There are colognes that have traditionally perfumed the childhood of different generations for decades. Highly recognizable fragrances that do not go unnoticed by people who walk or pass by a boy or girl who has been scented with them. And, although babies naturally have a characteristic smell that always pleases, there is a certain tendency to use essences. But its use in children, far from being appropriate, can be harmful.
One of the reasons why the use of colognes is not recommended for children, especially those under three years of age, is because children are highly sensitive and fragrances can cause toxic effects. “This risk is mainly due to two factors: on the one hand, the possibility of accidental ingestion of the product (for example, when sucking on hands) and, on the other, due to the characteristics of their skin, which is thinner and more sensitive,” says Carmela. Martínez, head of the Pediatrics service at the Henares University Hospital. For this reason, it is not advisable to perfume babies during the first year or at least the first six months of life. “This is especially important during the neonatal period (first 28 days of life), in which the best cologne is the natural aroma of your mother’s (or father’s) skin. This smell comforts the newborn and makes him feel safer,” she adds.
The baby’s olfactory canal is extremely sensitive, so it is best to avoid strong odors and chemicals in fragrances, as they can bother him or cause allergies. When choosing a children’s cologne, it is important to check its composition and make sure that it does not contain alcohol, since it is very irritating. “In the colonies there are 26 allergens collected by the Scientific Committee of the European Community that can affect the baby and cause him to develop an allergy,” says Martínez. Likewise, it is crucial that the colonies are kept in a cool, dry place and not mixed with other creams or lotions (such as insect repellents or sun spray).
In the first six months, the child’s olfactory system is still immature and developing. Smell helps the baby recognize his mother, her father, and breast milk, which provides him with calm and security. “If exposed to the smell of a cologne, the odors from the environment are canceled and the baby loses this important recognition system. Furthermore, from skin contact with the chemical substances contained in the colony, allergic sensitization may appear that can later cause problems,” explains María Luz García, head of the Pediatrics and Neonatology service at the Severo Ochoa University Hospital.
The act of perfuming a baby is not a need of the child, but of the adults around him, who like the baby to give off a certain aroma. “However, the best way for a baby or child to smell good is to bathe daily and change clothes at least once a day,” García highlights.
The most appropriate time to start perfuming children, “taking into account that it is totally dispensable,” in the opinion of Pepe Serrano, member of the Spanish Association of Pediatrics (AEP) and author of the book Babypedia (ed. Roca Editorial), it would be around two years. “Its application should be on clothing, in small quantities, knowing that the product will not cause any irritation and also with the child’s approval because, if it is going to smell all day and it is going to disagree with what We put it, it doesn’t make sense for us to use it,” says Serrano.
In addition, it is necessary to avoid the essence containing alcohol, not only because of the adverse effects it can have on the skin, “but because the dermis of children, being more sensitive, absorbs substances more easily than that of adults.” . We must also rule out that it does not have synthetic elements or that may be irritating to the skin such as parabens (chemical compounds usually used as preservatives in cosmetics and medications),” says Serrano. This specialist advises parents to consult the certifications that accompany children’s colognes to know what type of fragrances they are applying to their children.
You must also monitor the rest of the products used during children’s first years, such as soaps, gels or creams, as many of them contain some fragrance. “Below a year, both fragrances and gels must be specific. There are also those that do not have any type of fragrance. The clean smell comes from the cleanliness itself rather than from the fragrance that is added,” emphasizes the AEP specialist.
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