Baby Cosmetic Products : Powders, Shampoo, Oils and Lotions

Functional requirements of Babies’ Products

Baby skin care products essentially should protect their tender skin from hostile environment by cleansing it thoroughly from sebum, grime and excrete.

The types of products which are available for babies are same as that for adults.

Examples : Soaps, oils, lotions, shampoos etc;

Many formulators are tempted to include a germicidal in baby care products , but their incorporation does not prevent nappy rashes.

Some germicidals like cetyl pyridinium chloride, benzethonium chloride are generally used.

Baby Powders

Baby Powder is different from Talcum Powder as it has an antiseptic agent and low perfume. It does not contain colouring agents as well.

The main ingredient used in baby powders is Talc as it has excellent slip and a good adhering property. Size and shape of the particles have to be maintained by the Air Micronisation Technique while the small particles are removed by Air Clarification.

In baby powders, stearates of Magnesium and Zinc are included to ensure water repellency, good adhesiveness and also to get the velvetty smoothness.

Lithium stearate is used in baby powders as it has oil and water repellancy and also that it is non-toxic.

For emollient properties, cetyl alcohol or stearyl alcohol is used in minute concentration.

Undecyclinates are used for their anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties and they also increase the water repellancy of the talc.

Starches may also be used instead of talc. But their absorptive property results in the tendency to form a sticky paste which in turn favours the growth of micro organisms. So the use of Starches instead of talc has not become that popular.

To avoid this disadvantage, modified starches are used which are having water repellant properties.

The main thing to be noted is that the products should be free of bacteria and they should not contain harmful substances and should not cause irritation on baby skin.

Baby Shampoos

The baby shampoos should be bland towards baby eyes, skin and hair.

For their formulation, non-irritating surfactants are to be selected.

Amphoteric imidazoline derivatives, fatty sulphosuccinic esters and amides are mostly used.

Baby Oils

Baby oils generally contain bland vegetable oils like ground nut oil, mineral oil, lanolin derivatives.

The mineral oils are of high purity without perfume . Anti-oxidants are also incorporated.

Baby Lotions

They are formulated as oil in water emulsions.

Silicone oils for water repellancy are incorporated . An anionic emulsifier like triethanolamine stearate is used.

Crodestas, which is the trade name for di and triesters of sucrose is also used for baby lotions.

Antiseptic baby lotions contain cationic quarternary ammonium compounds like pyridinium chloride and are required in excess amounts. Along with these small amounts of fatty acids are also included in the lotions.

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