Shea Butter It is a popular natural choice for solving infant’s skin problems. Whoever said the phrase “baby’s skin is soft” may not have had much experience with newborns. In fact, it is common for newborns to have dry skin, since they cannot quickly adapt to life outside the womb, and they can also suffer from dandruff – a waxy layer on the baby’s skin to protect it from the amniotic fluid present. in the womb.
Newborns’ skin may peel off because of this dryness – or because they have eczema; Where (approximately 1 in 5 children under the age of two may develop eczema). Therefore, the task of moisturizing their skin by using the African plant “Shea Butter” can help solve these problems.
What is shea butter?
Like coconut oil, shea butter is a fat that comes from the nut tree, specifically — from the shea nut that comes from the “karite tree” that grows in West and Central Africa. This butter has been used locally for hundreds of years on the skin and hair as a natural moisturizer and treatment for a variety of ailments, such as rashes and insect bites. Now it is widely used all over the world.
Shea butter is solid when left at room temperature but melts into a liquid once heated. It consists primarily of saturated fatty acids such as palmitic acid, stearic acid, oleic acid or oleic acid, and linoleic acid. They also contain some vitamins, such as vitamin E.
Prepare shea butter uses In pregnancy, childbirth and child care is nothing new. They are used, for example, by new mothers to treat dry nipples after childbirth.
What are the benefits of shea butter?
Shea butter has many benefits for skin and hair. And here is the following, Shea Butter Benefits Most relevant to young children:
1. Natural treatment for eczema
Shea butter may help treat eczema. It is clear that this type of butter is one of the types of treatments that parents use to treat this skin problem in their children. The evidence for this is that in one case study (on one person), shea butter reduced the appearance of eczema and the symptoms resulting from it more than Vaseline. In another small study, about 75 percent of participating children with atopic dermatitis responded well to a cream containing shea butter.
In a more recent evaluation published in 2019, an oatmeal product containing shea butter helped improve eczema symptoms after one month of use. However, more study is still needed on the benefits and uses raw shea butter .
2. Moisturizing cream
Shea butter is considered a very moisturizing cream due to the presence of fatty acids and vitamins (specifically, vitamins A and E). So if your baby has dry skin, this cream may help give him the required smoothness. Most studies classify shea butter as an emollient—another word for any moisturizer, lotion, or oil often used to soothe dry, eczema or psoriasis skin.
3. Anti-inflammatory properties
Shea butter may also have anti-inflammatory properties. This would make it a good choice for treating skin irritation that can accompany rashes and insect bites. (But you should consult your pediatrician first if your child has one of these problems.)
Is shea butter safe for baby skin?
The harsh ingredients found in many lotions and creams can irritate your baby’s skin and cause rashes or other problems. The baby’s skin is considered very thin; In fact, the epidermis (the outermost layer of the skin) of a newborn is 20% less than the skin of an adult!
In other words, the baby’s skin is very sensitive. Fortunately, shea butter is a safe moisturizer for all skin types – even the most sensitive. Unlike many store-bought lotions and creams, it does not contain original shea butter No added chemicals, sulfates, parabens or preservatives.
The best type of shea butter for a baby
When shopping for your baby’s shea butter, look for raw, organic varieties. Also check the ingredients list on the packaging to see if it might contain any potentially harmful chemicals or additives. The purest option for baby skin is shea butter that does not contain any additional ingredients, ie 100% shea butter and nothing else.
It’s also a good idea to buy unrefined shea butter – but don’t be alarmed if you see bits of shea nut on your baby’s skin. To avoid this unpleasant feeling on baby’s skin, simply heat the butter in a microwave-safe bowl until melted and drain through a cheesecloth.
How to use shea butter on your baby’s skin
Similar to how you would use coconut oil, you can heat a spoonful of shea butter in the microwave and then use it to gently massage your baby’s skin. But be sure to test the temperature of the butter first – it should be warm when using, so you don’t burn your baby’s skin if it’s hot. (And remember, your baby’s skin is more sensitive than yours.)
Gently dip your fingertips in the liquid and rub the baby’s body with it. You should also, when using shea butter or any other oil, avoid contact with the eye area and genitals. As for the treatment of eczema cases, you do not need to heat it to become a liquid. Rather, you can moisturize your child’s skin with it by placing a small amount of it on the affected area and distributing it gently, so it is considered shea butter Best moisturizing cream for baby skin .
Precautions to be observed when using shea butter
Because shea butter comes from the nut tree, it may make sense to be concerned about an allergic reaction to its use. But in fact, there are no documented cases of allergic reaction to shea butter. However, it is best to test it on a small area of skin before using it all over your baby’s skin. If you notice any redness or irritation in the test area, choose another alternative that does not contain shea butter.
It is worth noting here that most cases of dry skin in babies resolve on their own after about the first month or so. If your baby’s skin continues to dry out, don’t immediately resort to using shea butter or baby oil – but talk to your pediatrician first. There may be a more serious problem that requires medical treatment.
Knowing that some oils that contain the same fatty acids that are found in shea butter, such as olive oil – for example – have been the subject of research on whether they can cause atopic eczema or not. More research is still needed on this topic, but keep that in mind and watch for any changes in your baby’s skin while using these types of moisturizers.
In the end
Shea butter may be what the doctor asks for when it comes to moisturizing your baby’s delicate skin and relieving eczema, because these things are considered one of the most important Benefits of shea butter for the skin .
In the meantime, you should know that dry skin in babies is a common occurrence. And if you’re going to be using raw, organic shea butter for him, know that its antioxidants and other beneficial ingredients can make it a powerful dehydration powerhouse — both for your baby’s skin and for your own.
• Image https://images.pexels.com/photos/415824/pexels-photo-415824.jpeg?auto=compress&cs=tinysrgb&dpr=2&h=750&w=1260
• doi https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaci.2008.12.1100
• medical journals https://www.medicaljournals.se/acta/content/html/10.2340/00015555-2279
• ncbi https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30207438
• hkmj https://www.hkmj.org/abstracts/v21n5/417.htm
• degruyter https://www.degruyter.com/view/j/jcim.2012.9.issue-1/1553-3840.1574/1553-3840.1574.xml
