Ever wondered when it’s the right time to pay attention to your children’s skin care? If you were looking for a practical guide to help you make the right choices, you’ve come to the right place!
What Is The Importance Of Skincare For Children?
Keep in mind that our skin is our largest and heaviest body organ, and it serves multiple purposes in order to keep our body safe and functioning.
If you want to keep your baby’s skin healthy throughout their lives, you’re better off starting as soon as you can.
Here are the first steps to help protect their skin and help the skin care habit grow (almost) from the cradle.
Keep in mind that the information provided here does not substitute specialized medical advice, and that Moms and Dads should always look for official pediatrician’s guidance!
How Can You Manage Your Children’s Skin Care?
There are two things that healthy skin needs: hydration and protection. Of course there are other elements involved, but you can’t negotiate these two.
And the rules are simple: looking out for your children’s skin care begins from the inside out. You have to keep your body hydrated, and you have to protect your body from heavy Sun effects.
Simple Steps For Children’s Effective Skin Care
Like many other topics revolving around health, there’s no need to complicate a skincare routine. This is especially true if we consider that babies’ skin is more sensitive than an adult’s, so don’t exaggerate on the products.
Cleanse, moisturize, and protect when there’s sun exposure. Just like that!
Ingredients To Avoid When Choosing The Children’s Skincare
These components can increase the risk of allergies and irritation, so it’s better to avoid them.
- Sulfates;
- Parabens;
- Fragrance;
- Synthetic dyes.
As a general advice, try to steer towards products with the shortest ingredient list. It’s not a 100% guarantee that the product will be superior, but it’s more likely that it’s less packed with chemicals and other substances that could harm your child’s skin.
Choosing The Cleanser
Go for the options that are more gentle on the skin and don’t have heavy ingredients on its composition.
Watch out for the water temperature as well: choose warm and comfortable and avoid the extreme – it should never be too cold, neither too hot.
Moisturizing The Skin
Although moisturizers are essential, keep in mind that it begins from the inside out: so drinking enough water is a non-negotiable step.
Other than that, the recommendation of going for gentle products also applies for moisturizers.
There’s no need to reapply moisturizer more than once a day, unless that is explicitly medical guidance to do so.
Sunscreen Protection
While there are a lot of strategies to protect your child from sunburns, here are a few essential ones.
Choose mineral sunscreen (also known as physical blocker). Going for this option will help create a layer on the top of the child’s skin, so it won’t be absorbed by the body and prevents irritation.
Whenever possible choose SPF 50 or higher. But never less than SPF 30!
And remember that there is no distinction in terms of skin color: everyone should be protecting their skin!
What Changes In Children’s Skin Care According To The Weather?
There are a few tweaks that Moms and Dads have to go through depending on the weather conditions. Here’s what you need to do in order to maintain a healthy skincare routine for children.
During Summer
While your child is out and about enjoying the Sun, Go for clothing with an ultraviolet protection factor (UPF). This will allow the Little Ones to spend their time on the Sun without harm. But try to choose the playtime during hours in which the Sun is not too strong (around 10 AM up until 4 PM).
When choosing the sunscreen, select those with water resistance components, as well as broad-spectrum protection. First apply the sunscreen about 30 minutes before the sun exposure, and reapply sunscreen every two hours or as you see needed – according to how much your child might be sweating or playing with water.
During Winter
Many people might not know that, but even when it’s overcast, there’s still exposure to Sunlight. So everyone of us should wear sunscreen when we leave the inside of our houses – which is also true for kids.
Secure your children’s hand, neck and feet by using gloves and adjusted accessories to help cope with the cold temperatures. Don’t forget that hydration is important, and don’t lose track of your Little One’s water intake.
We hope you’ve learned the importance of sticking to an appropriate children’s skin care routine. Since you have to be committed to it, why not transform this self-care moment into something you get to enjoy with your Little One? If you’re interested, we’ve got more ideas for Fun Educational Activities To Enjoy Together As A Family!
