Formulating for Babies and Young Children: Why Less Really Is More
Making something for a baby is one of the most loving projects a maker can take on, and one where caution matters most. Infant skin is still developing, babies absorb more relative to their size, and regulators around the world treat products for young children as a special category. Here's what to know.
How baby skin is different
A 2022 review from University College London explains that infant skin has a thinner outer layer and epidermis, and that the skin barrier keeps maturing for about the first two years. Newborns also have about 2.3 times more skin surface area per kilogram of body weight than adults, so anything applied is spread over a relatively larger area of a smaller body (Rahma & Lane, Pharmaceutics, 2022).
The rules are stricter, everywhere
- UK and EU: products intended for children under three need a specific safety assessment (UK government guidance).
- Ingredient restrictions: some ingredients carry specific under-three restrictions. For example, in the EU, salicylic acid used as a preservative must not be used in products for children under three, except shampoos (Commission Regulation (EU) 2019/1966).
- Fragrance: the Council of Europe's guide to safe cosmetics for young children advises particular care in choosing fragrance ingredients for under-threes, and notes that terpenes, found in essential oils, have been linked to convulsions after topical use (EDQM / Council of Europe, 2023).
If you plan to sell baby products, work with a qualified safety assessor from the start, and check every ingredient against the rules in each market you'll sell in.
What dermatologists recommend for babies
The American Academy of Dermatology advises a mild, fragrance-free baby cleanser and a fragrance-free moisturiser (AAD). That simplicity is your formulating brief.
Ingredients to leave out
- Fragrance and essential oils: see our fragrance-free guide and essential oil safety post.
- Strong actives: acids, retinoids, high-strength urea, strong botanical extracts.
- Known sensitisers: propolis, lanolin-heavy formulas for allergy-prone families, colourants.
- Harsh surfactants and high-foam systems.
Gentle building blocks
- Cleansing: mild, low-foam systems with Coco Glucoside or Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate (see our gentle cleanser guide).
- Moisturising: Glycerin, Refined Shea Butter, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride and Squalane.
- Soothing: Colloidal Oatmeal, Panthenol, Allantoin.
- Barrier protection: Petrolatum and, in nappy (diaper) area creams, Zinc Oxide. Note that zinc oxide's status and limits depend on the product type and market.
A simple baby moisturiser blueprint
- Water + glycerin (3–5%)
- A gentle emulsifier and 10–15% light, low-odour emollients
- Panthenol and colloidal oatmeal
- A preservative system appropriate for under-threes, at the lowest effective level, confirmed by challenge testing
- pH about 5–6
- No fragrance, no colour, no essential oils
Packaging and labelling
- Pumps and tubes rather than open jars, for hygiene.
- Clear directions and warnings, for example "For external use only. Keep out of eyes."
- Careful claims. "Gentle enough for daily use" is fine, while "treats eczema" or "prevents nappy rash" can be medical claims in many markets.
Explore Baby & Sensitive Care Ingredients and Sensitive Skin.
Any rash, eczema or skin concern in a baby should be checked by a doctor or health visitor.