Compared to that of an adult, the skin of a newborn is thin, delicate, and vulnerable. The skin barrier gradually develops over the first few years of life and will not fully perform its functions until the age of six. Only then can it be physiologically compared to that of an adult. Before this age, the skin of babies has its own unique characteristics.
A newborn's skin absorbs external compounds such as pollution particles, bacteria, and allergens much more readily than adult skin, making it particularly vulnerable. Indeed, although the overall structure of baby's skin is the same as an adult's, consisting of an epidermis, dermis, and hypodermis, their epidermis is 20% thinner than that of adults.
Furthermore, their stratum corneum, which is the upper layer of the epidermis that protects us from environmental influences and retains moisture, is 30% thinner than that of an adult. Similarly, the corneocytes, the cells of the stratum corneum, in infants are 20% smaller than those in adults, indicating a faster cellular renewal in babies.