Limestone for Skin Care and Diaper Care: We Use Limewater, Not Lime Water :)
One of the key ingredients in our Diaper Cleanser and Moisturizer (diaper rash cream for cloth diapers and disposable diapers) is Limewater. But if you search for Limewater on Google or another search engine, you may find confusing definitions. So let’s demystify this together. What IS Limewater and why is it such an important ingredient in our skin care diaper cream product?
Limewater vs. Lime Water:
Overview of pH Levels
Why is there Limewater in our Diaper Cleanser and Moisturizer?
Each ingredient we use has a purpose and solves a diaper change challenge. Limewater's property as an alkaline solution is used for cleansing the newborn skin and also to address and counteract urine acidity - one of the leading causes of butt rash on baby butt. Consider this:
- Babies and toddlers urinate between 6 and 12 times throughout the day. The pH of urine is around 6 (acidic versus neutral (pH=7). Urine hitting the skin at this frequency can lead to irritation and redness.
- Acidity in urine may also come from mom's diet (especially if mom is breastfeeding), and the baby or toddler's diet. Interestingly, according to research from R Counahan and J Walker-Smith, a greater proportion of breast-fed infants had a pH lower than the mean (pH <6).
- Note: while commonly believed that teething leads to urine acidity (as a bodily response from this change) and produces diaper rash, we haven’t found any evidence in scientific literature and expert reports to concretely support this.
Was this article helpful? We'd love to hear your questions or comments about how to prevent diaper rash in the comment section below.
Sources (non exhaustive list):
Stools and Urine in Infants By Deborah M. Consolini, MD, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Sidney Kimmel Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University; Chief, Division of Diagnostic Referral, Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children. https://www.msdmanuals.com/home/children-s-health-issues/care-of-newborns-and-infants/stools-and-urine-in-infants
Interprating uninalysis in children, Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, Cindy Pan, MD
Teething and Newborn Rashes:
https://www.healthline.com/health/parenting/teething-and-diaper-rash
Stool and urinary sugars in normal neonates: R Counahan and J Walker-Smith https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1546027/?page=2
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