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What could be cuter than a baby's neck or little hands to cover with kisses!
Babies' skin is soft like a peach and smells good.
Behind this pretty picture, it's important to remember that babies' skin has specific characteristics. Until the age of six months, an infant's skin is not fully developed. The stratum corneum is particularly thin and permeable. It's only around the age of two or three that the skin begins to mature.
The change is gradual, so it's important to be vigilant and take good care of infants' skin. At the same time, a baby's body surface area to weight ratio is three times higher than an adult's: this means that, for a given body volume, the surface area for exchange is greater in a baby. Blood vessels are closer to the surface, so substances applied to the skin will penetrate even more easily than in adults.
How can we protect babies' skin and therefore their health?
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1- Cosmetic products
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- Bathing : there's no need to wash the baby's entire body every day, and there's also no need to immerse them in water that's too hot.
- Outdoors : protect exposed areas from sun, cold, and wind
- Cosmetic products : choose those that are suitable for children, as natural as possible and remember that the best is the enemy of the good, sobriety is essential.
- Don't hesitate to massage the baby with a vegetable oil or body lotion for a tender moment that will also be good for the skin!
- A word of advice: avoid hygiene products that contain perfume; perfume is inherently a chemical.
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2- Clothing
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- choice of clothing
In close contact with the baby's skin, and 24 hours a day, clothing must be chosen with special care.
Look for clothes that do not contain harmful substances because the chemical molecules of dyes, but also fabric softeners, anti-shrink treatments, waterproofing agents to name only the main ones, will penetrate the body.
These synthetic molecules are mostly endocrine disruptors that interact with the hormonal system (with the risk of serious long-term problems).
It is difficult to ensure the safety of clothing because the legislation is vague, and each brand can claim to be responsible, ethical etc., without us knowing what that really means.
Be wary (unfortunately) of the "organic cotton" label, because simply using organic cotton yarn is enough for the manufacturer to claim it; the yarn may be knitted, finished, and dyed with toxic products without the consumer being aware; worse, the consumer is reassured by the "organic cotton" label when the garment may ultimately be more harmful than a garment made from conventionally dyed cotton using proper dyeing methods.
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One piece of advice : look for clothes with the Oeko-Tex label or better.
Be especially wary of imported clothing because some dyes are banned in Europe and customs officials cannot verify the content of the dyes used (the price of the garment or the reputation of the brand offers no guarantee!).
Logically, the closer the garment is to the baby's skin, the more vigilance is required. Bodysuits, pajamas, and leggings must be impeccable.
The best option? A garment made of organic cotton (the certification should be applied to the finished fabric to avoid the risk of knitting with potentially toxic agents).
In our country, trendy clothes printed in India with a pseudo-natural look are completely banned.
Beware of wool , which is a real irritant to the skin; dermatologists often say that it acts like sandpaper, even through another garment, for sensitive skin.
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- washing clothes
Wash clothes with the most natural detergent possible.
Rinsing alone is not enough to remove all laundry detergent residue.
Washing organic clothing with chemical detergent is nonsense!
Labels are now quite widespread and guide consumer choices. Ecocert, in particular, is a good indicator to help choose a natural laundry detergent.
It is also preferable to avoid fabric softeners, which are difficult to rinse and potentially contain harmful substances.
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- second-hand clothes
The current trend is to choose a previously worn garment for your baby, which seems like an economical and sensible solution: toxic substances have already been eliminated.
But: it's impossible to know how many washes have taken place, with what detergent, and studies show that the chemical elements of dyes, in particular, are emitted for a very long time...
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Conclusion
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Clothing, often given as a gift at birth or even later, is not at all insignificant. It contributes to the baby's health, both in the very short term and in the long term.
Dressing baby properly is one of the important elements to ensure their good health.
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