Skin care: what to look - and look out for?

Author: Bambo Nature / Category: New Parents / Published: Mar-17-2021

As a new mom or dad, it can be hard figuring out which skin care products are good, bad, right, or wrong for your new baby. As parents ourselves, we know firsthand the importance of taking good care of new baby skin to avoid potential skin conditions like allergies or diaper rash. Read on to get our advice on what to look for – and look out for – when shopping skin care products for your child.

When looking for skin care for your child, it is important to look for gentle products designed specifically for sensitive baby skin. Baby skin differs from adult skin as it has another pH level when your baby is newborn, the skin is thinner, a bit more vulnerable to infections, and needs more moisture. Therefore, it is important to know how to take care of baby skin and which products can help do that.

Try giving your child a natural start to life by choosing certified organic skin care products made from natural ingredients and with as few ingredients as possible. In general, take a look at the ingredients list to see what is in the product. The higher an ingredient is listed the more is in the product and a long ingredients list is not equal to a better product – on the contrary actually. Always go for natural skin-friendly products without perfume and color as these ingredients can cause skin irritation or allergies and as they are not necessary for the product to work.

Let the certifications speak

Some brands market their products as baby-friendly, but they might still contain perfume or other unsafe ingredients. Therefore, one of the best and easiest indicators to look for when buying skin care products for your baby is the ingredients as well as the product certifications. All ingredients can potentially cause an allergic reaction or skin irritation, however, if you buy skin care certified by official certification organizations, you can be sure that the organization behind the logo has done a critical evaluation of the ingredients and the product. Only few ingredients can be approved by organizations like Asthma Allergy Nordic, the Nordic Swan Ecolabel and ECOCERT Cosmos. For instance, a product cannot be approved by Asthma Allergy Nordic if it contains perfume and color.

Let us take a closer look at some of the important official certifications to look for when shopping for safe baby skin care.

Asthma Allergy Nordic

The Asthma Allergy Nordic label is one of the most important labels to look for in baby care products. The organization offers certification to products that pose a minimal of causing skin allergy. Products certified according to Asthma Allergy Nordic contain no perfume and every ingredient is carefully examined by a specialist. This symbol makes it easier for those with skin allergies, asthma or other respiratory distress to find products that make everyday life better. The label guarantees that:

• • the product poses a minimal risk of causing skin allergy
  • the product does not contain perfume

ECOCERT Cosmos

ECOCERT Cosmos is a global standard for certified organic cosmetics. The label guarantees that at least 95% of the ingredients in the product are natural, that the entire production process is controlled and that the packaging consists of biodegradable or reusable materials. The ECOCERT cosmos certified organic certification on a product guarantees:

• • that at least 10% of the total ingredients are organic
  • that the product has been produced via manufacturing processes that are safe for human health
  • responsible use of natural resources
  • that the product does not contain petrochemical ingredients like parabens, perfume, and color (except for authorized preservatives)
  • that the product does not include GMO ingredients

The Nordic Swan Ecolabel

The Nordic Swan Ecolabel is another important label to look for. The Nordic Swan Ecolabel, is an official Scandinavian environmental label. Products with the Nordic Swan Ecolabel meet stringent environmental requirements with regard to raw material production, use, documentation and safety. The Nordic Swan Ecolabel logo guarantees that:

• • none of the ingredients are on the EU list of substances suspected of being endocrine disruptors
  • the product contains no microplastics
  • the product contains no perfume (specific for baby products)
  • the product does not contain substances classified as carcinogenic, mutagenic, harmful to reproduction, or allergenic
  • the products have a minimal impact on the environment

Dermatologically Tested

A dermatological test is a skin test made to see how a product affects the skin. At Bambo Nature, we take our dermatological test very seriously and our Dermatologically Tested symbol guarantees that our products have been tested for potential skin irritations by an independent third-party laboratory. The test is done on at least 50 people with different skin types. A sample of each product is placed on a small area of the skin for 48 hours and afterward the skin is observed. The test is done under observation from a dermatologist and demonstrates that our products are tested, safe for your baby and live up to our high-quality standards.

What ingredients to look out for in baby care and why?

In the above, we have listed some of the things you should look for when buying skin care for your baby, but which ingredients are better to steer clear of? Unless you are an expert in skin care, it is difficult to know which ingredients are good and which are bad.

SLS and SLES (sulfates)

SLS and SLES are two kinds of sulfate that are often added as a cleaning detergent in shampoo as they help rinse the hair. However, one of the downsides with these types of sulfates is that they can dry out your baby’s skin, can be skin irritant and cause itching. SLS and SLES are also the ingredients that creates the foam and bubbles. Children think foam and bubbles are fun – and we as parents might feel that our kid is cleaner, when we wash them with a shampoo that foams. However, a large amount of foam and bubbles will not make your kid cleaner than less bubbles will. Moreover, sulfates can also sting in the eyes. Who haven’t tried discussing and debating with your child to convince them that they need to have their hair washed? This is another advantage of only using products without sulfates like Bambo Nature Hair & Body Wash. We have chosen to leave out SLS and SLES, which means that our shampoo does not sting in the eyes.

Perfume, fragrances, and color

Important ingredients to avoid in baby care products is perfume, fragrances, and color. Perfume is – whether naturally or synthetically extracted – an unnecessary addition to a product that increases the risk of an allergic reaction. The same goes for color ingredients. Perfume and color have no use for the product’s effect on the skin and skin care products for children that contain perfume can never be approved by organizations like Asthma Allergy Nordic or the Nordic Swan Ecolabel. At Bambo Nature we are proud to have our skin care range certified with these two labels and our pledge to you is to ONLY use ingredients that are necessary for the product’s effect. Everything else is left out! Personally, we think that there is nothing better than the smell of baby, so why cover that up with perfume?

Tip: When shopping for skin care look for products saying: “no perfume”, “perfume-free” or “fragrance-free”

Preservatives – good or bad?

People often think that all preservatives are bad, but this is a common misunderstanding. Yes, a lot of preservatives are bad and should never be used in products for children, however, some preservatives are necessary. Why? Certain preservatives ensure the quality of the product and ensure that the product can be opened and re-opened several times without losing its effect. They also protect against bacteria and fungi from entering the product when you use it. There are only very few preservatives that can be approved by both the Nordic Swan Ecolabel, Asthma Allergy Nordic, and ECOCERT Cosmos so if you choose products with these certifications you can rest assured that they only contain preservatives that are absolutely necessary and not harmful to your child’s health or nature.

At Bambo Nature we are proud to have our skin care range certified with several eco- and skin-friendly labels. We only use ingredients that are necessary for the product’s effect. Everything else is left out! See more about our ingredients or certifications.