Harmful ingredients to avoid in your baby's body care products

September is Baby Safety Month and whilst you may have doublechecked the infant car seat and the stroller’s breaks, when last have you considered the ingredients that your choice of baby lotions, shampoo’s and body care products contain?

Your baby’s skin is incredibly delicate and can easily be irritated and even burned by some of the harmful ingredients found in modern baby body care products.

What to look out for and avoid:

Parabens:

These are preservatives that can irritate baby’s skin and have been linked to harming to the development of babies’ endocrine systems.

Phthalates:
These are chemicals that are used to make plastics soft and flexible and it has been linked to reproductive problems and developmental delays.

Formaldehyde:
This is a known human carcinogen. Long term exposure has been linked to cancer and short term exposure has often been linked to watery and burning eyes, as well as nose, throat and skin irritations.

Fragrance:
Fragrances can be irritating to sensitive skin and can contain harmful chemicals, such as benzene, phthalates and toluene that each has its own list of harmful side effects.

These are but a few - the list goes on and on…

What should you do?

Go the natural route:
Look for lotions and skincare products that are labeled “natural” or “organic”. These products are more likely to be free of harmful ingredients - but be careful, not all 'natural' products are created equal!

Get a professional opinion:
Talk to your pediatrician about safe baby lotions and body care product options.

Educate yourself:
The importance of educating yourself cannot be stressed enough. Read books and blogs and reviews. Research, watch video clips and listen to talks and podcasts and poll results. Educate yourself on the brands and products out there when choosing baby lotions and skincare products that are safe to use on your little one.

Baby safety goes beyond just car seats and swimming lessons. The skin is our biggest organ and it absorbs the ingredients in body care products into our bodies and bloodstreams. That which you put onto your baby will go into their body – it’s worth the effort to take a look at the label if we want to take good care of our kids.

Happy Baby Safety Month!