Page 80 - Retail Pharmacy Assistants - October 2020

78 LITTLE LEGENDS O ne day in the office, a design team member – a father of two – made a point of showing the difference between the ingredients in two brands of baby wipes. It was something that had never crossed my mind before: the attention to detail required by parents when deciding on something as apparently minor as baby wipes. One brand of baby wipes listed up to about 60 ingredients, half of them surely unknown to the average human. Another pack of baby wipes listed just two ingredients, one being water. “Would you want to put all of those ingredients on your child?” my colleague asked, referring to the first brand of baby wipes. It made me think about what types of ingredients are appropriate and safe to use when it comes to children, and how much pharmacy assistants would have to know to communicate such details to concerned parents. Pharmacy Assistant Bryan Hann from Midland Pharmacy and Compounding Centre and Mundaring Village Pharmacy in Perth spoke with Retail Pharmacy Assistants magazine about his tips for advising parents on safe baby wipe products. “I believe it’s very important for consumers, whether it be new parents or grandparents, to read the labels, including (but not limited to) baby wipes, as it’s important to know what you’re putting on your little one’s skin,” he said. “There are a lot of harmful ingredients which in turn can cause issues with our skin and skin permeability, etc.” He adds that as society becomes more environmentally conscious, understanding what effects a chosen brand will have in future is very important. Wipe away the concerns Mr Hann talks of the side effects of some baby wipe products, and the complaints he has heard in the pharmacy after parents or carers have used products on children. He says two of the most common side effects on skin are irritation and allergic reaction. “A lot of babies are sensitive to particular preservatives found within numerous brands,” he said. “When discussing with, or recommending to a customer, I always talk to them about the difference between our skin as adults and their baby’s skin, which is very delicate and much more sensitive.” Mr Hann continued: “Other symptoms may include developing itchiness and soreness, reddening of the skin and dryness, and a burning sensation that’s noticeably bothering the child, while a more severe side effect can include blisters.” AND INGREDIENT GRIPES By Emily Devon. RETAIL PHARMACY ASSISTANTS • OCT 2020 BABY WIPES