SYBILLE CORNELSEN*, HERMANN HENSEN, IRIS HÜTTER, ANNETTE MEHLING
*Corresponding author
BASF Personal Care and Nutrition GmbH, Rheinpromenade 1 Monheim, 40789, Germany

Abstract

Tear-free formulations for baby shampoos can make bathing much easier and more enjoyable for babies – and their parents. The number of mild and gentle baby care products that claim to be tear-free is steadily increasing. With a comprehensive range of surfactants and extensive formulation knowledge, BASF Personal Care has developed mild and gentle baby cleansing formulations. Having been shown not to cause tears in relevant tests, the unmodified formulations can be used directly by manufacturers. They can also be promoted being “tear-free” without the need for any additional performance testing-related costs.

Bathing can be fun – for babies and their parents, too. Most babies love to be in warm water as it reminds them of the warm and protective environment of the womb. They enjoy splashing and playing in the water, and parents love to see their baby happy. Bathing can also provide a moment of closeness between baby and parent, and should therefore be a relaxed and satisfying experience for all. Bathing can quickly transform into a nerve-racking and tearful process when water and shampoo gets into the baby’s eyes and causes stinging and crying. Since they have a different tear film composition and blink frequency, the eyes of babies can be more susceptible to irritation and stinging than adult eyes, meaning that if, e.g. the wrong shampoo is used, everyone will be relieved when this part of the bath is finally over.

Bathing does not have to be such a stressful situation. To make sure that tears do not disturb an otherwise enjoyable experience, more and more parents are looking for baby cleansing products that are gentle to the skin and do not cause eyes to sting. To meet this market demand, manufacturers worldwide are increasingly launching baby shampoos that contain less ...