Dermatitis of urinary incontinence in babies is often referred to as nappy rash. Urine is full of urea and when this is in contact with skin for a prolonged period, urease-producing bacteria present in the urine or on the skin convert the urea to ammonia, and this causes an alkaline chemical burn to the skin.
Watercress extract and nappy rash
Current therapies include barrier creams, powders and absorbent nappy pads to limit contact with the skin. At Watercress Research, we are looking to offer a novel approach using our watercress extract to “neutralise” the urine to reduce the associated skin damage.
It is worth mentioning here, that it is unlikely our product will make a significant contribution to preventing skin damage from faeces as there are other potentially damaging components in poo including proteases and lipases (which break down protein and fat respectively).