Hello, Scenic News readers! I came to realise recently that many of my columns have been to support the adults. And whilst I’m sure that’s helpful, I thought it might be time to help the parents with bed and bath time for their little humans (kids).

Funnily enough this idea came to mind after I recently provided a skin care workshop to a local Primary School. The group was grade 6 girls, and I was pleasantly surprised by their knowledge around skin and caring for theirs.
You might be asking the question, why does it matter what I bath my child in if they don’t have a reaction? And that’s a great question. Reactions to skin can be instant or it can take months. The instant reaction is simpler because it’s a case of – yikes, we won’t do that or use that again. However, if the reaction takes months, it’s a case of elimination. And that’s quite tricky and takes time. Is it the products, food, medication, fabrics and materials causing it? For one example, a customer came to see me with her almost 4-year-old son. He had a layered issue on his face. By layered I mean it wasn’t just one thing. It was inflamed, red, flaky, blood vessels popping and generally very unhappy. And it was isolated to one area. I learnt about a particular incident with this area on his face that caused a barrier breach – something that happened to a particular area of his face and nowhere else. And the products his parents were using seemed safe were proving to be unhelpful and potentially causing the issue to erupt.
Here are just 4 ingredients I found in in these skincare products – both a lotion and a wash to be aware of:
·      Dimethicone – Can stop skin from performing natural functions
·      Petrolatum – Petrol derivative and can be contaminated with Carcinogens.
·      Sodium lauroyl sarcosinate – Potential to become a Carcinogen.
·      Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate - Can cause headaches, drowsiness and nausea.
I like to keep my skin support for my kids very simple. Simple is effective, simple is safe. Wash with basic ingredients and condition their skin in the exact same way.
Ingredients that are wonderful and nourishing include:
·      Castile Soap – Known for its natural hypoallergenic power.
·      Lavender – Calming and anti-inflammatory
·      Chamomile – Incredible for supporting healing and calming for bedtime.
·      Shea Butter – Pure and great for moisturising skin and maintaining the moisture.
It’s also incredibly important to always test a patch of skin first: I have met children this week with allergies to lavender and eucalyptus. Despite something being natural or organic, it might still not be the solution for you. And if your child does have known allergies, ask the person behind the product what’s in it.
I hope this helps a parent or two.
As always, spread kindness like it’s jam on toast.
Rebecca – Naturally COS