Your Baby’s skin: something you love to touch, smell and care for. Baby skin is extremely delicate and vulnerable to outside influences—the environment, chemicals from skin care items, detergents, perfumes and dyes, and even your favorite wooly sweater. Bath time, though usually a relaxing and calming event, can produce an unwanted outcome of dry, patchy and itchy skin if the products you use on your baby are harsh and full of chemicals. Baby skin is different from adult skin and should be cared for carefully and conscientiously. Birth is a natural process, but what is not natural is what many parents put on their baby’s skin. Americans worry about what kind of food they eat; they want natural and organic foods. Nevertheless, many moms and dads are blissfully unaware of what they are putting on their baby. When they ignore the importance of taking care of their baby’s skin, they compromise his health. What kinds of ingredients will you find in most baby products? The first and foremost ingredient is usually either mineral oil or petrolatum. Both of these products are by-products of gasoline during the refining process. The FDA does not review or regulate cosmetics products or ingredients for safety before they are sold to the public and has no legal authority to require safety assessments of cosmetics; consequently, for many, many years, petroleum products have been sneaking their way into our bodies. These products DO form a barrier as many of them claim, but it is such a thick barrier that the skin cannot function properly. The product sits on top of the skin, is not absorbed, remains greasy, and ultimately does not moisturize because it never is delivered beneath the top layer. It simply does not allow the skin to perform its 4 basic functions. Additionally, who really wants to support more consumption of petroleum products via cosmetics?
Another problem ingredient has recently come to light. HealthNewsDigest.com published an article about Dioxane, a petrol-chemical found in many baby and adult bath products. The EPA has labeled this as a probable cancer-causing chemical,and it was discovered at 2 times the maximum FDA allowance in several popular baby products. The National Toxicology Program has identified it as a clear-cut animal carcinogen. Because it is a contaminant produced during manufacturing, the FDA does not require it to be listed as an ingredient on product labels. How is the consumer to be informed? For years, tear-free shampoo and body washes have been a parent’s best friend. Anyone who has given a baby or toddler a bath will tell you that it is nearly impossible to avoid getting some of the product in the eyes. Tear free does have a dirty little secret, however. Most of the bath products contain harsh chemicals that will sting the eyes. Tear free occurs when a mild antiseptic is added to the product to numb the baby’s eyes from the chemical exposure. Not so nice anymore. These and so many other contaminants are found in the skin care products we use on our children daily. With no federal regulation, it is up to the parents to make an educated decision as to the purity of the product for use on their child. Keeping their baby’s skin moisturized and protected should be a top priority for all parents. It is important that we address babies’ sensitive skin needs with ingredients that protect it naturally, for their health both now and also in the future.
By: DeAnna Vouvakis
