Abstract
The present study seeks to verify the usefulness of a skin-washing method for the treatment of skin problems in infants by investigating time required and changes observed in skin surface pH and hydration/fat contente from the commencement of treatment until the disappearance of symptoms.
The subjects were 10 infants with skin problems. Erythema, papules, dander, erosion, and dryness disappeared three to seven days ( mean=5.4 days) after the commencement of the skin-washing treatment. For seven infants, their skin surface pH was 5.7 or more on the day of skin-washing. For three infants, their skin hydration was less than 30%. However, on the seventh day of the treatment, the outer skin pH of nine infants had become 5.6 or less, and their skin had become weakly acidic. As for the amount of moisture, all 10 infants recorded a level of more than 30%.
The results suggest that this washing method is useful for relieving infant skin problems and for improving the skin’s acidity.
