Babies are miraculous yet very vulnerable beings since, in contrast to adults, their skin lacks important protective functions.
Baby skin is different to adult skin as its topmost layer is around 20% thinner. In the first few months of life, your baby's skin lets more moisture pass through and dries out faster, making it prone to irritation and inflammation. From this time on, you can protect baby's skin from drying out with special care.
Sensitive baby skin requires particular care and protection in the first year of life. That's why it is so important to use baby care products which are tailored to the special needs of baby skin. sanosan uses only nature's very best ingredients for the most delicate skin in the world to ensure clinically confirmed maximum tolerability.
HOW DOES BABY SKIN DIFFER FROM ADULT SKIN?
Baby skin has a thinner outer layer compared to adult skin. The papillae with the blood vessels project further into the outer layer called the "epidermis". The cells of baby skin are smaller and not as close together, which makes the skin more porous. Baby skin hardly produces any sebum (oily secretion) before puberty. Perspriration is not able to regulate a baby's body temperature as effectively as it does in adult age. The acid mantle (fine slightly acidic film on the skin) only begins to develop after a baby has been born.
CARE – SOFT SKIN, GENTLE PROTECTION
Ideal care products contain a carefully selected mixture of ingredients, as is the case with all sanosan products.
However, in order to guarantee the best possible results, the products must be used correctly.
- Creams and lotions should not be applied too thickly to avoid blocking the pores and causing skin impurities.
- The diaper area requires particular protection. A protective ointment prevents skin irritations, but must not be applied too thickly. Allow your baby to go without a diaper as often as possible to let the air get to his or her bottom.
- Bathing is better than washing. Moisturising bath supplements prevent the skin from drying out.
GENTLE PROTECTION FOR YOUR BABY'S BOTTOM
Every time a diaper is changed, this area has to be cleansed and if necessary treated with ointment. The skin is exposed to extreme stresses here – and the result can be redness and skin irritations.
We recommend warm water and sanosan Care Oil for the day-to-day cleansing of this area. The handy wipes from sanosan remove all soiling simply and easily. After cleansing, the baby's bottom should be dried thoroughly. Should your baby's skin show any signs of redness, you should apply sanosan ointment which protects the baby's skin thanks to its high lipid content.
THE BASICS OF DIAPERING
When and how should diapers be changed? What products do you need? Many questions asked by young parents that probably interest you, too.
Here are a few tips that can make diapering easy:- Switch on a heat lamp above the changing table.
- Remove the dirty diaper.
- Gently clean the diaper area ‒ either with a damp wash cloth, an oily cloth or a sanosan baby wipe. For girls, always wipe from front to back to prevent faecal bacteria from entering the vagina. When changing boys, always cover the penis with a diaper or cloth. This keeps you from getting "peed" on.
- Allow skin to dry or pat it dry.
- Apply some sanosan diaper cream if needed.
- Put on a new diaper.
- Never leave the baby on the changing table unattended.
- Change the diaper frequently, because dry diapers prevent skin irritation.
- The diaper should not be too snug – it fits perfectly when there is room for one finger between the tummy and the diaper.
- After cleaning the diaper area, allow the baby's skin to dry thoroughly or gently pat it dry.
- Allow your baby to go without a diaper as often as possible to let the air get to his or her bottom.
- Zinc cream can be applied to the diaper area to prevent rash – e.g. sanosan ointment or panthenol ointment. They protect the skin by creating a barrier against moisture and excretions.
- If the redness is not gone in three days at the latest, consult your paediatrician.
CLEANSING – WASHING, DRYING, APPLYING CREAM AND OIL
Most babies love the experience of a warm bath as it is reminiscent of the time spent in the womb. The bath supplements from sanosan are the ideal choice for enhancing this experience. They protect delicate baby skin from drying out and dissolve liposoluble substances such as cream residue from the skin.
Here are a few more tips:- Bathing is gentler than washing and promotes baby's well-being
- Optimal duration: 5-10 minutes
- Optimal water temperature: 36-37°C
- Until baby starts crawling, max. two baths a week are enough
- Never leave a baby or toddler alone in the bath!
After the bath, you should dry your baby gently and apply sanosan cream, lotion or baby oil. They contain substances that calm and protect the skin. Combined with a gentle massage, this helps to foster the emotional connection between you and your baby.
BABY MASSAGE
You can show your love through intensive body contact between you and your baby. This is so important, especially in the first months of life, as it gives your baby a feeling of love and closeness. When you massage your baby, your hands stroke its whole body gently and rhythmically ‒ this calms and relaxes your baby.
Treat your baby to a massage:You need a towel to put your baby on, sanosan oil, everything for diapering and fresh clothing. The optimal room temperature for a massage is 23-24°C ‒ a heat lamp or fan heater can make it more comfortable. Place your baby on a towel with a pad under it if necessary. Watches and jewellery can get in the way and injure baby's tender skin – it's better to take them off. Your hands and the oil should be pleasantly warm for the massage. With sanosan oil, your hands glide more smoothly over the skin.
- Place a little sanosan oil into your palms and warm it up by rubbing your hands together.
- Gently massage the oil into your baby's skin, starting with the feet.
- Massage each toe with gentle circular movements, press your thumb gently against the soles of the feet.
- Move up to the legs, pressing the calves and thighs gently.
- To massage the chest and stomach area, place both hands flat on the middle of the body. Move your hands gently to the side along the ribs, as if smoothing down the pages of a book. Guide your hands to the middle in a heart-shaped motion without taking them off your baby's body.
- Using the same sequence of motions each time helps to relax your baby.
- The baby massage should not last more than 5-10 minutes for infants.
CLEANING YOUR BABY'S HAIR
In newborns, hair care is not so much about the hair as the gentle cleansing and massage of the scalp. It is enough to clean baby's wispy hair gently with bath water or a damp cloth. Then you should dry the hair carefully with a hair dryer.
For older babies, you can use sanosan shampoo. Massage the shampoo into the damp hair and rinse it out thoroughly. Try to make sure that no shampoo gets into your baby's eyes. You can prevent this by protecting the eyes with a wash cloth.
SUN PROTECTION FOR BABIES AND TODDLERS
For babies and young children in particular, sunlight is important for bone and muscular development and the immune system. Yet too much sunshine is dangerous and can cause sunburn. Since young skin is not as effective at protecting itself as adult skin, it must be especially protected from UV rays. Babies up to one year old should never be exposed to direct sunlight. Let older children get used to the sun gradually and use a sunscreen with a high SPF factor. sanosan has products made especially for sensitive baby and toddler skin.
TIPS FOR IDEAL SUN PROTECTION- Avoid the intense midday sun.
- Apply a generous amount of sun cream before going out into the sun. The less cream used, the less effective the protection offered.
- Reapply cream on a regular basis to maintain protection, especially after going in the water, after drying off or after sweating.
- Protect babies and infants from direct sunlight and use protective clothing and a sunscreen with a high sun protection factor (SPF of 25+). Even sunscreens with a high SPF cannot offer complete protection from UV rays.
- Even when using a sunscreen, you should not spend too long in the sun with your baby. Each time the skin is burnt, this causes long-term damage and must therefore be avoided!
- Excessive sunbathing presents a serious risk to health.
- Avoid contact with clothing – this product may cause stains.
- Avoid contact with eyes.
- After sunbathing wash off all sunscreen thoroughly.