Keeping the Babies, Kids&Teens Happy, Skin-wise
By way of disclosure, I practice both Dermatology and also serve as President of Big River Silk Skincare Inc., a manufacturer and distributor of organic cleansers and moisturizers (www.Bigriversilkskincare.com). Some of the products mentioned below are sold on my own web site, having been designed and developed by the Woodbury family of four Dermatologists after many years of working with patients with sensitive skin.
Did you know that your skin’s health and your family’s sleep health are tied in together? Your skin is the largest organ in your body, so keeping your skin – and the skin of your family members - healthy is really important. Babies that are up in the night crying from itchy skin rashes or teens that are suffering from unmanaged acne are both examples of how simple skin problems can contribute to sleep deprivation for the entire family.
So here are a couple of simple tips on your family’s skin health, from my perspective as a Board-certified Dermatologist, now in my 28th year of clinical practice:
If your baby, child, or teen is suffering from a skin rash or acne breakouts, consider seeing a Dermatologist to get the condition diagnosed.
My own Dermatology practice is at Rheumatology and Dermatology Associates, 8143 Walnut Grove Road, Cordova TN 38018 (901-753-0168; info@Rheumderm.com. And there are over 13,700 Board-certified Dermatologists across the United States).
You can also find a Dermatologist closer to you by going to the American Academy of Dermatology web site, AAD.org, and then plugging your zip code into the “Find a Dermatologist” tab. The good news is that we have so many newer prescription options to help clear up eczema, psoriasis, and acne in children and teens, from newer topical steroid creams to newer topical antibiotics and oral medications. We can often diagnose skin conditions of babies and children by simple visual inspection, and promptly advise you on treatment options.
Our skin is constantly producing oils and sweat, so it helps to wash or cleanse your skin regularly, with the frequency dependent upon your skin type - how oily your skin is, how much exercise you’ve been doing, and how much dirt you’re contending with. It’s best to favor cleansers or soaps that are fragrance-free and free of harsh detergents.
Remember those teens. Busy teens in ballet or football practice don’t always wash or cleanse frequently enough. Another example would be students stressing out about exams and getting breakouts.
Good gentle options for cleansers for babies and children include Dove for Sensitive Skin®, Cetaphil®, Purpose® Bar Soap, and newer fragrance-free cleansers– Vanicream® Bar Soap and Vanicream Gentle Facial Cleanser® (available from www.Bigriversilkskincare.com).
Good gentle cleansers for pre-teens or teens include Neutrogena® Bar Soap and AmberSoy® Soap Gel for teenagers with oily skin or combination skin (available from Big River Silk Skincare). We manufacture Ambersoy Soap Gel right here in Tennessee, using purified soybean oil and only mild preservatives. Ambersoy is one of the few soap gels commercially available in the United States, so it can be used as a face mask: just apply it a layer 3-5 minutes before washing it off, to allow it to penetrate deeper into your skin, thereby removing excess oils. It comes in Mint, Lemon, and No Fragrance Added.
The fall and winter bring that cooler air from up north, and with it a tendency for our lips to get dry, cracked or fissured. Good lip balms include Aquaphor®, Vaniply®, and HypoShea™ Moisturizer Cream. HypoShea is a Refined Shea Butter product made by Big River Silk Skincare (www.Bigriversilkskincare.com).
Remember to moisturize. Sometimes it helps to do this at bedtime. Once again, it’s generally best to avoid perfumed or fragranced products. Robathol® Bath and Shower Oil is a helpful option, being free of propylene glycol and also fragrance-free. It can be used as a rub-down at bedtime, and it’s available from Pharmaceutical Specialties and also at Rheumatology and Dermatology Associates (16 oz: $15.00). Other good moisturizer options include Cetaphil®, Eucerin®, Cerave®, and Aveeno®.
My mother Linda Woodbury MD is a Board-certified Dermatologist – having done her training at the University of Chicago – and for years she has been using a compounded moisturizer blend to help with splotchiness of color and wrinkles in her own patients. The product is called GlycoShea, and it’s a blend of refined Shea Butter with an Alpha-Hydroxy Acid called Glycolic Acid. GlycoShea is available from Big River Silk Skincare Inc. as GlycoShea® Hand&Body Cream (available in both Standard Strength and High Strength) and GlycoShea™ Facial&Neck Cream. Best of all, the GlycoShea line is fragrance-free, propylene glycol-free, parabens-free, and formaldehyde-free. Check these products out at www.Bigriversilkskincare.com.
All of the products of Big River Silk Skincare are available Monday-Friday, 7:30 AM to 4:30 PM, at our International Headquarters, at 8143 Walnut Grove Road, Cordova TN 38018 (1-901-753-0168). Or you can order them at www.Bigriversilkskincare.com (GWoodburyMD@bigriversilkskincare.com).
So babies, children, or teens who have healthy skin tend to rest better at night, helping the entire family. Maybe now’s a good time for a skin “tune-up.”
George Woodbury Jr. M.D. (11/24/2019)