A skincare routine for littles? That can be a difficult task to take on with such wiggly bodies. What if we told you, you are already doing more than you need to? Preparing your kid's skin doesn't have to be an intricate process. It's as simple as rinsing off the skin. The key to a successful skincare routine is how often you bathe your children, the types of soaps you use, if you should use soap, and the kind of towel you use to dry them off.
How Often are you Giving them Baths?
We recommend that those with the most sensitive skin types go without washes for as long as possible. A bath every other day is plenty.¹ Washing your children with clean formula soaps 2-3 times a week with a bath every other day will help prevent skin issues and extreme dryness. It is natural to have the instinct as a parent to bathe your kid often. However, filth seems to deceive; you might be making things worse by washing it off frequently.²
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What do you use to Cleanse your Kid's Skin?
Read the ingredients on the bottle. The Environmental Working Group website comes in handy for reassurance that the ingredients are low-risk.³ Elements such as Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, 1,4 Dioxane, Parabens, Triclosan, and synthetic fragrances can disrupt your child's ph balance with the effect of agitation to the skin. Chemical elements of generic baby soap brands can strip away moisture and absorb it into the bloodstream.⁴ Vegan and clean skin care products gently regenerate the epidermis. Natural oils that the skin produces are there to protect the skin. It is unnecessary to remove those oils. These natural oils keep your children's skin healthy. If your children have more sensitive skin types, rinsing them with water will do the job.
When it's Time to Dry Off, what do you use?
Towels can have textures to them that are abrasive, leaving micro cuts on the skin. Micro abrasions in the skin create an opportunity for the skin to become dry and irritated.⁵ Carefully choose the kinds of towels you are using for your children. Microfiber towels are a great alternative to the types of towels you use. Microfiber towels are an excellent alternative for littles; they will love how soft the texture feels.⁶ Pay close attention to the way you are drying off the skin. Pat, the skin with firm, holds to get your child completely dry without wiping them down. When drying their face, the same solutions apply. A cotton pad or cotton ball is enough to remove the leftover moisture on the skin.
Sources:
1-Mardini, Joelle et al. “Newborn's first bath: any preferred timing? A pilot study from Lebanon.” BMC research notes vol. 13,1 430. 14 Sep. 2020, doi:10.1186/s13104-020-05282-0
2-Lund, Carolyn et al. “Baby's first bath: Changes in skin barrier function after bathing full-term newborns with water vs liquid baby cleanser.” Pediatric dermatology vol. 37,1 (2020): 115-119. doi:10.1111/pde.14037
3-Brody, Julia Green et al. “Improving disclosure and consent: "is it safe?": new ethics for reporting personal exposures to environmental chemicals.” American journal of public health vol. 97,9 (2007): 1547-54. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2006.094813
4-Kessler, Rebecca. “More than cosmetic changes: taking stock of personal care product safety.” Environmental health perspectives vol. 123,5 (2015): A120-7. doi:10.1289/ehp.123-A120
5-Rodan, Katie et al. “Skincare Bootcamp: The Evolving Role of Skincare.” Plastic and reconstructive surgery. Global open vol. 4,12 Suppl Anatomy and Safety in Cosmetic Medicine: Cosmetic Bootcamp e1152. 14 Dec. 2016, doi:10.1097/GOX.0000000000001152
6-Syahbudin, Siti Rahmah, et al. "Minsyafah: Muslimah Smart Towel." (2021).
