Your precious baby’s skin is a protective covering for their body and it needs gentle care to avoid irritation. When it comes to washing clothes you may want to choose laundry products designed for sensitive skin.

Generally ‘sensitive’ laundry products don’t contain synthetic dyes or perfumes as these can irritate delicate skin causing dryness or itchiness. Perfume in particular can deposit on clothes during washing and in some individuals this can irritate skin where clothes rub. The product options are specially formulated normal laundry powders or liquids, soap flakes or plant based powders or liquids.

 What’s what in laundry powder?

Normal laundry powders use surfactants to remove stains and dirt - these work by significantly reducing the water’s surface tension. Optical brighteners enhance the appearance of white fabric by causing a ‘whitening’ effect. This makes materials look less yellow by absorbing light in the ultraviolet region and re-emitting it in the blue region of the visible spectrum. Sodium polyphosphate and zeolite suspend dirt and soften water, preventing the dirt being deposited back onto your clothes. Alkalis are used to loosen grease and disperse fats. Traditional washing soda crystals are also alkaline and loosen grease and dirt and soften water.

Soap flakes have lubricating properties that maintain the softness of fibres and reduce the chance of skin irritation. They’re also great for making gloop and slime when your child gets older!. Plant based laundry powders and liquids don’t contain enzymes but use mineral salts and naturally-occurring surfactants to remove stains and dirt. Plant oils may be used for fragrance.

Some of the phrases you may see on laundry product packaging are:

• Hypoallergenic - simply means less likely to cause allergy or irritation.
• Dermatologist tested - the product has been tested in laboratories supervised by dermatologists (skin specialists) for indications of irritation.
• Dermatologically tested – the laundry products have been observed after clothing washed in it is worn next to the skin.
• Enzymes – these are used to help remove protein, fatty and oily stains from clothes. Like all catalysts, enzymes accelerate the rates of reactions but don’t undergo any chemical change.
• Biodegradable - means capable of being decomposed by bacteria or other living organisms.

 Another laundry issue is phosphates in water. High levels of phosphorus can cause eutrophication, which is the overgrowth of algae and weeds in inland waterways. Some laundry products are phosphate free. Others have low levels meaning they comply with industry standards of a maximum level of 7.8 g phosphorus per wash.

Babies aren’t the only ones affected by sensitive skin. It can be an issue for grown-ups too, so when washing clothes by hand, most manufacturers recommend wearing gloves if your skin is sensitive or dry.  Go gently on the washing powder and contact your doctor if any skin problem persists or you have any concerns about you or your baby.  

Endorsed by our New World Nutritionist  ||   Proudly Partnering with Parents Centre

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