Many parents turn to baby lotions in order to tackle rashes and dry skin on their newborn. While using lotion is a good idea, far too many popular lotions on the market can end up exacerbating dry skin or irritating rashes instead of taking care of them.
In fact, many lotions aren’t designed for babies’ delicate skin, which stays extra fragile for the first year or so of life, making it extra important to find baby lotions that are made for delicate skin and are less likely to cause irritating side effects.
At Green Goo, we’re dedicated to providing soothing and all-natural products for a variety of needs from everyday skin care salves to salves and lotions designed specifically for Mom and Baby.
Hence, our Lavender & Chamomile Baby Lotion, which is formulated to be gentle on any baby's skin.
Baby Skin & Sensitivity – What You Need to Know
Our babies are really tough in a lot of ways – their bones are a little bendier than average to prevent breaks, and most infants are even born with a special reflex that helps them to hold their breath as a defense mechanism if they end up underwater before they learn how to swim.
But in other ways, babies are really vulnerable, and nowhere is this more apparent than with their skin.
In fact, babies’ skin is up to 30% thinner than the skin of an adult. This manifests itself in discomfort and increased sensitivity in lots of different ways. For instance, babies are much more sensitive to extreme temperatures like cold or heat, which is why it’s recommended that you only bathe your baby in lukewarm water. Furthermore, baby skin can easily be irritated by artificial compounds and ingredients, which unfortunately are often found in care products made for babies (commonly in the form of synthetic fragrances to make your baby smell extra clean and cuddly).
Since baby skin is so sensitive, it’s important to use natural products specially designed for use with their delicate skin instead of just grabbing the first “baby soap” or “baby shampoo” you see in the baby aisle at the store.
The Problem with Synthetic-Ingredient Lotions
Why not use a synthetically derived lotion or soap? After all, aren’t some synthetic products still designed for delicate skin, like the kind that babies have?
While this is true, most synthetic lotions and soaps are also chock-full of irritating and plain unhelpful ingredients that can cause irritation at the least, and potential long term health effects at the worst. Here are just a few examples:
- Sulfates are commonly used synthetic ingredients designed to stabilize and preserve soap and lotion products -- a common sulfate is SLS (sodium lauryl sulfate), which is what makes soaps lather and sud. But sulfates have been linked to skin irritation and inflammation, particularly with thinner skin, like the kind that is around your eyes. Since babies have thin skin everywhere, it’s easy to see how sulfates can be especially irritating to them.
- Parabens are preservative compounds often used in synthetic products, designed to increase the shelf life of lotions. Parabens have also been linked to certain types of cancer in the past, so they’re definitely not something you want to be rubbing into your baby’s skin
Furthermore, a majority of synthetic lotions are made with ingredients that are not biodegradable or are otherwise harmful to the environment.
Ultimately, there’s no real reason to use synthetic lotions when there are plenty of all-natural lotions and soaps you can keep on hand instead. All-natural soaps can be just as effective in cleaning, and often come with a more nourishing formula, too.
All-Natural Ingredients: The Green Goo Way
The effectiveness and gentleness of natural ingredients are why we prioritize using them in all the products we create at Green Goo.
Here are two ingredients we use in our own baby lotion, as well as why:
- Lavender is a common ingredient in a lot of our all natural care formulas, including castile soap, first aid balms, dry skin creams, anti-bug sprays, and even our face wash. Lavender has over 100 helpful plant nutrients, many of which are terpenes and esters that provide calming, soothing, and relaxing effects. Furthermore, lavender is cleansing making it an effective ingredient for not just keeping skin clear, but also for soothing newborn skin.
- Chamomile is another popular natural ingredient harvested from the Daisy-like plant of the same name. Like lavender, it’s rich in terpenes, but it includes other helpful ingredients called flavonoids and antioxidants. You can find chamomile in lots of tea products, but it’s also really soothing and helpful when rubbed onto the skin.
Of course, we utilize many more all-natural ingredients than just these two, but lavender and chamomile are the highlight of our baby lotion, and for good reason!
Green Goo’s Lavender and Chamomile Baby Lotion
At Green Goo, we’re always focused on providing all-natural salves and formulas for all kinds of uses and needs, and we’d be remiss to leave out. As you’ve seen, need the nourishing benefits of plant-based skincare more than any of us! Thus, our Lavender + Chamomile Baby Lotion is infused with both lavender and chamomile to be gentle on your baby’s delicate skin while still providing the moisturization and nourishment their skin needs.
Our baby lotion provides a plethora of benefits, including:
- Moisturization: Can help your baby’s skin stay properly hydrated throughout the day. This will also prevent the skin from drying out or cracking, which can be painful and irritating for your little one.
- Nourishment: Thanks to ingredients like shea butter and rosemary leaf extract, this lavender and chamomile baby lotion can help to nourish your baby’s skin and give it the vitamins and minerals it needs to be healthy.
- Calming: Since the lotion is bolstered with both lavender and chamomile, it comes packed with a soothing scent that can calm your baby and help them relax.
You can use this lotion as a daily moisturizer during diaper changes, after baths, at bedtime, and any other time your baby’s skin could use a little extra moisture boost. Even better, feel free to use this lotion on your own skin -- botanical ingredients and a oothing scent make it an ideal daily moisturizer no matter what your skin type is.
Summary
All in all, our Baby Lotion is a one-of-a-kind soothing solution that can give your baby’s skin exactly what it needs to feel moisturized and nourished. Using this lotion frequently can help your baby's skin from becoming too dry, especially during the winter months or after a bath.
Don’t forget to check out the rest of our Mama + Baby care products -- they’re each specially formulated with you and your little one in mind to deliver the most nourishment and hydration to your skin using the power of plants!
Sources
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4651417/
https://www.webmd.com/parenting/baby/ss/slideshow-baby-skin-care
https://www.webmd.com/diet/supplement-guide-chamomile
https://www.fda.gov/cosmetics/cosmetic-ingredients/parabens-cosmetics