How Safe is Petroleum Jelly on Your Baby's skin?
How Safe is Petroleum Jelly on Your Baby's skin
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How Safe is Petroleum Jelly on Your Baby's skin?
Ever since Petroleum Jelly was first discovered in 1859, it has been widely used worldwide for generations. Grandmas often recommend using petroleum jelly on their grandchildren's baby bottoms. It's believed petroleum jelly canquickly sooth the baby's irritated skin, such as nappy rash. Mothers also believe that petroleum jelly, as a barrier agent,can help protect their babies' skin from direct contact of urine and faces.Recent findings of side effects of using petroleum jelly, however,raised safety concerns in baby skin care.Here are some myth busters for Petroleum Jelly's long-beloved benefit.
(1) Myth 1: Petroleum jelly has healing and moisturizing effect on your baby's skin.
As we know, petroleum jelly is a semi-solid mixture of hydrocarbons. According to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrocarbon, hydrocarbon's predominant use is a combustible fuel source. It does not penetrate skin,thus clearly has neither moisturizing nor medical benefit on the skin. It is water insoluble, which means water can't go through petroleum jelly from one side to the other. Once applied, petroleum jelly traps moist on your skin and prevents the wound from exposition. This gives you false impression that your skin looks moisturized' or the wound heals faster.Because it has no medical benefit, Petroleum Jelly can't enhance and repair any of skin problems, let alone your baby's nappy rash.
(2) Myth 2: Petroleum jelly should be used after every nappy change to help prevent your baby's skin from contacting urine and faeces, so that chance of having nappy rash can be reduced.
Because petroleum Jelly is water repellent, you might like the idea of petroleum jelly being able to keepurine and faeces out. Sounds great, isn't it? But do you equally like the fact that bacteria are trapped and encouraged to grow on the other side, i. e. your baby's skin? Besides, how well can mothers and caregivers in daycare clean their babies' bottoms?
Besides, are you not concerned about your baby's skin unable to breathe under the petroleum jerry? According to Linda Pearson,author of article Side Effects of Petroleum Jelly', one of the side effects of petroleum jelly is that the application of petroleum jelly to the skin inhibits the skin from breathing in oxygen and letting out toxins.According to Marieb (2004), author of the book 'Human Anatomy & Physiology',babies' sweat glands and fatty tissue deposit are still developing.Skin is very thin at early stages of life. Thusoxygen and nutrition supply is vital.A lack of these elementswill only lead to skindisorder and malformation.Babies also havesensitive skin that is prone toskin disorder, such as contact dermatitis. Therefore,like any other skin products, the side effects of extensive and prolong use of petroleum jelly should not be neglected.You can't rely on petroleum jelly to prevent nappy rash and keep your baby's skin healthy.
(3) Myth 3: Petroleum jelly is safe on my baby's skin, because my mother used that on me as well.
According to a health report named Purely Cosmetic?' from Environmental Working Group, petroleum jelly in its pure form was considered safe on the skin. However, if itiscontaminated during the manufacturing process, it may impose cancer risks or other health concerns on human bodies. An article from www.babyloveproducts.com also warned of the possible added petrolatum ingredients and carcinogenic agents on baby diapers, which could impose greater risk of developing skin irritations and other skin disorder on your baby's skin. So how big a risk you are willing to take in terms of caring for your baby's developingskin?
If your mother has used it on you, is it ok to use it now on your baby? It depends on whether you are keeping an open mind or not. For instance, people started to raise concerns of harmful effect of microwave oven cooking nearly 3-4 decades after it was firstly introduced. We all know that some health concerns can only be detected over time with generations of human experience. And your baby relies on you for good decision-making.
To find out more about baby care facts, please go to www.gracybabycare.com or www.onestopbabycare.com.
http://www.articlesbase.com/skin-care-articles/how-safe-is-petroleum-jelly-on-your-babys-skin-4536306.html
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