What's pH got to do with it?

When we start talking about pH levels and its importance with our baby's skin it starts to sound like one of those terms you say but you don’t really know what it means. We are here to tell you EXACTLY what pH is and what it means for your baby’s and their skin health.

Now don’t run to get your notepad we promise we are keeping it simple! pH has levels from acidic to alkaline (queue flashback to when you thought alkaline water would cure your every ailment). When we talk about an adult's skin we lean onto the more acidic side (4-6), which comes from our skin over time building up protection from bacteria pollution etc etc. Now it will come as no shock that due to our babies status as newer to this world that their levels are a little different. Most babies have a level that is closer to neutral (7 and up), this will decline as they grow and their skin builds up defences to their environment.

So in short pH levels help our skin to stay protected against outside factors, like pollution and bacteria. For our babies, because their skin is THREE TIMES THINNER (yes you heard us right) than adult skin they do not have adequate barrier protection to keep their skin safe from outside factors. Scary as this may sound, we can do A LOT to help our babies skin!

Not using anything with high pH levels is a great start as it will dry out your baby's skin and can lead to irritation/infection, using pH neutral cleansers and moisturisers like we recommend to use with the BBS are a great for our soft baby skin. Another great step is not picking up your nappy wipes and instead reaching for your Baby Bum Shower, filled with your favourite pH neutral cleanser, baby wipes are not always pH neutral and can cause irritation, so transitioning to a BBS can be a good move if we are starting to think about our baby’s skin health (not to mention hygiene health) read about that here.

Stepping away from soap and harsh baby cleaning products is the first step in creating a great environment for your baby's skin to thrive, just make sure you’re always looking for pH neutral level cleansers and moisturisers. Our babies just like us need a skincare routine that is gentle and safe to set them up for the best start in life!