the skin further compromising it.

“But it feels so smooth after I put it on (mineral oil, propylene glycol dimethicone (fine particle silicone), etc).”

Yes it does feel smooth, but you are only compounding the problem further, the same situation would apply for face creams with petrochemical bases – it feels good looks smooth but ages you more than you know and requires you to apply more and more to keep up the facade.

I mentioned this previously in my post on baby oil and thought it good to repeat it again.

“A baby’s skin is very porous because it has not developed to the same extent the hard outer keratinized thorny layer of the skin called the epidermis (this accounts for that amazing soft skin that babies have). The epidermis is the part of the skin that helps prevent materials from entering through to the dermis (deep layer of the skin) and into the bloodstream. Babies actually have the same number of pores as adults, just condensed to a much smaller surface area.”

So what is the solution apart from having a full-time nudist baby? Ointments that moisturize but that do not trap moisture on the surface of the skin, ointments that do not clog the skin's pores leaving a greasy feeling and ointments that use soothing plant-based extracts and emollients that soothe and protect delicate skin and reduce inflammation.

What to look for in an ointment?

• Calendula
• Olive oil and olive wax – Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate – they are bio-compatible with the skin (being the most similar to the fatty acid composition of the skin).
• Chamomile
• Almond Oil (caution with nut allergies)
• Tamanu Oil (caution with nut allergies)
• Argan oil (possible caution with nut allergies)
• Aloe vera
• Burdock root
• Small amounts of Tea Tree and Lavender essential oil
• Plantain leaf extract
• Chickweed extract
• Seabuckthorn berry oil

I would really recommend you to try our Thera Wise Natural Baby Diaper Ointment. You will see noticeable results overnight.
It is very soothing and is a quick-dry, non-greasy, alcohol, petrochemical and paraben-free formulation.

In our opinion, traditional baby oil is one of the most ill-conceived personal products ever produced.

Baby oil is simply mineral oil or liquid petroleum derived from black crude oil with an added synthetic fragrance. It is a by-product of petroleum in the process to make gasoline.

Proponents of mineral oil or baby oil will tell you that it helps to prevent moisture loss by providing an occlusive barrier to the skin. There is no doubt it provides an occlusive barrier to the extent of completely blocking pores. As science tells us the main functions of the skin is respiration and elimination (toxins). The skin needs to breathe to heal, actually, our skin needs to breathe for us to survive. Mineral oil does not moisturize as many would believe, in fact despite the initial silky feeling on the skin, it will strip away the hydro-lipid layer of this skin requiring the use of more product due to continued dryness.

A baby’s skin is very porous because it has not developed to the same extent the hard outer keratinized thorny layer of the skin called the epidermis (this accounts for that amazing soft skin that babies have). The epidermis is the part of the skin that helps prevent materials from entering through to the dermis (deep layer of the skin) and into the bloodstream. Babies actually have the same number of pores as adults, just condensed to a much smaller surface area.

I would recommend if possible not using any product on a newborn, at least for the first couple of months. When dealing with diaper rash or other types of rash, first try a spot test of a plant-based butter or oil. We would suggest olive oil, rosehip seed oil or argan oil and let the area air dry. Plant-based ingredients will soak into the skin, moisturize and allow the skin to breathe and heal. Plant-based moisturizers have a bio-affinity with human skin and act in a way that our cells respond to.

We know that mineral oil/baby oil is not a healthy choice for the human body or the environment (unsustainable and not biodegradable) so why is it still being sold, and why do companies insist on using it? The answer is cheap-cheap-cheap. Yes… it is almost the cheapest raw material in personal care.

Recently I learned of some great research that was conducted in the Netherlands via Dr Mercola’s website regarding the treatment of infant eczema otherwise known as atopic dermatitis. I have mentioned this treatment option in a previous post based around advice for managing this troubling skin condition. This research confirms that by using specific probiotic bacteria strains (Bifidobacterium bifidum, Bifidobacterium lactis, and Lactococcus lactis; Ecologic((R)) Panda) the likelihood of infant eczema could be reduced by up to 60%. 

As I also mentioned in my previous post, there is also a strong genetic predisposition to eczema, if one of your parents has eczema, you have a 40% chance of inheriting the same condition. If both parents has eczema you have an 80% chance.

Now if you, your spouse or both of you suffer from eczema and you are planning a family, it would be recommended to investigate this preventative treatment option. It is important to note that this study was done on high-risk children by administering pre- and postnatal supplementation (Both mother (prior to birth) and baby received the probiotics).