All about baby- Baby Ingredients to Avoid!

I believe we are on the verge of another baby boom! To all my friends and beautiful woman who are ready to pop out their little angels, I have decided to dedicate this month to you and baby. In the next couple of posts I will be featuring, natural ways to treat those little bums to homemade organic baby food! But before that,  I thought it would be important to educate you first on the ingredients you will find in your everyday baby products. As harsh as this may sound, the truth about baby products is that they are often worse for human health then adult products.

Keep in mind baby skin is much thinner and more delicate than any adult's. As a result, it can absorb anything applied to it at a much faster rate.....

Usually, mystery ingredients preserve the shelf life and make the product smell and look more appealing;
Petrolatum/Mineral Oil/ and paraffin are byproducts of crude oil, because they are cheap to use, you will find these ingredients in a lot of baby products.

Baby oil is 100% mineral oil.
It locks in moisture, which in turn prevents your body from releasing unwanted toxins. Mineral oil can also block the body's absorption of essential vitamins and nutrients.

Instead you can use carrier oils like grape seed (for younger babies) and once you confirm your baby has no nut allergies you can upgrade to almond or jojoba oils which are more moisturizing and have a closer resemblance to sebum (the oil our bodies naturally produce) Rub oil into wet skin.

Parabens (methyl, propyl, butyl and ethyl).
As you may remember from my last post, these preservatives and antibacterials are used in shampoos, creams and baby lotions to extend product shelf life. Because they are petroleum-based they are known to  cause dermatitis and other allergic reactions.
Parabens are also thought to alter estrogen levels. A babies hormonal system in not yet mature, and hormone distributors can cause irreparable damage to the developing endocrine (glands that secrete certain substances or hormones directly into the blood or lymph) system.

Talc powder. 

Or in other words, Baby Powder! The Cancer Coalition states that talc is a toxic carcinogen that can cause ovarian and lung cancer with repeated exposure. It is also used in soaps, deodorants and in food processing. If you want to keep baby's bum dry, try opting to good ol' Corn Starch.....it works just as well if not better....trust me!

Phthalates
You will find this in most baby fragrances, shampoos, lotions and powders, but their true intention is to make plastic soft. They can seep out of plastics so why would anyone want them on their skin?
According to TIME.com, studies have been done on phthalates in urine from babies' diapers. They are toxic, carcinogenic and have been linked to infertility.

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) and Ammonium Lauryl Suflfate are foaming agents found in many shampoos and hair conditioners.
They can be disguised in labels as "comes from coconut" You can find these in other garage floor cleaners and engine de-greasers. They have been linked to eye injury as well as cell membrane and immune system damage.

Isopropyl alcohol SD 40.
This is drying, and strips the skin of natural acids, making the skin more vulnerable to bacteria, molds and viruses. SD 40 comes from propylene and may promote brown spots and premature aging of skin.

Glycol is used as a humectant.
It comes in several forms and is carcinogenic and mutagenic.

FD&C Color Pigments are synthetic colors made from coal tar.
They contain heavy metal salts that deposit toxins in the skin. Animal studies have shown them to be carcinogenic (causes cancer).

*Just a reminder, up to now companies are not required to list the ingredients of fragrances (because it can be a concoction of hundreds of chemicals) so the product could have them and not show up on the label. The fact is these scents are more appealing to mom than to babies, so manufacturing companies are in no hurry to remove these, simply because fragranced products sell better than unscented ones.

More ingredients to avoid:


Aerosol propellants
Diethanolamine (DEA, TEA)
Benzoates
1, 4-Dioxane (a known carcinogen)
DMDM hydantoin or MDM (a form of formaldehyde)
Flouride
Triclosan
Aluminum by-products
Nitrates, nitrosamins and sulfur compounds
Quaternium 15 (also a form of formaldehyde)
Toluene


I will follow this blog up with the brands that proved to be much safer as well as some homemade options for the make it yourself mommy =).....