Summer Protection: Skin Care Products for Your Baby

Summer protection includes choosing the right skin care products which can protect your baby's sensitive skin from dehydration and irritation. Make sure you're using the right products to provide extra care for the baby's skin.

Rajesh Vohra, CEO, Chicco India, the flagship brand of Artsana India Pvt Ltd, suggests:

‘Choosing the right skin care products can protect your baby’s skin from dehydration and irritation. Your little one’s skin is sensitive, so make sure you select the right skin care product to beat the heat.’

• Nappy cream: It helps to protect a nappy area of the babies while preserving the hydrolipidic balance of their skin. With specific natural ingredients for every stage of baby's change, it protects and soothes baby's delicate skin. Nappy cream creates a breathable protective layer to guard against irritation caused by the nappy and water washouts. Ingredients like panthenol help to regenerate baby's skin and keep it healthy.
• Perfume: The scent of a baby is the best in this world. A perfume for babies adds a calming and fresh aroma to the baby's skin. With daily use, its sweet and delicate fragrance envelops baby in a soft and scented embrace. Always make sure that all fragrances are dermatology tested and contains skin-friendly natural ingredients.
• Gentle body wash and shampoo: For baby's daily bath, a mild body wash and shampoo enriched with the goodness of oats is ideal to nourish your baby's delicate skin from the very first days. It is used for both -- baby's skin and hair. Ensure that formula does not have parabens or other harsh substances like SLS, SLES that may irritate baby's skin.
• Talcum Powder: This is an essential part of a baby's skincare routine during summer season. The mild fragrance of it can add oodles of charm to your little one. It is suggested to use talcum powder with rice starch instead of regular talc for babies. It refreshes and protects baby's skin, leaving it soft, cool and supple while allowing it to breathe naturally without clogging pores.
• Laundry detergent: In summer, you need to change a baby's clothes more frequently due to sweating. This means that you have to wash clothes more frequently. Ensure that you use specifically formulated laundry detergent that is hypoallergenic, dermatologically tested on sensitive skin and has no coloring. It should effectively remove stains and odor without leaving any residue in baby's clothes.
• Body lotion: A body lotion should be non-greasy and quickly absorbed to make baby's skin smooth and soft with every use. Body lotion enriched with glycerine, vitamin E and nourishing properties of sweet almond milk is an ideal choice to deeply nourish your baby's skin in summer.
• Sun spray and cream: It is always important to protect your baby's skin from sun exposure. Sun spray and cream are easy to apply and protect baby's sensitive skin against all type of sun rays. Normal sun creams protect against only UVA and UVB.

Therefore, please check that the sun cream you choose for your baby should protect not only against UVA and UVB but also IR (Infrared) and should be water resistant. Some sun protection cream comes with Vitamin E and Physalis extracts that nourish the skin deeply while protecting it.

Tamanna Dhamija, Co-Founder, Baby Destination, suggests:

• Sunglasses: You cannot restrict the little ones indoors all throughout summer. What you can ensure is to shield their eyes from UV rays. Add colors and style to his/her eyes, and do look out for big-sized sunglasses that offer extra shade. Do not buy roadside plastic shades which do not offer UV protection.
• Sunscreen: For babies who are older than six months, applying sunscreen is a good way to protect them from the sun's fury. As a parent, you must choose a product with minimum SPF15. Also, apply gently with a special focus on the body parts which may remain exposed when the baby goes outside. Be careful while applying. If the lotion gets into his/her eyes by mistake, wipe it immediately with a damp cloth.
• Hats: These provide protection to the newborn's face and neck. Opt for hats that are not too heavy, wide-brimmed and are made out of natural fabric. For the naughty little ones who like taking off their hats now and then, you may tie it under his/her chin.

Source: IANS