Soaps specially made for babies

Baby’s skin has the same structure as any adult has however for any new born babies, their skin has yet to be fully developed and it is vulnerable to damage, which is why extra care must be taken. Baby’s skin has fewer elastic fibers than adults, hence more substances can be allowed to pass through as the outer most layer skin is not firmly attached to the deeper dermis layer. Adults skin has better protection barrier as the skin layers are tightly adhered to one another.

Skin can absorb irritants, allergens, bacteria so imagine a baby’s skin is three to five times thinner than adults, it can easily be absorbed. New borns have dry and rough skin which will change after a few weeks as the skin hydrates itself. Baby’s skin pH is also neutral and will become more acidic as they age. Hence it is important to preserve and protect the skin’s natural pH to support natural and healthy skin early in life. Many soaps (bar or liquid) are alkaline and can disrupt the baby’s skin pH.  Once the skin’s pH is disturbed, that will cause irritatation to the skin.

New born babies do not perspire as their sweat glands are not fully functional yet. Hence it is very important not to over-bundle them as their bodies can’t perspire to cool down their bodies. So you don’t need any antibacterial soaps to bath them in, instead you will need a moisturising and conditioning soap to wash their delicate skin at least for the first 6 months of their lives. However please refrain from using any form of essential oils or fragrances on them as their organs will take time to be fully developed. Thereafter look for a natural base mild cleansing soap to bathe them in. Remember earlier I mentioned that their skin is thinner than adults skin and it can absorb either good or bad properties that are applied to their skin. By this time, babies will be crawling and reaching for anything they can touch – you will want to wash the dirt off! Their sweat glands will be functioning by then as well.

Soaps that are made from natural resources are the best such as olive oil, shea butter, cocoa butter, mango butter (however this can be more expansive as it is not as easy to source), castor oil and such.

Thank you for reading 🙂

Eliza Fhauzi