Harmful Ingredients In Baby Products
We ALL love our babies! Our main priority everyday is always maintaining their health and safety. But, what if the products you’ve thought were safe for years pose the most risks to your precious little ones?
After being given the task of educating online followers on our line of organic, all-natural, 100% Pure, baby products, I was encouraged by my fellow Xu Wellness Team members to write a blog post on the unknown truths about baby products. Generally, I assumed that ALL baby products were safe and gentle for use, but after a detailed search I soon found that I WAS WRONG!
What started off being a social media tweet, became a couple of days of research and soon after a quest for answers! I personally, have used many of these products for years without ever giving a second thought that these products could indeed be unhealthy to my son. Not only do they expose children to countless harmful toxins, but they also risk causing life- threatening diseases. Below is listed what these ingredients are and what products to keep away from our little ones!
After water, the second ingredient listed in a very popular baby lotion is Cocamidopropyl Betaine, which was voted allergen of the year in 2004 by the American Contact Dermatitis Society. Their next ingredient is P.E.G.-80 Sorbitan Laurate, which has been listed on the Environment Working Group’s list as an over-all hazard. This ingredient is also a known skin allergen for sensitive skin. Another known skin allergen and listed ingredient in multiple companies baby’s lotions is Sodium Trideceth Sulfate, which is strips skin of it’s natural oils. What’s that about??? They also round off their ingredients list with several dyes that they report are “harmless” yet they are NOT food sourced. So much for “the purest, gentlest, mildest care” motto advertised for decades.
Talc is a powdered mineral that is added to baby powder. It’s used as the main drying agent, but it’s a known as lung irritant. Talc is also mined in massive rock formations that intermingle with other harmful materials, including asbestos. Cross-contamination is inevitable during the mining process and is carried over into any consumer product containing talc, including baby powder.
Fragrance is added to numerous baby products, mainly to mask odors of nasty chemicals used during production of these products. The problem with fragrances is that it’s used to define whatever secret ingredients companies wish to add. (Companies are NOT obligated to reveal what is contained within their “fragrances”) The effects of fragrance are long lasting and can cause respiratory, neurological, skin and eye damage. There are also suggestions that early exposure to fragrance as a child may lead to asthma.
Proplyene Glycol is another chemical to watch out for. It basically opens up the pores to let other chemicals in. But, Propylene Glycol is used in wiper fluid and to de-ice airplanes, yet is often found in almost all baby wipes, how could that be safe?? Look out for Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) and Polypropylene Glycol (PPG) on labels too!
Cetearyl Alcohol according to it’s Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS), is “slightly hazardous” and is an irritant in cases of skin contact, ingestion, eye contact and inhalation. Not the best ingredient to put in baby lotion is it????
Hydrogenated Cottonseed Oil is a cheap skin-conditioning agent used in baby oils, according to the Environment Working Group, this oil could be contaminated with mercury, arsenic, lead and pesticides, among other harmful toxins. It’s one of the ONLY natural oils NOT safe for cooking so why would you put this in products to rub on your precious baby’s skin???
More than half of the baby products recently tested by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics were found to contain trace levels of formaldehyde and Dioxane. Formaldehyde is a colorless, flammable, strong-smelling chemical that is used in building materials and to produce many household goods including baby products. Though the study didn’t accuse any baby product companies of dumping barrels of the potential carcinogens directly into their baby products, the dangerous chemicals can form during the manufacturing process as other ingredients break down. The full list of 48 tested baby shampoos, lotions, soaps, and wipes—included some well-known products you probably have on your shelf!
A cheap and deadly manufacturing process called Ethoylation requires the use of Petrochemical Ethylene Oxide, which generates 1, 4-dioxane, a chemical known to cause cancer and also suspected to be a kidney toxicant, neurotoxin, and respiratory toxin. But you wont see 1,4-dioxane on any ingredient labels, because it’s a by-product produced only in manufacturing, not an intended ingredient. Traces of this toxin have been found in baby shampoos, bath and body washes. The government hasn’t banned the use of dioxane in baby products or cosmetics, even though they can seep through lotions into the skin.
Parabens unfortunately are everywhere! They can be found in soaps, body washes, shampoos and moisturizers, including those marketed towards babies. Parabens are neurotoxins and are linked to reproductive toxicity, hormone disruption and skin irritation.
Thankfully not all baby products include toxic ingredients! After doing some research I have found that very few companies have actually pledged to providing baby care products that are natural, safe, and additive free. Here, at Xu Wellness Center we carry one of those brands. 100% Pure Baby Products, is a collection of baby care products gentle enough for newborns. Their formulas DO NOT contain any synthetic, artificial fragrances, or any other toxins. We stock all products ranging from Extra Gentle Diaper Balm to SPF 30 Baby Sun Block Lotion. Finally something safe for our precious little baby toes! 🙂
Hopefully you will be just as inspired as I, to make a healthy change protecting the future of our little ones. Please be sure to share this post with ALL the parents you know!
Promoting Happiness and Wellness,
The Xu Wellness Center Team