We are looking forward to a new year of providing natural and sustainable skin care to parents of young children. Last year finished strong and we want to thank our customers for their support. In the new year we plan to launch one or two new products for Nuthatch Naturals. We also want to find new customers so please spread the word!
Here is a shortlist of New Year’s Resolutions for children’s skin. All of these are excellent for their skin health. Even if parents stick with only one or two of them.
Resolution No. 1: Skin care is for every day
Dry skin in children doesn’t develop from one day to the next. There are several contributing factors that often build up over time. Exposure to dry air and high temperatures will dry out the surface layers of the skin. But dry, irritated, itchy skin can also be caused by other things. Some common viral infections can cause mild rashes. Using a lot of soap and other irritating chemicals is well intentioned but can cause dryness and irritation.
To avoid all this, it’s healthy to apply a moisturizer every day. After the bath or after washing with a mild cleanser. Moisturizing lotions that are developed for kids, without harsh chemicals and anti-aging ingredients, are excellent choices. We designed Nuthatch Naturals Daily Moisturizing Lotion just for that purpose. It’s clinically proven mild and formulated with beneficial natural ingredients.
Resolution No. 2: Sunscreen is essential
Kids love playing in the sun and it’s great for their health in many ways to be playing outside. For their skin, children need some exposure to sunlight because the skin generates vitamin D in the epidermis. But it’s difficult to know how much exposure is enough because it depends on the pigmentation of the skin. Dark-skinned people need to spend more time in the sun than light-skinned people. Kids also get vitamin D through food additives in milk (both plant and cow’s milk).
It’s more important to limit sun exposure because sunlight can do a lot of damage to the skin, especially when that damage is done from an early age on. Sunburns are painful and annoying. Repeated sunburns can lead to more serious damage. Sunlight contains UVA radiation which can cause melanoma, which is the 5th most common form of cancer in the USA. Children need to be protected against UVA radiation with careful application of sunscreen. That sunscreen should be broad spectrum and based on zinc oxide, which does not penetrate the skin. Children need to be protected whenever they play outside!
Resolution No. 3: Make their skin care routine fun
Parents know that if an activity is not fun for kids, they will resist every time. But there are many ways to make skin care fun. For younger kids, applying skin care products can be made into a game. They can try different products on themselves and on their parents and siblings. Moisturizers and sunscreens should be easy to use for kids and feel nice on the skin. Otherwise they will not be fun to use.
For older kids, parents may want to establish a healthy skin care routine that lasts throughout life. It’s fun for them to understand why we use skin care products daily. What is in the products and how does it help the skin? At Nuthatch Naturals, we like to show children that skin care science is fun. We offer information about the layers of skin and about the different ingredients in skin care products.
Resolution No. 4: Natural and sustainable ingredients are for their future.
Today’s children may well live into the 22nd century. They feel strongly about protecting the world and the natural environment so that it is there for them throughout their lives. On the other hand, consumer products can have unnatural ingredients that persist in the environment. Product packaging is often not reusable or recyclable. Plastic bottles that take centuries to naturally break down are found everywhere.
Nuthatch Naturals was founded to break this cycle. Our ingredients are all natural, not made from crude oil and other fossil fuels. We select ingredients that are biodegradable so that they don’t linger in the natural world. Also, our packaging is recyclable or reusable. We constantly look for other ways to be more sustainable. Our children should not have to clean up our mess. Because of this, we feel skin care products for children especially need to be sustainable.
Resolution No. 5: Kids should have their own products.
Kids think it’s cool to have their own skin care products. They can own their own collection independent of their parents. For parents, there are big benefits to giving their offspring their own skin care products. For one, it’s more hygienic if everyone in the family has their own lotion bottle or sunscreen tube. And kids get to be like mommy or daddy, which makes them more likely to use a skin lotion without protesting. Busy parents can do without more protest from their kids!
There is another reason why children need their own products. Children’s skin is different. It’s not like adult skin, because the cells in the epidermis (the top layer of skin) are smaller. The epidermis itself is thinner, so that product ingredients penetrate the skin more easily. And children are more sensitive to allergens and sunlight than adults. Also, children rarely have adult problems like oily skin, pores, and wrinkles. They don’t need anti-aging ingredients and ingredients that treat those conditions. They just need hypoallergenic moisturizers and sun protection when they play outside.
For more children’s skin care tips and Nuthatch Naturals updates, follow us on Instagram and Facebook. If you’d like to try our products, visit our Shop page. We are interested in feedback. Tell us what challenges you have with your children’s skin!