Yup, You Need to Moisturise Your Nipples

While we all know how important it is to moisturise (your hands and knees will thank you), some parts of the body can often be left forgot. One of which, being your nipples.

“Your neck and décolletage area are one of the first to show signs of ageing and fine lines. We say skincare starts at the nipples so people consciously apply their new cream.

“We often only focus on the face and miss this step. Using sweeping actions across the chest and up the neck can help ensure that signs of ageing are prevented.”

To find out more, we asked Simona to break down the importance of moisturising the nipples, and what we should know before we start.

Why is the nipple important to moisturise?

The bust area, including the nipple has thin and delicate skin, which is prone to dryness, redness, chafing and inflammation. You want to look for a moisturiser specifically designed that isn’t too thick and greasy as it may take too long to soak in, but rather a moisturiser that is lightweight, sheer and fast absorbing so that you can get on with your day.

You want a moisturiser that helps reduce and prevent dryness, redness and protects your skin. Moisturise the area with lotions that contain ingredients like hyaluronic acid to lock in moisture, cocoa butter or shea butter which form a protective barrier over skin to hold in moisture and antioxidant ingredients that protect skin from oxidative stress. Champagne for example contains both polyphenols which assist to reduce the appearance of redness, and resveratrol to protect skin against environmental aggressors.

How is the skin different to the rest of the body – are there different nipple skin types?

Not only thinner than the skin on your face, the muscles are weaker, but the area also has less hair follicles and sebaceous glands to protect it from environmental factors making the area more delicate than the facial area. There’s different types of nipples! Nipples can be flat, inverted, unclassified, protruding, or you can have one breast with a protruding nipple for example and the other breast with an inverted nipple, so all in all with that combination there’s up to eight nipple types based on two breasts.

What should you avoid putting on the nipple?

Avoid products with drying alcohols as these leave your skin dry and at risk of cracked skin. Harsh soaps that wash away your skin’s natural oils and can cause dryness and flaking. Retinols applied on this sensitive area may cause dryness, irritation and redness due to its ability to increase cell turnover, and aren’t suitable for your baby to consume if it’s left on your nipple area during breastfeeding.

Avoid petroleum-based ointments as they don’t allow air to flow to your skin and can clog the Montgomery glands located on your breasts. Montgomery glands are the sebaceous glands that surround the nipple. Your Montgomery glands can get plugged and cause pimples to form so remember to use products that aren’t too thick as they’ll block your glands, and no one wants little pimples on their breasts.

Thick, sticky creams don’t glide onto your nipples or décolletage very well, so you’ll be tugging on your nipple skin when you apply it. They can also leave greasy stains on your clothing and such a thick consistency applied before breastfeeding may distract your hungry baby. You want a product that’s smooth, absorbs quickly into the skin, and there’s no need to wipe it off prior to putting on your clothing or breastfeeding. Lustre has been designed specifically to be fast absorbing, non-greasy and sheer so you can get on with your day, without any stains on your clothes.

Can you moisturise if you’re breastfeeding?

Absolutely but if you need to wipe or wash off excess product before the next feeding, you’ve probably applied too much product. More product isn’t necessarily more beneficial. Apply a moisturising lotion liberally over the entire neck, chest, décolletage and nipple area in upward sweeping motions, but don’t go overboard, no one one wants greasy stains on their clothes or a distracted baby because your breasts are too greasy and sticky. Look for a fast absorbing, non-greasy, sheer and non-sticky moisturiser made specifically for the décolletage area so it’s designed to be all those things and more.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here