SingaporeMotherhood | Baby & Toddler
October 2017
4 Smart Ways to Keep Baby’s Eczema away by Building a Healthy Skin Barrier
Did you know that having a healthy skin barrier is essential for tackling eczema, especially in babies and young children? Find out how you can help your little ones keep the itches away by boosting their skin health!
That redness? The tightness? The itchiness? The flaking skin? All these are signs of skin barrier impairment, common in people who have eczema. Your skin barrier is the outermost layer of epidermis or the outermost layer of your skin. Ceramide is an important lipid forming the skin barrier. A healthy skin barrier has sufficient Ceramide to help keep allergens and bacteria out, and prevent water evaporation from your body. It does the job really well when it’s healthy. But when it has been compromised? Skin conditions, such as eczema, develop.
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Baby skin is less mature than adults, hence more vulnerable to skin conditions like eczema. Eczema tends to develop in babies in their first year; most cases appear before a child turns five. Also known as atopic dermatitis, this condition generally comes and goes but it can make children very uncomfortable because of the itchiness that comes with it. Scratching leaves unsightly scars and it can be a challenge for parents to ensure that our little ones keep their nails away from their skin!
(See also: 8 Common Baby and Child Skin Problems)
Why Does Eczema Itch?
Eczema indicates a defect in skin barrier. A healthy skin barrier prevents moisture from getting out and various irritants from getting in. But when skin barrier is impaired, it has a lack of Ceramide and other physiological lipids. So irritants such as toxins, chemicals and pollution can penetrate through the skin’s layers a lot more easily. This leads to itching in most cases.
The skin is the body’s largest organ and it is in constant direct contact with the external environment, hence protecting it is very important. This is especially crucial if you have skin conditions like eczema. One of the best ways to help is to build a healthy skin barrier.
Here are four ways to help your baby and child build a healthy skin barrier:
#1: Avoid potential allergens
The logic is simple – if your baby isn’t exposed to elements that cause him to itch, he won’t feel the itch. Keep your child’s environment eczema-safe by not using products with allergens (such as perfumes or room sprays) around him. Also check that any products you use on your baby’s skin do not contain ingredients such as alcohol, benzoyl peroxide or any fragrance. Try to keep products as natural as possible so that baby’s skin will feel soothed, instead of irritated.
#2: Keep baby’s skin hydrated
Hydration is an important factor in building a healthy skin barrier. Ensure that baby is getting enough breastmilk or formula. If your child is old enough to consume water, make sure he drinks a lot of water because hydration from within is essential.
And especially for younger children, make a short soak in warm water a part of their daily routine. It’s crucial to only use water as you don’t want to irritate his skin, and also ensure that the water’s temperature is not too high as hot water can irritate skin too and strip it of its natural protection. Soak your child in this water for around 15 minutes and gently pat away excess water when it’s over. Then use a generous dollop of moisturiser – like eczema-friendly Ceradan Hydra – to ‘seal in’ this moisture.
#3 Slap on sunscreen
Applying sun-protection cream is an easy way to protect your child’s skin barrier. Whenever he goes out into the sun, slather him with sunscreen. Use a brand that’s suitable for kids and your child will be shielded from everyday environmental irritants.
#4: Wash & Moisturise with Ceradan
Regular use of moisturisers prolongs the flare-free period and reduces the need for steroid cream. Using the right wash also matters in keeping eczema under control. Ceradan products are scientifically designed with an optimal 3:1:1 ratio of Ceramide, Cholesterol and Free Fatty Acids to maintain the lowest trans-epidermal water loss, hence providing accelerated skin repair for skin with eczema.
Gentle, soap-free and mildly acidic, Ceradan Wash cleanses the skin and protects the skin barrier at the same time. Bathe Baby with Ceradan Wash at least once a day to prevent allergen and pathogen build-up on the skin.
The final step to creating a healthy skin barrier for Baby and keeping eczema at bay? Moisturise with Ceradan Hydra within three to five minutes after bathing to help ‘lock in’ the moisture.
Ceradan Hydra is a hydrating moisturiser that can be used as maintenance therapy during periods of non-flares. Ceradan Hydra is also enriched with Sodium Hyaluronate, allowing it to penetrate skin and hold on to moisture. Easy to apply, it spreads smoothly over skin areas with or without flares. It can also be applied frequently to keep the skin barrier strong, even when skin appears normal.
Keeping Baby’s skin smooth, calm, and itch-free does not have to be stressful. Just follow these simple steps and you’ll soon see the redness and itchiness fade away, and the smiles appear!
Ceradan Hydra 80g and Ceradan Wash 150ml are available in selected Watsons stores. Find out more about Ceradan at www.ceradan311.com and www.facebook.com/Ceradan311sg/
#ceradan311sg
This sponsored post is brought to you by Ceradan
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