In China, children's cosmetics refer to cosmetics for children aged 12 and younger. How to choose children's cosmetics scientifically is a matter of great concern to parents.

1. How does skin of infants and young children develop? What should parents pay attention to in their children's skincare? 

The physical structure of the skin of infants and young children around one year old is relatively complete and close to that of adults, but their stratum corneum is about 30 percent thinner than adults'. The skin's moisture is easy to lose, and its barrier function is not well-developed. It is easy to cause dry skin, redness, pruritus and other problems due to moisture loss and irritation by the external environment. Therefore, the mildness and moisturizing functions of products are very important for skincare for infants in order to help strengthen the skin barrier.

At the same time, unlike adults, sweat and dirt easily stay in the skin folds of infants and young children such as armpits, groins, navel and buttocks, especially the buttocks. Due to the frequent contact with urine and excrement, improper care can cause diaper dermatitis on the skin. Therefore, mild baby shower gel should be used for comprehensive cleaning, and strengthened care can be used on their buttocks if necessary.

2. How do infants' eyes develop? How to choose skin care products that will not damage their eyes?

Infants have blink reflex at birth. But compared with adults blinking 12-20 times per minute, babies blink only two to five times per minute, so they can't protect their eyes by blinking. Moreover, the corneal tissue of infants is sensitive and weak, and they are more vulnerable to external physical and chemical damages. Chemicals may also be absorbed throughout the body through the lacrimal duct structure of their eyes. Therefore, it is recommended to choose mild bath and shampoo products for infants.

3. How do behavior and emotion of infants and young children develop? How to do skin care?

Infants and young children at different stages have different behavioral characteristics in the process of development. Infants aged zero to six months are in the initial development stage and need careful care and comforts from their parents. Parents can establish emotional contact with babies through gentle eye and voice communication. Parents can also do some gentle skin care with mild products, and establish multi-sensory stimulation, such as bathing, moisturizing and touching, so as to make their babies feel safer and more comfortable. The brain of infants and young children aged six to 36 months is gradually developing. They have learned many new skills, including crawling and walking. Also they have curiosity, have longer attention spans and learn to find things, so parents need to pay more attention to gentle cleaning and moisturizing care. Children over three years old will experience an important stage of development. They can establish social skills through playing, learning and communication with their peers. They will also spend more time on outdoor activities. Apart from daily skin care, parents should pay more attention to protecting the children from the sun.

4. How to choose children's cosmetics scientifically?

Parents can choose appropriate products in accordance with the needs of children of different ages.

Sunscreen: For newborns, there is less demand for outdoor activities. Infants under the age of six months have delicate skin and a high ratio of body surface area to body weight. Applying sunscreen is more likely to have adverse reactions. Therefore, it is recommended to avoid outdoor activities in direct sunlight (from 10 am to 2 pm every day) and the use of sunscreen products. If the newborns need to go out, help them wear hats and light-colored cotton clothes, and remember to take an umbrella. For infants and young children over six months old to two years old, wearing appropriate clothes is also the major way to prevent sun burn. Sunscreen within SPF10/PA+ can also be used, and cream products are preferred.

Bath and skin care products: the pH value of the skin surface of infants and young children is around 4.0 to 5.9. Existing research shows that maintaining a slightly acidic pH level in skin is important for the development of the skin barrier. Therefore, parents should choose washing and skin care products with a slightly acidic pH level for infants and young children. Frequency and length of bathing for infants and young children should be determined according to personal needs and based on different seasons and the environment. It is generally enough to bathe once a day or every other day, with mild bathing and shampoo products. Within five minutes after bathing, infant moisturizing products should be applied to the whole body, once every 12 hours or as needed. Different moisturizing products should be selected based on the skin's moisture, seasons and the environment.

Consumers are recommended to buy children's cosmetics through legal channels, and can check whether the information of label and mark on the cosmetic is consistent with its registration or filing information via the official website of the National Medical Products Administration or the mobile app Cosmetics Supervision (Huazhuangpin Jianguan). Inconsistency of information means product quality is not guaranteed. Consumers should store the products properly. Before using the product, check whether it is within the validity period and whether it is polluted due to improper sealing. If the baby feels unwell after using children's cosmetics, stop using it immediately. If the symptoms still don't ease, please visit a doctor.