I have always hated wet wipes. Sure, they are convenient, but at what chemical cost, I have always thought? I have written before about the importance of keeping the skin barrier intact, especially in eczema cases, and now we have a study suggesting using baby wet wipes can damage that barrier and lead to food allergies, causing conditions like eczema and dermatitis.

Food allergy linked to skin exposure and genetics, study finds

Triggered by perfect storm of genetics and skin exposure to infant wipes, dust and food

The researchers say a combination of factors including skin barrier genetic weakness, use of barrier-damagers like the soap in wet wipes  and exposure to dust and food allergens, say when Mum has just eaten some chocolate and then kisses baby, is: “a recipe for developing food allergy…It’s a major advance in our understanding of how food allergy starts early in life.”

Yet again, this may seem like a major advance, but many naturopaths have been saying this for years. I think I even first wrote about it in 2009! Check my article Thinny Skinnies for more on this and how to protect that all-important skin barrier, especially in such little ones.

The full study was published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.