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A clean baby is a happy baby
There's no doubt about it: a dirty diaper is one sure way to turn a baby's smile to a frown. And who could blame them? It's got to be just plain uncomfortable. So the goal is to change those diapers as quickly as possible and as often as necessary, and get your baby as clean as can be between changings. It helps to have the right equipment on hand, even when you're away from home: a clean diaper, a soothing cream or lotion, and of course, a healthy supply of baby wipes for messes big and little.
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Wipe Out Dirty Diapers
- A baby's diaper area is prone to irritation. Don't add to the problem by using wipes that may cause an allergic reaction. If you notice a recurring rash, try switching to a hypoallergenic brand of baby wipes.
- Different brands of wipes vary by size, thickness, and ingredients. For a little extra moisturizing capability, look for an ingredient called propylene glycol; to soften and soothe baby's delicate skin, look for aloe vera, lanolin, or polyethylene glycol. But be aware that many of these moisturizing agents can cause skin irritation.
- A cold wipe can be an unpleasant shock to a warm bottom. For the baby who lives in the lap of luxury, wipe warmers are available to plug in near your changing table.
- Wipes can be purchased in tubs, pop-up containers, travel kits, and refills. Find the format that's easiest for you.
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Emollients
Emollients work by forming a protective layer over your baby's skin, keeping in the moisture. They are all oily or fat-like chemicals. In fact, olive oil and other plant oils are very effective emollients, along with mineral and silicon oils. They can be very water-repellant like petrolatum and lanolin, which is good, because if they keep moisture out, they also keep moisture in your baby's skin. Different emollients have different effects on the skin. Generally, they soften skin and ease the pain associated with dryness.
Humectants
Novel chemicals that are in soaps, hair care products, and lotions, humectants help your baby's skin feel soft and relieve dryness. Unlike emollients, which moisturize by trapping water in your skin, humectants actually attract moisture from the air onto your skin or hair, increasing water concentrations in those regions. For this reason, they are moisturizers. But they do not have the lasting power of emollients, because they can be washed off very easily. It's best to get a product with both an emollient and a humectant.
Sheet materials
Sheet materials range from natural wood pulp that has been processed and refined to synthetic plastic polymers. Either way makes for a strong, convenient towelette.
Preservatives
Products have many different kinds of preservatives, but they all work in one of two ways:
- By preventing the growth of microorganisms
- By preventing the breakdown or degradation of other chemicals.
Preservatives are often (but not always) the culprit when you have an allergic reaction to a product.
Surfactants
Getting dirt and oil off your baby's skin would be quite hard without surfactants. Surfactants mix equally well in oily or watery substances or in mixtures containing both types of substances. They are the sudsy agents in soap and help to get your baby clean. They are also used to ensure that all the various ingredients in products stay mixed together. You can think of surfactants as having two parts. One part likes to be nestled in oil and the other part prefers water. The net result: when you wash away the surfactant with water, the watery portion goes first, dragging with it the oily half.
| Emollients | Ingredient | Description |
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| Fatty acids | ? | Stearic acid, lanolin acid, plasmatic acid, and oleic acid are a few emollient fatty acids that help to soften and maintain the skin's moisture. | | Fatty alcohols | ? | Cetyl alcohol, stearyl alcohol, and lauryl alcohol are emollient fatty alcohols that help soften and maintain the skin's moisture. | | Lanolin | ? | Derived from sheep wool, this helps prevent dehydration. It may cause skin irritation if your baby is allergic to it. | | Mineral oil | ? | Derived from crude petroleum and helps soften and protect skin. It can also clean the skin. | | Plant oils | ? | These oils come from various plants (olives, corn, sunflower). Like other emollients, they help maintain moisture and protect the skin. | | Humectants | Ingredient | Description |
|---|
| PEG-60 (polyethylene glycol) | ? | Used in many cosmetic products as a solvent, PEG-60 can be used as a humectant or base. This chemical does a good job attracting water. | | Aloe vera gel | ? | An extract from the leaves of aloe plants, aloe vera gel contains 99.5% water, as well as polysaccharides and proteins. It is an effective moisturizer, but also has antimicrobial activities. It is excellent on dry or sun-damaged skin. | | Water | ? | Water is not actually a humectant, but humectants want to keep it nearby to moisten and soften your baby's skin. | | Propylene glycol | ? | This small chemical is found in many cosmetic products as a base, preservative, humectant, and vehicle. It does a good job of attracting water to skin and will not irritate skin in concentrations lower than 5%. It can penetrate the skin, allowing moisture to reach the tissues. | | Sheet Materials | Ingredient | Description |
|---|
| Cellulose wood pulp | ? | The major material that gives towelettes and wipes their strength and flexibility. | | Polypropylene | ? | A plastic that helps give support and structure to towelettes and wipes. | | Polyethylene | ? | A plastic that helps give structure and support to towelettes and wipes. | | Preservatives | Ingredient | Description |
|---|
| Citric acid | ? | Lowers the pH, making things more acidic and also works as a buffer. It has astringent and preservative properties. It should not be applied to broken or irritated skin since it may irritate the skin. | | Polyaminopropylbiguanide | ? | Fights bacteria and fungi. | | Potassium sorbate | ? | Helps keep microorganisms in check. Though it may cause some skin irritation, it is usually safe and nontoxic. | | Sodium EDTA | ? | You get two great effects because this is a metal chelator and a buffering agent. | | Surfactants | Ingredient | Description |
|---|
| Disodium cocoamphodiacetae | ? | By dissolving dirt and oil, this cleanses the skin. It is also very fatty and helps all the chemicals stay mixed together. |
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Appropriate Uses
Softens, moisturizes, and cleans skin, and wipes away messes.
Wipe Away That Mess
Use for cleanup during diaper changing only on uninfected, unirritated skin.
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Test It First
Do not use if the baby is allergic to any skin protectant, moisturizer, or cleanser in the product. Possible skin-irritating ingredients may include potassim sorbate and disodium cocamphodiacetate (coconut oil).
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Websites, Organizations & Manufacturers
Sources & Further Reading
Books
- 1. Knodel, LC. Nonprescription Products: Formulations & Features '98-99. Americam Pharmaceutical Association. Washington DC 1998.
- 2. Winter, R. A Consumer's Dictionary of Cosmetic Ingredients. Random House, Ince. New York 1994.
- 3. Michalun, N and MV Michalun. Skin Care and Cosmetic Ingredients Dictionary. Milday Pub. Co. Albany, NY 1994.
Find more books on health and wellness at  barnesandnoble.com.
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