Baby care products are a multi-million dollar industry designed to entice you into believing you need all these products to keep your baby safe, healthy and smelling good. The truth is that your baby doesn’t need most of these products which are often laced with harmful chemicals that can do them more harm than good. In fact, the less of these products you use on the skin of your new baby, the better off they will be. No one knowingly would put harmful products on their baby’s skin, yet they do it every day, putting trust in the products they were lead to believe were safe. Below is a list of several ingredients to look out for.
Talc
Talc is a powdered mineral that is added to baby powder. It’s been used for years to keeps babies bottoms dry and smelling sweet. Talc is made up of three chemicals, silicon, magnesium and oxygen and became known as a cancer risk, when in the past, it was often contaminated with asbestos. While asbestos no longer finds its way into baby powder sold in the United States today, there is still some concern about the product being a lung irritant and also carcinogenic. Though Johnson & Johnson paid out over $200 million in lawsuits in 2016, the evidence about the safety of talc is still mixed. One argument suggests that the threat of asbestos still exists because when mining for magnesium silicate materials, it is impossible to completely remove all asbestos that occurs naturally in the rock formations and clings to the other minerals like magnesium which is one of the ingredients of baby powder.
Mineral Oil
Baby oil is made up of a combination of mineral oil mixed with fragrance and has become one of the most popular infant care products of all time. When an infant inhales or ingests even small amounts of baby oil can lead to serious respiratory problems. The oil coats the tiny hairs in the airway and prevents the child from being able to cough the liquid out. Baby oil also inhibits the body’s natural ability to release toxins through the skin by acting as if you covered the skin with plastic wrap. If you must put oil on your baby’s skin, try natural oils like coconut, olive or almond oil instead.
Propylene Glycol
This petroleum-based chemical used to enhance penetration and absorb liquid may also be a carcinogen. It basically opens up the pores and lets chemicals in. Propylene glycol is used in some brands of baby wipes as well as antifreeze, windshield wiper fluid and to de-ice planes. If you have to use baby wipes, make sure you avoid products with propylene glycol, and as in all baby products, keep them out of reach of babies who tend to put everything in their mouths. It’s clearly known that high levels of propylene glycol are dangerous and that lower levels can cause skin irritation and contact dermatitis. It’s probably a good idea to stick to warm water and a soapy washcloth for your baby’s bottom.
Triclosan
If you see the word, antibacterial, on the label, the product likely contains triclosan. Triclosan is a known carcinogenic endocrine disruptor that has also been shown to be harmful to the environment. While it might sound good to keep your child free of bacteria, when you do that you also limit their ability to create a healthy immune system and create a natural resistance to disease. When we try and raise our babies in sterile environments, we increase the likelihood of allergies. In addition, when we need antibacterial treatments to help fight off an illness; they may be less likely to be effective if they’ve been overused.
Fragrance
Fragrance is added to endless consumer products, including diapers, baby wash, shampoo, baby lotions, and many other baby products. It is presumably intended to mask other odors, such as stinky diapers, and make your baby smell good. Fragrances are also added by manufacturers to mask the odors of certain chemicals used to produce these items. If you’re like most careful parents who read the labels before buying baby products, those labels can be misleading and due to “trade secrets” may not reveal all the ingredients, even though it’s required by law. The effects of the fragrances you put on your baby’s skin can be long-lasting as they tend to linger on the skin for many hours. Fragrances are known to cause respiratory problems that lead to asthma, and neurological, skin and eye damage. While the idea of fragrance may sound nice, they often come from coal and petroleum derived synthetic materials. Read the labels as carefully as you can, and avoid fragrances as much as possible around your infants.
Bisphenol-A (BPA)
If you’ve ever wondered what the liquid inside of teething rings is, researchers have discovered that after testing 59 of the most popular brands of teething rings, they were found to contain many harmful chemicals including BPA. BPA is a hormone-disrupting chemical that can cause damage to the reproductive system, as well as the brain, heart and liver. Unfortunately, even in products labeled BPA-free, trace amounts of the dangerous chemical have still been found.
Parabens
It may be hard to avoid parabens because they are in just about every skin care product including soaps, shampoos, moisturizers, baby products and body washes. Read your labels carefully and stay away from anything labeled paraben, benzoic acid and propyl ester as they are neurotoxins and have been known to cause reproductive toxicity, hormone disruption, and skin irritation.
Flame Retardant Chemicals
Flame-retardant pajamas came out several years ago and sounded like a smart thing to buy for your children. As it turned out, many of the chemicals used to produce these pajamas as well as other clothing, car seats and pillows, have been linked to cancer. Instead of flame-resistant products, keep your children safe by having them wear loose fitting pajamas and make sure your smoke detectors are working and you replace the batteries often.
In conclusion, when in doubt, stick with natural ingredients and do your research. Stick with all natural products whenever possible and remember, if a product contains natural oils, and is therefore edible, it’s more likely to be safe for the skin. If you need effective legal counsel you can trust, call us at 1.877.732.2491 or fill out the free consultation form in the sidebar to request a free review of your case.