From a young age, I’ve been indoctrinated about using natural skincare products. I cannot remember a time even now as an adult, when my mother did not use a face or body cream on my skin. Now, my skin would feel naked if I did not follow my daily ritual of applying natural skincare moisturisers to my face and body.
My mother w
as keen to educate me at a very young age about using natural skincare products such as Aloe Vera, Jojoba, Olive, Coconut, and Palm Oils, as she knew from her childhood days that they are good for your skin. Aloe Vera is a great natural moisturiser and was something that my mother used to talk about and she often used it on our skin when we went to visit our grandmother in the Caribbean.
So, when my first son was born, I was determined to use only natural skincare products on his skin but there was a proble: they were practically non-existent at the time. So, I took some advice from my mother and used natural plant edible oils, mainly olive and grapeseed oil, that I could buy at my local supermarket as moisturizers on my children’s skin. At a young age, I instilled into my children the benefits of taking care of their skin by encouraging them to moisturise their body from head to toe every time they had a shower.
Children’s skin is delicate and sensitive and much thinner than adult skin so it is important to treat it with tender loving care. It is also important to teach your children from a young age how to take care of their skin so that they have healthy skin throughout their life.
Here are six simple tips to help you to look after your children’s skin:
- Use natural and organic skincare
Natural and Organic Skin
care products contain nutrient rich, high performance ingredients. Natural moisturisers such as Jojoba, Coconut, Palm, and Aloe Vera Oils are excellent for children’s skin and some of these ingredients, such as Coconut Oil, are wonderful at combating eczema, which is increasingly common in young children.
- Avoid skincare products with parabens
Parabens are chemical preservatives, over 90% of skincare, hair and personal care products contain these chemicals. They are cheap preservatives and prolong the shelf life of cosmetic and skincare products for many years. However, there’s news about these that there may be a link between parabens and breast cancer. The research is not conclusive, but as it’s out there, avoid using them and look for paraben free skincare.
3. Don’t use bubble baths, shampoo and baby washes with sulphates
Sulphates are used in skincare products to create that wonderful foaming effect that we all like in our bubble baths and shampoos, but beware, they
are nasty chemicals that can cause all types of skin problems in young children. They also destroy beneficial bacteria that can disrupt the protective acid mantle of your baby’s skin so look for sulphate free products. Natural and organic skincare products do not contain these sulphates commonly referred to ask SLS’s, SLES’s and SDS’s. Natural and organic products contain natural foaming ingredients from plant ingredients, such as coconut oil, which work best on the soft skin of young children.
- Choose biological free washing and hypo-allergenic washing powders
You should look for detergents specially made for baby's clothing. Preferable those that are hypo-allergenic and those that contain less harmful ingredients than normal detergents contain that may hurt your child’s skin.
- Do not use mineral oil or petroleum based products
Almost all chemical skin care products contain synthetic substances which are petroleum (chemical) based. Studies have found that oral and topical application of petrochemicals in rodents resulted in anaemia, kidney degeneration, and nerve damage to the brain and spinal cord. Many baby products contain mineral oil and petrochemical by-products so avoid these and go for natural and organic oils for your baby and children.
- Choose artificial fragrance free products
Artificial fragrances are made from petroleum or coal, which degrade in the environment and can cause skin irritations. This can be quite damaging for the skin but particularly for young delicate skin. Use skincare products with pure essential oils such as Lavender and Chamomile, as they provide added benefits of being soothing, nourishing and have calming effects on both young children’s skin and minds
When looking for children’s skincare products take the time to look at the labels. Try to use natural and organic products and start early. Lather your children’s skin with moisturisers at least twice a day and educate and encourage them to use natural skincare products as part of their daily routine.