7 Dangerous Chemicals Found in Baby Skin Products That You Should Avoid

7 Dangerous Chemicals Found in Baby Skin Products That You Should Avoid 18May

Marketing and advertising will tell you that baby products are gentle, safe, and effective, designed to keep tears away while making your baby’s skin perfectly soft and smooth – just like the day they were born.

But, the fact of the matter is, most baby products that you can buy off the shelves can be full of toxic ingredients, especially if you’re not careful.

 

Not everything that’s designed for baby is safe for them.

In fact, a baby’s skin is far better off with minimal intervention, rather than being lathered 24-7 with a multitude of soaps, shampoos, lotions, powders, and unnatural cleansing oils and agents.

The best option -- especially with today’s artificially riddled pharmacies, baby sections, and grocery stores – is to stick with natural, safe, and organic solutions... all while trying to avoid the following ingredients found in most baby skincare products.

 

1. Talc or Baby Powder

Who doesn’t remember being ridiculously covered in baby powder when they were a kid?

Talc is seen as a staple in baby’s cabinet of skincare products throughout the years. However, this powdered mineral that’s used as a drying agent has been found to be a lung irritant and carcinogenic (causing cancer). This raised concerns among parents, linking talcum powder to higher risks of lung cancer by just breathing it in.

When news of talc-containing asbestos broke out in the late 1990s, some companies have opted to go away with talc, which brought about some talc-free solutions.

Despite this news, it was just last year when Johnson & Johnson was finally ordered to stop selling their talcum-based powder in the US and Canada, after facing more than 19,000 talc related lawsuits around the world.

 

2. Synthetic Fragrances

We love it when baby smells good, right?

While smelling good in itself isn’t that bad, a product’s fragrance can be the trojan horse for harmful chemicals hiding under that blossomy fresh scent carried by most brands.

It might be coal and/or petroleum synthetic chemicals hidden under the guise of sweet-smelling, flowery scents.

What marketing doesn’t tell you is that these scents can linger on the skin for hours, which can cause dangerous respiratory and skin damage in the long term... including asthma!

That powdery smell when you open up a fresh batch of diapers? Yep, that exact, unnatural fragrance can cause diaper rash that you’re trying to address with OTHER chemicals. If you think about it, it’s a chemical cycle that you subject your baby to. Our advice? Check the labels carefully, and be wary of some artificial fragrances added to the mix.

 

3. Phthalate Esters

Speaking of fragrances, these are artificial fragrance additives are byproducts of petroleum that’s found in toys and food packaging – also known as PLASTICIZERS. Phthalates have the tendency to migrate from one place, ergo the item, to the other, which is our skin, and eventually into our bodies.

Exposure to phthalates open up the body to both short and long-term health issues such as hormone disruption, reproductive organ malformation, and more.

These are often present in disposable baby wipes. Avoid these and go for items with natural and organic fragrances, rather than ones which have artificially manufactured scents. Your skin and your baby will thank you later!

 

4. Triclosan

You’ve most likely heard of triclosan, as most anti-bacterial products for babies to adults contain this carcinogenic endocrine disruptor, which is not only harmful to you, but also to the environment.

We have to keep in mind that bacteria, while bad at a glance, is also good for us, as they raise our babies’ natural resistance and immunity. If we sterilize them by killing all the bacteria, we’re actually inhibiting their ability to create protective barriers for themselves. Make your child stronger by letting them explore the world!

 

5. Mineral Oil

Mineral oil is a byproduct of petroleum processing, acting as a barrier for the skin by wrapping it around... plastic? Yes. Plastic. You read that right.

In fact, the baby oil that you use on your baby to keep him moist is just mineral oil with an added fragrance, making it far worse than what it appears to be. This unnatural plastic in liquid form inhibits a baby’s ability to produce natural and nourishing oils from within. If your baby is having moisture problems, you can opt to use some natural ingredients and oils to keep it soft and protected. Again... check the label!

 

6. Parabens

You’ve also probably heard of these chemicals before, as they are found in a variety of bath products including soaps and moisturizers.

Parabens are known as neurotoxins that can adversely affect one’s reproductive health while also disrupting regular hormone activity and creating skin irritation. This is why you will also see some products such as cosmetic makeup and soaps label themselves as “paraben-free”.

 

7. Bisphenol A (BPA)

Babies have been found to be consuming millions of microplastic particles a day, all thanks to products made out of Bisphenol A (BPA).

This is the reason why you also see a lot of items which are branded as BPA-free, as the chemical is responsible for increased behavioral risks and hormonal issues, as well as certain types of cancers.

BPA is found mostly in polycarbonate plastics (marked as PC). What you can do is choose polypropylene products, or glass, as well as the aforementioned BPA-free products.

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Watching out for NON-EDIBLES

Other products in the market will have non-edibles in their ingredients. These non-edibles, which include most of the items discussed above, may be harmful to children and even adults, especially if ingested in heavy amounts.

So, moms and dads should be extra vigilant when looking at baby products and their ingredients. It would be near impossible for us to keep an eye out on the baby 24/7. Thus, we may not be aware that they’re already eating soap suds or licking the lotion off their skin after it is applied. If ingested, contact emergency services right away.



For bathing products and skincare, you can opt for something such as Babyology’s Natural Baby Wash and Shampoo, which is the ideal and safe solution for parents looking for a natural, organic, and healthy way to nourish baby’s skin. The best part? 100% of the ingredients used are safe to eat, which means that, even if baby accidentally ingests the product, you’ll be rest assured that nothing will go wrong.

You can check the entire list of ingredients on this product page.