Review Article
The Infant Skin Barrier: Can We Preserve, Protect, and Enhance the Barrier?
Table 4
Practical considerations for emollient product selection.
| | Efficacy considerations |
| | (i) Appropriate tests should testify to the efficacy of the product formulation |
| | Safety considerations: overall |
| | (i) The margin of safety for each ingredient at the concentration used in the formulation should be considered | | (ii) Ingredients in a product can behave differently than in isolation; therefore, it is important to evaluate the full formulation for safety and | | potential dermal effects, including irritation and sensitization |
| | Safety considerations: fragrance |
| | (i) The use of fragranced products for healthy neonates and infants should be supported by evidence for safety and tolerance | | (ii) Fragrances should be compliant with the International Fragrance Association (IFRA), which is a body that helps to ensure the safety of | | fragrance materials |
| | Safety considerations: preservatives |
| | (i) Products should be microbiologically robust | | (ii) “Natural” does not always mean safer (e.g., some natural oils (eucalyptus, sage, and tea tree oils) can be toxic at certain levels) | | (iii) Preservative ingredients can be natural or synthetic as long as their safety profile is documented; identical chemical structure means | | identical safety profile |
| | Safety considerations: labeling and packaging |
| | (i) Directions for product use should communicate and educate parents on safe and appropriate use | | (ii) Package design should help to minimize product contamination (e.g., loose top or seal could expose product to microbes) |
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