This post has been sponsored by Water Wipes. All opinions are my own.
Kaia was born sensitive to pretty much everything. Seriously – one bite of her first birthday cake sent her to the hospital for anaphylaxis, she gets a rash from all kinds of products, and as far as stepping outside in the Springtime? Well lets just say I’m stocked with kleenex 24-7. I can’t use anything but the mildest, most natural and basic products on her, and I have wasted TONS of money on products claiming to be sensitive skin safe that give her a reaction. I am by no means an expert on sensitive skin, but after 18 months of trial and error I have come to a general set of guidelines that I use when evaluating products that I feel comfortable exposing Kaia to, and I thought I’d share it with you.
Laundry Care
When choosing a laundry detergent, I make sure that it is free of all dyes, fragrances and optical brighteners. Most people turn to free & clear detergents in that case, but make sure to read the labels because some of them STILL have yucky stuff that could cause a little one to break out. I stick with an all natural, eco friendly brand and haven’t had any problems since.
Bath Time
I tend to stay away from washes that have what seems like a laundry list of ingredients in them. When I first started researching product ingredients I was AMAZED at all the crazy chemicals that brands get away with putting in their bath soaps for kids. I’m talking stuff that I wouldn’t even want to bathe in, so I’m sure not going to put it on my children! When shopping for bath soaps I go for a mild, 100% bio based formula whenever I can.
Diaper Area
There are a lot of wipes out there made for sensitive skin. Some work for Kaia and some don’t, but I always read the label to make sure a nasty chemical called MCI (short for something I can’t even pronounce) isn’t lurking in them somewhere. MCI is one bad additive – it is known for causing terrible skin reactions in everyone from baby to adult, so stay away from it! Since the diaper area is Kaia’s most sensitive spot I am very limited as to what I can use. All natural and water based wipes like Water Wipes are fantastic for babies with sensitive skin and allergies – they are made of 99% water and 1% grapefruit seed extract. THAT’S IT! No Parabens, alcohol, Phtalates, or any other scary additives means these are the best natural wipes I have found. Be sure to check them out next time you’re in Walgreens!
Facial Care
Babies are messy. They get food all over their faces, put everything in their mouths and are at times constantly drooling. See this photo? I took it less than a minute after using a “sensitive skin” wipe from one of the big brands on her face.
And that isn’t even as bad as it gets. Since I usually wipe her face a few times a day I need nothing but the gentlest formula so I always have a package of Water Wipes sensitive facial wipes on me. They are allergy tested, won’t irritate her skin and don’t dry out her face!
So that’s what works for us. I’m sure there are a lot more great tips out their for sensitive skin, do you have any?
