Grants Pass, OR (PRWEB) December 19, 2013
Diaper rash, or infant diaper dermatitis, is extremely common among diaper wearing infants not yet potty trained. Water and heath researcher Sharon Kleyne recently reported on a simple additional step in the diaper changing process – the application of a pure water skin mist - that will keep baby’s skin healthy and improve the effectiveness of commercial products.
Sharon Kleyne hosts the globally syndicated Sharon Kleyne Hour Power of Water® radio show on VoiceAmerica and Apple iTunes. Kleyne also Founded Bio Logic Aqua Research, a fresh water and health research, education and product development center. The Research Center’s global skin care product, Nature’s Mist® Face of the Water® provides a pure all-water mist that is clean, gentle and pH correct for human skin, including baby skin.
With two children, seven grandchildren and a great grandchild, Kleyne has considerable personal experience with preventing and treating diaper rash.
The cause of diaper rash, according to Kleyne, is excessive waste material touching the skin inside the diaper for a prolonged period, and too little air reaching the skin. Other factors can be too-tight diapers and allergies.
Infant skin has a thinner outer layer or stratum corneum than the skin of older individuals and there is less lipid or oil in their skin. The stratum corneum is the primary barrier to keep out excessive moisture, irritants, bacteria and toxins.
Constant wetness, Kleyne explains, softens the already thin stratum corneum, lowering the skin’s effectiveness as a barrier. Toddlers in diapers are less prone to diaper rash because their stratum corneum is thicker.
When a stratum corneum already weakened by too much moisture and too little air, says Kleyne, comes into contact with waste material, especially ammonia, the skin’s pH or acid-alkaline balance can be substantially raised. The result is redness, blistering, oozing sores and infection. The ammonia in urine, combined with certain enzymes found in other waste material, is particularly irritating.
According to Kleyne, pH balance is an important factor in diaper rash and in skin health in general. Normal skin has a slightly acidic pH balance of 5.5 to 6.5. This acidic surface is called the “acid mantle protection barrier.” The acid mantle’s function is to creates a hostile environment for bacteria.
When the skin’s pH is raised so that the surface becomes alkaline, with a PH above 7.0, the protective barrier becomes far less effective, greatly increasing the chances of infection. Kleyne notes that any infection on an infant should be considered serious.
Having the baby go diaperless for a couple days, allowing the skin to breathe and dry out, can work wonders on infant diaper dermatitis, but may not be practical. Commercial lotions for diaper rash, according to Kleyne, are excellent for adding a supplemental moisture barrier to prevent the baby’s delicate skin from either absorbing too much bad water, irritants or toxins, or losing too much good water. There are also anti-bacterial applications formulated to heal bacterial infections.
Even with lotions, according to Kleyne, the best moisture barrier is still a dry and healthy stratum corneum.
For best results, whether or not a commercial preparation is applied, Kleyne recommends misting the affected area with a pure, pH correct water. The mist will add healthy moisture to the skin while bringing the skin’s pH balance back to the desired slightly acidic 5.5 to 6.5. The only available pure water mist that is pH correct for human skin – a slightly acidic 6.49 - is Nature’s Mist® Face of the Water® from Sharon Kleyne’s Bio Logic Aqua Research.
Most tap water, Kleyne explains, has a too-high alkaline pH greater than 7.0. Alkaline water is not well absorbed by skin and the incorrect pH could worsen the irritation.
Here is the recommended diaper changing sequence to prevent infant diaper dermatitis, according to Kleyne:
First cleanse the skin with an extremely mild cleanser to completely remove ammonia and waste residue.
Second, apply the pH balanced skin mist to increase the skin’s natural moisture content and correct the pH balance. Do not hold the misting device too closely to the skin or the skin will become overly damp and soften the stratum corneum. Never put a diaper over wet skin.
And finally, apply a barrier lotion and put on the diaper.