This is a 13-part series focused on understanding and using products for sensitive skin, an important topic given the generous amount of moisturizers that go onto the skin of a child with eczema. Marcie Mom met Laura Verallo Rowell Bertotto, the CEO of VMVGroup, on twitter and learnt that her company is the only hypoallergenic brand that validates its hypoallergenicity. VMV Hypoallergenics is founded in 1979 by Dr. Vermén Verallo-Rowell who is a world renowned dermatologist. Dr. Vermén created the VH Rating System which is the only validated hypoallergenic rating system in the world and is used across all the products at VMV. In this interview, Dr. Verallo-Rowell and Laura answer Marcie Mom’s questions on which ingredients to possibly avoid.

Marcie Mom: For a parent on a tight budget (also considering long term and frequent use of moisturizers), should he/she start the child on the cheapest lotion/cream available? If not, is there certain baseline to start with, for instance, it must state ‘suitable for infant with eczema’ or not contain ‘perfume’?

Dr. Verallo-Rowell: The answer is no. Many cheap products are strongly/nicely scented to cover up for the natural scent of less-pure cosmetic ingredients versus, for example, pharmaceutical-grade or higher-quality or purer ingredients, which are frequently more expensive. Some cheaper products are dyed with relatively cheap ingredients to add attractiveness in children’s eyes. Cheap or expensive, preservation is also problem, as are added antibiotics. All these are allergens and break down the skin’s natural barrier.

Make function be the basis for your choice. Remember that in different forms of eczemas you pay attention to the skin’s outermost barrier layer: genetic innate barrier dysfunction initiates atopic; allergic or irritant reaction breaks down the barrier in contact; food around the mouth area can physically act on the barrier, and secondarily, bacteria cross damaged barrier in all types of eczemas.

Hence to keep the barrier as intact as possible: Place the least irritating, partially occluding product you can find without any of the above: scents, preservatives, antibiotics, dyes. Mineral oil and pertroleum jelly are long time favorites of us dermatologists. They are cheap and excellent barriers, but they are petrochemical derived. Consider non-preserved, non-adulterated oils. For this my favorite is virgin coconut oil because it needs no preservation and is broken down by lipases of friendly skin bacteria into monoglycerides with antiseptic properties. I have a published paper on VCO vs. Olive oil in Atopic Dermatitis that includes comparison on Staph. Aureus action by both oils.

MarcieMom: Can you list for us some common irritants and list them on a scale of 1-10 (1 being the most likely to cause allergy)? It’ll also be great if you can let us know if there are other common names for these irritants.

1.     Perfume/ Fragrance –

2.     Preservatives –

3.     Parabens – Methyl, Ethyl , Propyl, Butyl Paraben.  Please also above in Preservatives

4.     Propylene Glycol – 1,2 Propanediol

5.     Lanolin – Lanolin alcohol, Wool Alcohol

6.     Colorant/Dye –

7.     Conventional emulsifiers –

8.     Mineral oils – actually quite skin safe. A favorite among dermatologists.

9.     Paraffin – same as mineral oil.

10.  Sodium Lauryl Sulphate – An Irritant especially when present in higher concentrations. Not too common as an Allergen.

Marcie Mom: Thanks Dr. Verallo-Rowell and Laura. It’s great to finally have a sense of the list of ingredients to avoid and in priority, so that parents can check if the product they buy are at least free of the allergens on the top of the list!