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What To Watch Out For In Your Baby’s Skin And Bath Care Products?
Picking the correct products is a question that can haunt a new parent. What if the product isn’t safe? What if it causes a horrible rash? Will it suit my baby’s skin? And most importantly, what can we really find in the formulations of baby products available on the market?
These are just some of the questions you might be having at this point and it is completely normal to wonder about them.
Don’t worry! All parents, especially mothers, have this natural instinct to be protective and to ensure the best, and all of these queries are likely to be solved by the end of this post. We hope it helps get you a step closer to doing better for your baby!
Exercise Caution while Buying Bath and Skin Care Products for Your Baby
As parents, you should look for baby skin and bath care products that DO NOT:
- Irritate the sensitive skin of the baby
- Contain greasy moisturizing ingredients
- Have artificial fragrances and perfumes
The Key is in the Components: Read that Label!
The easiest way to proceed while buying skin care items for a baby’s sensitive skin is to look for what you absolutely DO NOT want in your products. However, a majority of parents miss the product label, mainly because it’s difficult to make sense of the ingredient list.
The sad truth is that many commercially available baby products in the market are not necessarily the best for their skin and health. They may be natural or organic but may contain ingredients that are just as concerning as those found in personal care products for adults! In the skincare market, a lot of weightage is given to how the product looks and smells – giving it a pretty colour, bubbly consistency and strong perfume smells. All these may look very attractive and will urge you to buy them. However, to give these products such smells and colors, the ingredients added are extremely harmful. They are added for different uses but these substances are not the best and we can do better for our babies! They do not add any benefits to your baby’s skin, unlike the natural ingredients.
According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), there are many ingredients of concern that are found in most baby care products that can penetrate a baby’s delicate skin’s natural protective barrier and can be easily absorbed into their bodies. For example, nano zinc oxide is prohibited by the European Union and many global governing bodies for baby care products such as sunscreen and diaper rash creams. Experts suggest that a nanomaterial is an insoluble nano-sized bio-persistent material that can enter and clog pores and hence, they recommend non-nano zinc oxide-based baby products as it doesn’t permeate the skin.
[Truly Blessed Diaper Rash Cream is prepared with safe non-nano zinc oxide, strictly adhering to clean and safe baby care ingredients]
Many baby care products found in the market contain, for instance, carcinogens, allergens, irritants, and synthetic petroleum-based as well as animal-derived ingredients. The best hack is to look at the list of ingredients or flip the bottle over and read what is going inside that lotion, cream or oil.
Here are some substances commonly found in baby products that are harmful, and their alternatives:
|
ELEMENTS |
INGREDIENTS |
USES |
HARMFUL EFFECT |
ALTERNATIVES |
|
Silicones |
- Peroxide components such as dimethicone, amodimethicone and cyclomethicone - Derived from silica, silicones are semi-liquid substances |
Smoothening agents for a better texture in products |
Act as a barrier, making your skin resistant to both air and water |
Uncoated options such as non-nano zinc oxide-based sunscreen or diaper rash cream |
|
Parabens |
Parahydroxybenzoic acid + derivatives and/or substances whose names typically end with parabens |
Preservatives |
Disrupt hormones in the body and harm fertility and reproductive organs, affect birth outcomes, and increase the risk of cancer |
Look for natural preservatives-based products that use caprylhydroxamic acid, gluconolactone, caprylglycol |
|
Formaldehyde |
- Methanal, a type of aldehyde - Also present in form of quaternium-15, DMDM hydantoin, imidazolidinyl urea, diazolidinyl urea, polyoxymethylene urea, sodium hydroxymethylglycinate, 2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol (bromopol) and glyoxal |
Surfactant in baby personal care products like shampoo and liquid soaps |
Linked to cancer and is considered a known human carcinogen |
Formaldehyde-free surfactant-based products |
|
Sulfates |
Sodium lauryl ester sulfate (SLES), sodium laureth sulfate (SLS), ammonium laureth sulfate, sodium stearyl sulfate |
‘Surfactants’ which give those foamy and bubbly textures in shampoos and soaps |
While SLES was developed to be gentler than SLS, the manufacturing process can create 1,4- dioxane, a potential carcinogen |
- Sulfate-free from both SLS and SLES - These products might be milder in texture i.e. they might not lather but that’s okay! Lathersclean - Try Sulfate-Free Truly Blessed’s Hair and Body Wash |
|
Alcoholic organic compounds |
Names ending with formaldehyde, formalin, glyoxal, bromopol, methylene |
Used for their bacteria-killing properties |
Known carcinogens |
Variants that utilise zinc oxide or titanium oxide which are natural and safe while offering antibacterial properties |
|
Triclosan |
Chlorinated aromatic compound, also known as Lexol 300 and Irgasan DP 300 |
Soaps, hand sanitisers etc. as an antimicrobial substance |
Has been shown to mildly disrupt hormones |
Triclosan-free products |
|
Fragrances |
Benzene derivatives, aldehydes, toluene |
To give ‘special fragrance’ |
Synthetic fragrances are okay for adult skin but are common allergens for sensitive baby skin |
- Natural scents - Look for brands that use IFRA certified fragrances for scented products or opt for fragrance-free options only |
|
Asbestos |
Occurs in different types, with crocidolite being the most harmful |
- Baby powder - In many regions, talc deposits are contaminated with asbestos fibers |
- One of the most dangerous substances on Earth - Asbestos exposure as short in duration as a few days has caused mesothelioma in humans |
Avoid talc-based products or better to move to zinc-based diaper creams that create a strong protective barrier |
|
Talc |
Talc, talcum, talcum powder, magnesium silicate |
- Diaper rash creams, lotions, baby powder to prevent chafing and calm diaper rash. - Helps with moisture |
- Often a contaminated ingredient when mass-produced - Talc is likely to carry small traces of asbestos. Even small amounts of asbestos in talc can cause mesothelioma and other deadly diseases, many years after exposure |
Avoid baby powder made of talc or better to move to zinc-based diaper creams that create a strong protective barrier |
|
Phthalates |
Substances that have the word ‘phthalates’ or ‘phthalate esters’ in them |
Present in cleansers, diapers, lubricants, lotions, toys, electronics, shampoos, and baby powders, among many other things |
Increased prenatal mortality, reduced growth and birth weight |
Use phthalate-free products |
|
Petrolatum, Paraffinum Liquidum/Mineral Oil |
- Petrolatum, petroleum jelly, paraffin oil, mineral oil and white petrolatum - Mineral oil is made from highly refined, purified and processed petroleum |
- Synthetic emollient - Mineral hydrocarbons found in baby lotions (based on our analysis of baby lotion ingredients) |
Petrolatum could potentially be contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs, that can cause cancer |
Avoid products with petrolatum, unless the company clearly indicates petrolatum is fully-refined as white petrolatum |
|
Essential oils |
Lavandula augustifolia (lavender) oil, eucalyptus oil, rosemary oil |
Used for natural fragrance |
Essential oils often contain linalool, an allergenic substance |
Avoid essential oils |
|
Animal-derived products |
Cera alba beeswax and polyglyceryl-3 beeswax |
Unprocessed animal-derived ingredients are not actually harmful for your baby, but may pose an ethical and personal issue. If you prefer vegan body care products for your baby, look for the PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) seal on the package |
Look for beeswax-free products |
|
|
Phenoxyethanol |
Phenyl cellosolve, ethylene glycol monophenyl ether, PhE, Dowanol EP, Phenoxetol, rose ether phenoxyethyl alcohol, beta-hydroxyethyl phenyl ether |
Used as preservative and that can be irritating and allergenic |
Look for Phenoxyethanol free products |
|
|
Benzene |
Petroleum-derived toxic chemical |
Cancer-causing chemical in tests of sunscreens, hand sanitizers, antiperspirant and deodorant, antifungal treatments, and spray shampoos and conditioners |
Look for Benzene free labels |
Chemicals like phthalates, parabens and heavy metals are potential endocrine disruptors i.e. they can disrupt our hormone system, leading to a wide range of significant health harms such as reproductive issues like changes to fertility, early puberty, low birth weight, obesity, diabetes, immune system impacts, cardiovascular and respiratory problems, some types of cancer, and neurological and behavioral problems. The developing fetus, infants and children are especially vulnerable, since their physiological systems are still developing.
Be on the Lookout for Allergens and Irritants
- Avoid essential oils. They are extracted or distilled from the volatile molecules of aromatic plants. The extracted essence has a high concentration of powerful active ingredients. Some essential oils are rich in highly irritating ketones (neurotoxic in high doses) or phenols (anti-infectious molecules). It is therefore not advised to use essential oils on children under three years of age.
- To prevent allergic reactions, avoid products containing methylchloroisothiazolinone and methylisothiazolinone, two known contact allergens (they often replace parabens).
In this modern, fast-moving world, it is very common to come across products with a lot of harmful chemicals. It is all the more common for babies to develop issues such as a suspicious-looking blemish, rash or dryness owing to the usage of such products. Take it as an indicator to switch to better, toxins-free products!