The Infant Skin Barrier: Can We Preserve, Protect, and Enhance the Barrier?
Table 2
Ideal properties of appropriately formulated cleansers for neonates and infants.
Property
Traditional cleanser
Infant cleanser
Surfactant systems
Amphoteric, anionic
Amphoteric, nonionic, and ethoxylated anionic
Micelle diameter
Smaller
Larger
pH
Slightly acidic to neutral pH
pH should cause minimal changes to skin surface pH
Estimated IL-1ra/IL-1α ratio
Larger
Smaller
Preservative system
Some claim preservative-free
Product should be “microbiologically robust”
Fragrance (parfum/perfume)
Higher concentration level
Lower concentration level; restrictions on specific fragrance components; fragranced product clinically evaluated for irritation and sensitization potential
Other
—
Product should be efficacious and should be demonstrated to be well tolerated
