Understanding Baby Skin: Why Formulation Matters
At birth, baby’s skin barrier is fragile, immature and 30% thinner than a mature skin barrier with an acidic pH. That's why all Dabble Baby products are formulated at pH 5.5 to match the pH of baby’s skin.
Baby skin barriers:
- Are more susceptible to TEWL (Trans Epidermal Water Loss)
- Have difficulty regulated cold/hot temperatures
- Are prone to infection and damage (dryness, redness, itching, irritation)
At 2-4 years, the skin barrier reaches skin maturity.
The Role of Vernix: Baby’s First Skin Protector
Babies are born with a natural vernix, a protective, waxy, white coating on newborn’s skin, made of water, lipids, and proteins.
Vernix acts as a powerful:
- Natural moisturizer
- Temperature regulator
- Antimicrobial barrier
This is why many healthcare providers, and Dabble & Dollop recommend delaying baby’s first bath at least 24 hours.
The Acid Mantle: A Delicate, Essential Defense
Babies are also born with an “acid mantle”, which is their natural buffer system located in the upper stratum corneum (outermost layer of skin).
An acidic pH is essential because it:
- Sustains the acid mantle’s function
- Regulates the microbiome, structural stability
- Helps control inflammation
Shifts in pH can disrupt barrier properties and impact dermatologic disease processes, like Eczema.
This is why it is so crucial that baby products need to be lower pH (5.5). Lower pH is also essential to ensure that bubble bath and hair and body washes used on baby are tear-free, and don’t cause any ocular irritation.
What do we mean when we say “Less Ingredients. More Love”?
Using minimal ingredients means reducing unnecessary chemical exposures.
It is essential that products used on baby are:
- Fragrance-free
- Gentle
- pH balanced
- Minimalistic
We only formulate products with what is necessary and functional (a “do no harm” approach) to care for baby’s skin.
Babies need a lot of love and skin to skin contact, and we want caretakers to feel confident about their care routines. We empower caretakers with evidence-based care, rooted in safe, proven, natural origin and microbiome-friendly ingredients.
Our EWG-Verified badge further validates the safety of our creations.
Are you concerned about eczema?
Sadly, 1 in 5 children will have eczema. The average onset is typically 2-3 months of age – again, this is why limited exposures is critical at this stage.
If you suspect your baby has eczema, it is essential to get an accurate diagnosis from a pediatric dermatologist to identify triggers. Likely, allergy testing can identify a trigger (eg a food allergy or environmental factor).
Pediatric dermatologists will certainly tell you to avoid fragranced products, but they should also tell you to watch out for long ingredient decks riddled with unnecessary, potentially irritating extracts that provide no value for baby skin.
If a brand claims their fragrance is natural – ask them to be transparent about the fragrance ingredients. If they hide this, it is a concern – this means you could be inadvertently exposing your baby to potential allergens – they exist in nature too!
Moisture Is Critical — For All Babies
Cosmetic & Personal Care products, and even dermatologist-prescribed medications cannot cure eczema, because eczema is a disease, but they can help alleviate the symptoms if the products used are formulated properly. An essential way to control eczema flare ups is to relieve dry skin.
Dry skin leads to itching, scratching, redness, swelling, and tiny holes in the skin barrier that create an environment ripe for infection. So, whether your baby has eczema or not, it is critical that their skin be moisturized.
A recent AAD study showed that using a moisturizer may make a difference:The group of children being moisturized developed 50% less AD than the other group of children.
Dabble & Dollop baby utilizes proven functional ingredients like glycerin, beta glucan and jojoba for hydration and moisturization.
When Is It Okay to Introduce Scented Products?
Once your baby has reached skin maturity (typically 2-4 years), you can try Dabble & Dollop’s safely scented products.
We recommend using Dabble & Dollop’s range of naturally-scented bubble baths, shampoos and body washes because:
- They are third party tested to be non-irritating
- The scent blends are disclosed, making it easy for parents to know what scent components are perfectly safe for their children
- We ensure all of our washes do not have any ocular irritation potential and use a third party to ensure this fact
When a brand sells a scented product and does not disclose the components, it is impossible for caretakers to know what may be the cause of any irritation.
Some parents may be tempted to try safely-scented products prior to 2 years old and that is entire up to the caretaker’s level of comfort with the disclosed scent ingredients.
Reputable Resources for Evidence-Based Care of Infant Skin & Childhood Eczema
- Infant Skin 101: Skin Barrier Function in Infants: Update & Outlook Pharmaceutics
- What is Eczema? National Eczema Association
- What causes Eczema? Maternal stress triggers early-life eczema through fetal mast cell programming (Journal of Nature)
- Can Anything Prevent my Child from Developing Eczema? (American Academy of Dermatology)
