Soothing the Itch: Why They Happen and How Epi-max Can Help

Have you noticed how children are more prone to developing itchy skin than adults are?

The reason is simple. A child's skin is more immature and more susceptible to irritants than an adult's skin is. They also tend to be more actively involved with their surroundings through rough play and touch. Jumping, running, playing and falling all bring them into direct contact with the environment around them. On top of this, when a child has a rash, they just can't help scratching it. The scratching makes it easier for dirt and germs to enter the area and cause more severe irritation or even infection.

If you're a parent, you'll remember the days of nappy rashes, heat rash or unexplained spots that tend to be an almost constant occurrence in the baby phase. As your child grows older, they develop other types of rashes. These are common issues and thankfully, most of these rashes are non-infectious.

The good news is that you can help strengthen your child's immature skin, making it less likely for environmental irritants to get in and cause an itch.

The best way to do this is to enforce and strengthen the protective barrier of your child's skin by applying an emollient like Epi-max every day. An emollient is formulated to help keep moisture in and irritants out. Emollients contain lipids that protect and enhance the protective function of the skin. Think of it as a gentle layer applied over the skin to add extra protection and restore any weak areas on the child's skin surface.

Once you've applied the emollient, there are a number of other simple things you can do to prevent aggravation to your child's skin: remember to cut off the labels from their clothing since they are usually made of scratchy, synthetic material use mild body soaps and shampoos that don't contain irritating agents like fragrances or colourants no matter how mild your soap is, your child's skin still needs some extra moisture, so use a good emollient within 3 minutes after bathing if you apply any type of baby cologne, remember to apply it to the clothing and not on the skin or hair.

When you can't stop the itch

There will be times where you just can't foresee or prevent a skin rash. In these cases, you can help minimise its severity and chances of infection by teaching your children to wash their hands regularly and to keep their fingernails short and clean to stop germs from getting in when they scratch. n emollient will also help minimise the itching sensation as it rebuilds the protective layer of the skin.

The Epi-max® range of emollients is recommended and used by dermatologists, pharmacists, and paediatricians all over South Africa. The Epi-max® Baby & Junior range is specially packaged in convenient sizes and product types for all children in your family. It is gentle enough to be used from birth and through childhood. It is readily available, affordable and easy to apply.

Help your child's immature skin cope with environmental pressures with Epi-max® today.