As a mum of two, who both suffer with sensitive skin I’m constantly on the lookout for solutions that help them lead happier, more comfortable lives.
Izzy Judd and her children (Credit: Instagram)
When I first had Lola I felt clued-up on pre-washing newborn clothing with non-bio detergent before their first wear to protect her skin. However, I didn’t necessarily think about the products and ingredients I was actually putting on her skin.
Of course, when you have your first child every little thing can feel a bit daunting, especially when you’re faced with obstacles you hadn’t prepared for. Lola demonstrated having skin sensitivities from a young age, from eating different foods and when she was teething for example.
I shouldn’t have really been that surprised. My husband Harry has an allergy to wool and his family have a history of eczema, but I still wasn’t prepared for just how sensitive my children’s skin would be.
Anything new that touched her skin seemed to make Lola react. She started getting sore patches on her skin. By the time I had started introducing weaning anything that touched the side of her mouth that was acidic, whether that be fruit or tomato sauce for example, she would then come up in sores which looked so painful. They were very obvious being red and dry and it not only worried me, it made me question what I was doing and if I was doing something wrong.
I remember rushing to the doctors to check everything was okay and that it wasn’t anything more serious as rashes are quite frightening. As mums we tend to naturally want to fix things but, thankfully, we found she wasn’t allergic, she just had extremely sensitive skin.
I was recommended AVEENO® baby products by Harry’s mum and I saw a noticeable improvement in Lola’s skin and how much calmer it became and looked. It immediately made me adopt a regular skincare routine with Lola and then with Kit when he was born. The products create a daily barrier for their skin, which I believe, is why Kit’s skin has never flared up as bad as Lola’s did.
Since those early days of rashes and sores we’ve had eczema flare ups with Lola which faced us with a new challenge to soothe her itchy skin and keep it moisturised. Physically and visually, eczema is scary for parents and I felt helpless trying to ease her discomfort. We found that AVEENO® came to the rescue again with their Dermexa range, and the new Moisturing Wash in particular. It’s made from colloidal oatmeal, oat extracts and ceramides and has been a god send for bath time and soothing her dry skin.
The brand has recently revealed quite shocking research on the implications of skin conditions, revealing that over half (55%) of parents* surveyed would stop their child from playing with a child with an obvious skin condition because they feared it would be contagious which is really quite upsetting! I completely sympathise with the parents from new AVEENO® Baby research who feel as though they are failing as parents if their child develops a skin condition. It is very easy to put blame on ourselves for things out of our control and feel like we have to explain ourselves to everyone we meet. However, having tried what feels like hundreds of products, when you do finally find the products that are right for you and your family it really does feel like everything has fallen into place.
*Research of 2,002 parents in the UK conducted by Atomik Research, 30th August - 4th September 2019