Baby toiletries

Choosing the right cosmetics for babies

For our baby’s fragile skin, we want the best. But how do you navigate the various toiletries available on the market? We take stock with Laurence Wittner, co-founder of the Cosmetics Observatory.

Choose specific toiletries for babies

Babies’ skin is different from that of adults. It is more fragile, more permeable, drier and more reactive. The epidermis of toddlers is, moreover, “affected by events that only he is familiar with such as diaper rashes, cradle cap, friction of diapers …”, indicates Laurence Wittner, co-founder of the Observatory cosmetics. That is why it is recommended to use products formulated specifically for babies. However, among the plethora of offers offered, some cosmetics are better than others, that is to say softer, less irritating … All that remains is to know how to recognize them.

The right reflexes to choose the toiletries for your baby

The ideal would be to be able decode cosmetics labels. In practice, if you’re not a dermatologist, it’s a bit complicated. Laurence Wittner suggests some good reflexes to acquire. First of all, she explains that the shorter the list of ingredients, the less risk there is for the baby. She also advocates limit cosmetics to a strict minimum. Babies with healthy skin need a cleansing gel, a liniment for breech care, and possibly a moisturizer and lotion to refresh them. Another point: it is better to choose fragrance-free toiletries, this reduces the risk of allergy. In practice, the “without” are recommended: no coloring, no alcohol, no essential oils, no parabens.

Organic toiletries or not?

Organic, why not, but not “1st choice” organic, explains Laurence Wittner. Some organic cosmetics are good, others are not. Some contain, in fact, alcohol, essential oils … organic is therefore not a sufficient guarantee.

What about cosmetics regulations in all of this?

All cosmetic products must meet the requirements of European regulations, to ensure consumer safety. However, it sometimes happens that regulations are lagging behind in relation to new data, specifies Laurence Wittner. She gives for example endocrine disruptors, substances which interact with the hormonal system, difficult for the barge to recognize because “they do not constitute a family of ingredients as such”. Many have already been identified: Bisphenol A, phthalates, etc. Endocrine disruptors should be the subject of a logo, affixed to cosmetic products for pregnant women and babies, in order to be able to identify them and thus avoid them. This proposal by the then Minister of Health, Roselyne Bachelot, no longer seems to be on the agenda …

Price, a guarantee of quality?

Price is often independent of quality. Laurence Wittner explains that it is more of a marketing element: if the product is not expensive enough, it is not credible and if it is too expensive, it does not sell. The brand must therefore find the right price. In order not to be mistaken, she advises mothers to turn to “trusted brands”, those found in particular in pharmacies: “We have the advice of the pharmacist and dermatological laboratories are not” amateurs “” , she emphasizes.

What about sun protection products?

We can never say it enough: children under three years old should not be exposed to the sun. T-shirt, sunglasses, hat, the outfit is essential. A special baby sun protection product is also essential. Its SPF index must be at least 50, it must contain mineral screens rather than chemical filters and must be applied to all parts of the body that protrude (ears, face, neck…).