Before I became a mum for the first time, I diligently followed the typical ‘mums-to-be’ lists I found online.
They told me what to pack in my hospital bag, how many sleep suits and singlets bub would initially need, and what products were the best for her skin.
Following this advice, I bought what baby care products were available to me and what I had heard many other parents used. I thought this was the best way to go, and I felt really prepared for bub’s arrival.
What I wasn’t prepared for, however, was that my babe would be born with really sensitive skin.
The first few weeks of bath time were fine as we bathed her gently in warm water as advised by the hospital nurses.
But after that, we experienced outbreak after outbreak. Our poor babe’s skin was irritated by most milk-based products — goat and cow's milk being the typical offenders.
We navigated this very tough time with doctor visits, prescribed cream and elimination diets. All we could use on her skin for many years was a topical cream.
Nine years later, we were blessed with our second daughter.
Older and much wiser, taking care of her also sensitive skin is of paramount importance to us. I read labels and research ingredients. I test and then triple test, anticipating a varied number of different reactions.
But recently, while researching, I discovered what is described as a game-changing new ingredient — cotton milk.
The new Swisspers® range features a whole host of necessary products, all infused with this new ingredient, including the Swisspers® Hair & Body Wash, the Swisspers® Gentle Shampoo, and the one I'm most excited for, the Swisspers® Soothing Moisturiser. All products work hard to keep the baby's skin smooth, soft and supple.
But before I dived into product worshipping this new range, I had so many questions about cotton milk (like, what even is it?), so, I did a little digging and here’s what I pleasantly found.
So, what is cotton milk?
No, you can’t ‘milk’ cotton like I was thinking, so let’s clear that up straight away.
Cotton milk is actually made by combining Australian cotton extract and cotton seed oil into a milk-like emulsion. It’s rich in fatty acids, carbohydrates and amino acids.
Okay, so how is it made?
Cotton seeds are found within the bolls of the cotton plant. These are the fluffy cotton puffs we're so familiar with and are actually the mature fruit that the cotton plant produces.
To make cotton milk, cotton extract is carefully culled from these seeds via an aqueous extraction (a method that extracts components from plants using distilled or deionised water).
This method allows the cotton seed oil and extract to be filtered, removing any impurities. The end result is a clean and pure cotton milk blend of cotton seed oil and cotton seed extract.
Swisspers® only use cotton proudly grown in Australia to make their cotton milk which ensures only the best quality cotton is used. This is a huge plus for me.
What types of nutrients are found in cotton milk?
Being a direct derivative of cotton, cotton milk contains many natural nutrients including fatty acids Omega-9 and Omega-6 as well as proteins and carbohydrates. All of which are gentle on baby’s skin.
How does it work on the skin?
Like it is in my household, dry and irritated skin are amongst the biggest concerns for parents with babies.
Dry skin can be caused by a number of factors. The environment, like the weather, can be a key player, but it can also be caused by the use of harsh products on the skin that strip excessive amounts of moisture from it.
The latter, especially, can lead to flakiness, redness and irritation, especially with the delicate nature of a newborn’s skin.
With its natural, gentle ingredients, cotton milk helps nourish the skin without the use of irritants.
It can help soothe dry, itchy skin, and calm redness and inflammation associated with dry skin. This is possible due to the fatty acids within the cotton milk. These help maintain skin moisture levels by locking the moisture in rather than stripping it out.
The film-forming properties of some of the proteins within the cotton milk also help lock this moisture into the skin.
How does it benefit the skin?
The cotton milk used within Swisspers® new baby range creates a velvety texture to the products, making it perfect to be used on baby’s delicate skin.
The aforementioned film-forming properties help keep their skin well-hydrated, preventing moisture loss which causes dry, irritated skin.
The cotton milk also works in beautiful harmony with the other components used within the range including organic aloe vera and natural Vitamin E which leaves hair and skin feeling soft and moisturised, calming angry skin.
So, cotton milk can be used on sensitive skin, right?
Absolutely. This range was created with baby’s gentle skin in mind: without the use of parabens, EDTA and synthetic fragrances, all of which can be potential sources of skin irritation.
The range has also been dermatologically tested in independent clinical studies in order to objectively substantiate the gentleness of each product on skin.
For sensitive skin that requires the maximum effectiveness of hydration, gently massage a small amount of the Swisspers® Soothing Moisturiser all over baby’s skin after bathing with Swisspers® Gentle Shampoo and all-in-one cleansing Swisspers® Baby Hair & Body Wash. All products are mild and extra soft on baby thanks to their non-drying formulas including cotton milk, organic aloe vera and natural Vitamin E.
What I love, is that the Soothing Moisturiser can also be used alone as required, especially on areas that are prone to dryness.
Of course, it is always recommended that you seek guidance from your doctor if your baby is experiencing any unusual dryness or skin irritation or if you are concerned about your baby’s skin in any way.
So there you have it – cotton milk.
A new, innovative ingredient that helps keeps baby’s skin soft, moisturised and free of irritability.
After years of spending so much time, energy and money on products that either didn’t help my daughters’ skin or even made it worse, I am genuinely excited about the new Swisspers® Cotton Milk Baby Range.
For over a decade, Swisspers® has been known for its expertise in pure, gentle cleansing. Now, they're changing the game all over again with their new Cotton Milk Baby Range. Find them at the Chemist Warehouse or the Swisspers® website.
Feature Image: Supplied/Mamamia.