Healthy skin for healthier babies

The JOHNSON’S ® Baby Healthy Skin Project is well on its way to improving the health of more than three million South A frican babies by 2020. This is how...

YOUR BABY’S SKIN is delicate and needs special care, but did you know their skin is uniquely different and continues to develop beyond the age of two? Babies’ skin is their defence against the environment, protecting them from infection-causing bacteria. It is also 30% thinner than an adult’s skin and loses moisture up to five times faster. That’s why the protection of your baby’s skin barrier is so important.

DR HLELA’S TIPS FOR HEALTHIER BABY SKIN It’s important to use specialised baby products on your little one’s skin, as harsh cleaners such as antibacterial products and adult products may dry out and irritate the skin, compromising the protective barrier.

Scrubbing with cleansers can disrupt the epidermal barrier and weaken the baby’s natural ability to fight off infection. Use a soft cloth to apply products and don’t rub too hard.

When the skin is dry, it can crack, allowing in germs that may result in infection. To help prevent this, keep your baby’s skin moisturised with emollients such as lotions, creams, ointments, and oils. Emollients act as a defence against bacteria and viruses by creating a lipid barrier between the skin and the outside environment.

If the skin has been damaged, dry and scaly patches may appear. This could also result in skin problems such as impetiginised atopic eczema, a condition that affects the barrier function and immune responses, increasing the risk of infection with bacteria. So, keep skin healthy by keeping moisture in and infections out.

MAKING A DIFFERENCE Knowing that healthy skin is critical to the development of healthier babies, JOHNSON’S Baby has launched

® The JOHNSON’S Baby Healthy Skin

® Project. The project is an aid and education initiative, with the aim of helping to prevent and reduce the risk of skin infections in babies by providing mothers with free access to quality, primary healthcare for their babies, skincare advice and baby products for better everyday health.

GET INVOLVED Look out for The JOHNSON’S ® Baby

Healthy Skin Project on social media and share our message with other moms. Join the conversation and touch the lives of babies by using #johnsonsbabyhealth.