Every parent wants the best for their newborns. Rajesh vohra tells you what one should look out for before buying baby care products
The birth of a baby is a unique and admirable experience for any parent and there are many touching moments and emotions involved during a baby’s growth. The nap time, the first laugh and funny faces — moments that bring together a bundle of surprises, laughter and fun; these memories get even more precious when moments like bathing, changing and moisturising come alive as a daily routine embracing the bonding. That feeling is amazing when he looks right into your eyes or when she starts laughing or she abandons herself into your arms. Parenthood brings many enjoyable moments in your life along with a concern of keeping the little one safe from anything harmful. In order to attain complete protection for the toddler, it’s necessary to begin with right choice of products.
When shopping for a toddler, the golden rule is to look for products especially for babies avoiding the products formulated for every age. As researched and scientifically proven, a baby’s skin is more dedicate and prone to catch diseases like skin irritation, burns, dryness and local allergies.
The maturation process that turns baby skin into adult skin is significant especially during the first months and continues during the early years; the skin continues to develop and evolve naturally in terms of structure, composition and functions. Hence, the mindset of a parent should be to protect the natural essence of the baby’s delicate skin.
Putting some light on the details of parabens in products, they are widely used as a preservative because of their affordability and capability of rapidly excreted from the body. At the same time, studies have shown that parabens when contained in baby products might harm as the baby’s delicate skin is more likely to absorb different toxins than an adult’s skin. Apart from this, perfume, soap and alcohol, often found in adult products, can all irritate your baby’s skin or even cause an allergic reaction; skincare products made for babies should have lower levels of fragrance and should not contain soap or alcohol.
To err on the safe side, it’s best to replace the products your baby use to ones that are totally paraben-free and can help maintain the pH balance of the skin. Going with natural ingredients and organic products is the safest for the little one. Plant-based natural raw materials derived from rice,sweet almond, wheat germ and avocado have been chosen for their lenitive, moisturising, protective andemollient features. The line is also characterised by the presence of Vitamin E, with its repairing action,and of panthenol, with its remarkable moisturising, emollient and lenitive properties.
You should always make sure that the skincare products have natural ingredients and no harmful or toxic chemicals. For example, a massage oil, baby wash, hair oil, baby lotions; all these are beneficial for the growth and development of the newborn. It strengthens the baby’s bones and muscles and stimulates the productive growth of the whole body.
In some cases, where the baby’s skin is sensitive and prone to allergic rashes, please perform a patch test before use. Pour few drops of lotion/oil/cream on the baby’s hand to check. Use the product only if you see no signs of irritation and allergy, its essential to be cautious with these daily routines. As always, keeping yourself and your little one happy and healthy is of utmost importance in everything you do!
The writer is CEO, Chicco India in assistance with Chicco Osservatorio Centre