As parents become more informed, a shift towards conscious shopping for their baby occurs. Considering holistic, safe, plant-based products that do not contain toxic or harsh ingredients has never been more important – and some even come with additional natural benefits!
Explore organic coconut oil for baby skin with us as we discuss its unique natural healing qualities and which standard of coconut oil is best to use on your baby’s sensitive skin.
Table of Contents- Organic, natural and plant-based products
- Gentle and safe for parent and baby
- Raw, organic coconut oil infused
What ingredients are you exposing your baby’s skin to?
People of any age can benefit from shifting towards clean, plant-based and ethically created body products, but this is especially true for babies. Their sensitive skin, delicate respiratory system and developing organs make them more vulnerable to the toxic chemicals too often found in baby products.
Avoiding toxic ingredients
Many well-known baby skin products contain mineral oil – a cheap petroleum by-product which can be found in wipes, diaper creams, baby oil and more.
Green chemist and environmental expert Tara Folley explains that “there are many different concerns with mineral oil. First off, mineral oil is distilled from crude oil, which is not only gross to consider applying to your skin, and harmful to the planet, but it’s also known to congest and irritate many skin types. It can be contaminated with potentially carcinogenic PAHs. Most cosmetic grade mineral oil removes the PAHs, but because there is virtually no regulation of the beauty industry, this means that companies aren’t readily disclosing details about their mineral oil, so customers unfortunately need to assume it could be contaminated.”
Mineral oil can act like a plastic sheet over the skin, restricting the skin’s natural toxin release function. If your product label lists mineral oil, petrolatum, paraffinum, paraffinum liquidum it means the product contains mineral oil. Choose a cleaner, safer option for baby skin that supports the skin’s natural activity.
Avoiding fragrances
One of the main culprits of worrisome ingredients in baby skincare is fragrance. The EWG states that “When you see ‘fragrance’ on a personal care product’s label, read it as “hidden chemicals”. A major loophole in FDA’s federal law lets manufacturers include nearly any ingredient in their products under the name ‘fragrance’ without actually listing the chemical.”
Harsh fragrances may bother your baby’s respiratory system when inhaled. And that’s just for starters – more serious side effects of fragrances, explored by the EWG, include allergies, immunotoxicity, endocrine disruption, organ toxicity and general irritation to skin, eyes and lungs.
Something to consider… the fragrance ingredient in one of the world’s most well-known baby oil brands scores an high 8/10 on the Environmental Working Group’s hazard charts.
Read more about the benefits of fragrance free baby products.
Certified organic products
It’s easy to assume that by nature baby products are made using the cleanest ingredients a company can access, but unfortunately that is not true.
Stacy Malkan, the co-director of U.S. Right to Know and the author of Not Just a Pretty Face, explains that “companies in the U.S. are allowed to put ingredients into personal care products with no required safety testing, and without disclosing all the ingredients.” For more than ten years Stacy worked with the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics and after studying hundreds of baby skincare products discovered dozens of them contained two hidden chemicals that have been linked to cancer – formaldehyde and 1,4 dioxane.
“It shouldn’t have to work this way. Companies should be using the safest possible ingredients in the first place, and the government should be holding them accountable to that” Stacy exclaims.
By replacing harmful chemicals with organic ingredients, you are not only dodging those ingredients you can’t pronounce and that have potential health concerns and allergic reactions for your baby, you are also gaining the benefit of what earth’s apothecary can offer your body. Plant based products hold a multitude of natural healing powers, which you can harness by turning to botanical based brands who are certified organic and their label claims regulated by objective and non-profit organizations.
Coconut oil for baby skin – a natural and safe alternative
Organic coconut oil for baby skin is a wondrous clean and safe alternative to mainstream baby oil and other fragrance-filled baby skincare products. Truly raw, organic coconut oil comes exactly as nature intended and has no worrisome added ingredients.
Coconut oil’s unique molecular structure consisting of medium-chain-triglycerides, lauric acid and fatty acids make it so much more than just a natural moisturizing agent for your baby!
It is packed with holistic healing properties that can treat a multitude of baby skin issues by offering antibacterial, anti-viral, anti-fungal, and even anti-inflammatory qualities. Capric acid, another fatty acid found in coconut oil, also has anti-microbial properties – helping to keep your baby’s skin eco-system healthy and free of harmful pathogens.
Organic coconut oil is also gentle and kind, the perfect choice for your baby’s sensitive skin.
Benefits of coconut oil for baby skin
Organic coconut oil for baby skin can assist with a multitude of baby skin concerns:
Dry skin
By using organic coconut oil for baby skin moisture levels you are helping to balance your baby’s natural microbiome – an ecosystem of good bacteria on the surface of the skin that works to protect your baby against harmful pathogens.
Hydrating your baby’s skin with coconut oil of the highest-integrity and packed full of lauric acid can help with cracks, broken skin and water loss in the skin’s top layer by providing valuable fatty lipids which boost the barrier function of the skin.
Diaper rash
Diaper rash is a common form of skin inflammation called dermatitis. It appears as red and irritated skin on your baby’s bottom and is usually a reaction to wet or infrequently changed diapers, skin sensitivity and chafing.
Organic coconut oil’s naturally occurring anti-inflammatory properties help to bring down the skin’s reaction and calm the breakout. One study explores the effects of topically applied coconut oil on skin pathology, demonstrating how it can also work to relieve diaper rash by its skin barrier repair and wound healing effects.
Cradle cap and other fungal infections
Cradle cap, or infantile seborrheic dermatitis, causes crusty patches on a baby’s scalp. A yeast imbalance could be a trigger of cradle cap. A fungus, malassezia, grows in the skin’s sebum alongside bacteria and can cause the outbreak.
Using organic coconut oil on baby skin for cradle cap utilizes naturally occurring anti-fungal qualities. A study in the Natural medicine Journal explains that “medium-chain fatty acid constituents of coconut oil including lauric acid, capric acid, and others provide antimicrobial effect by disrupting bacterial, fungal, and viral cell membranes, leading to cell death.”
Note – If your baby’s cradle cap is itchy you could be confusing it for atopic dermatitis.
Eczema
One in ten young children suffer with atopic dermatitis, also known as baby eczema. This common skin condition causes dry, red, itchy skin that tends to be very sensitive. Eczema is usually a product of a baby’s environment and/or genes. Many babies that suffer with eczema do not have enough of a unique protein called filaggrin in the outer layer of their skin, meaning the barrier between their body and their environment is reduced. This decreases the skin’s water retention and makes it more vulnerable to bacteria and irritants.
Using organic coconut oil for baby skin can target the inflammation of eczema and protect the broken skin with anti-microbial properties to ward off pathogenic microorganisms.
A study from the Journal of Traditional and Complementary Medicine also reported that the topical application of organic coconut oil can “bring anti-inflammatory activity by inhibiting various cytokine levels and improves skin barrier function by up regulating filaggrin and also by protecting against UVB irradiation. Therefore coconut oil could be useful in treating skin disorders with permeability barrier dysfunction, especially those accompanied by reduced epidermal protein expression, such as eczema.”
Eczema can often get infected. This happens when a virus, bacteria or fungi enters the broken skin. Organic coconut oil can target the most common culprits for infection – Staphylococcus aureus (staph infection) and fungal infections, such as Candida albicans. A 2019 study explains that the saturated fatty acids in organic coconut oil were reported to have antibacterial activities and can be used as an antimicrobial and immunomodulatory agent against staph infections. Another study from 2007 explores organic coconut oil’s anti-fungal properties and states that “coconut oil should be used in the treatment of fungal infections in view of emerging drug-resistant Candida species.”
Using a certified organic product without any harsh chemicals can also decrease eczema flare ups that are triggered by ingredient irritants.
Baby massage
Organic coconut oil is a perfect choice for baby massage! It has wonderful massage glide, is gentle on sensitive skin, is naturally moisturizing, holistically healing and, very importantly, it is also edible (in case baby touches the product on their body and then puts their hands in their mouth).
Baby massage introduces a caring touch, helps muscles and tissues develop, creates long-lasting bonds and so much more. Infant Massage USA states that ‘it enhances eye-to-eye contact, skin-to-skin contact, body scent, vocalization, taste, and responsiveness.”
Sleep aid
Baby massage is a great natural tool to promote sleep. Another trick is massaging a lavender infused coconut oil into the baby’s feet for some ultimate relaxation.
If you baby is having trouble sleeping due to teething pain, try organic coconut oil’s anti-inflammatory traits to target localized gum pain. Clean, safe and packed full of healing powers!
- USDA Certified Organic by Oregon Tilth
- Raw, cold-pressed and extra-virgin
- Clean, gentle and safe for baby skin
- No toxic chemicals, harsh ingredients or synthetics
- Mindful, minimalist and multifunctional
The best kind of coconut oil for baby skin
It is important to explain that not all coconut oil is created equal. When choosing a coconut oil for baby skin, the grade you choose will directly dictate how well that oil will absorb into the skin, how many natural benefits are left in the oil and how gentle it is on sensitive skin. Look for a coconut oil that is:
- Certified organic
- Raw
- Cold-pressed
- Extra-virgin
- Unrefined and unbleached
- Made from fresh coconuts
- Free of added ingredients
- Ethically produced
Learn more about the standard of coconut oil.
Organic Fiji’s Coconut Oil is USDA Certified Organic by Oregon tilth and simply boasts raw, cold-pressed, organic oil from fresh coconuts to holistically hydrate and heal your baby’s delicate skin. This multi-functional, fast-absorbing, fragrance free, natural baby oil is loved by parents, children, child-care professionals and skin-experts worldwide.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKsHKXm1V5AOther organic coconut oil infused body care products that are great for baby skin and don’t contain any harsh, synthetic or toxic ingredients:
*please note our soaps do not have a tear-free formula
Organic Fiji
Choosing coconut oil for baby skin, and for your wellness routines in general, is more than a product choice, it’s an ancient ritual steeped in deep, island history.
Organic Fiji is a female and Pacific Islander owned boutique brand that creates organic body care products, based in California.
Organic Fiji’s artisan products have been USDA Certified Organic by Oregon Tilth since 2007 and are vegan, cruelty-free, eco-friendly and ethically created. You can also be assured that Organic Fiji products are free of GMOs, PEGs, parabens, phthalates, sulfates, artificial colors, synthetic fragrances, harsh ingredients or toxic chemicals.
A brand that believes in product transparency over ‘green-washing’ and are real people on the other end of the phone and email. Click here to contact Organic Fiji.
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