As parents, the Lilou Organics team are always on the look-out for information to help improve the safety, health and well being of children.
We recently found a website called the
Children's Health Environmental Coalition and wanted to share some information and their website link with you.
Children's Health Environmental Coalition Mission
CHEC's mission is to education parents and all those concerned with the welfare of children about preventable health and development problems caused by exposures to toxic substances in homes, schools and communities and to empower the public to take action to protect children against these toxic threats.
We signed up for the CHEC's newsletter and we encourage you to do the same.
Here is a sample of the helpful articles you could find on the CEHC website:
Personal Care Products for Babies and Kids
Always read the ingredient lists on personal care products. Federal law requires that beauty and hygiene products list all ingredients, in the order of their volume from highest to lowest. The only ingredients that don't have to be listed individually by name are fragrance ingredients.
Be cautious of the following ingredients:
General personal care products:
fragrance
- Number one cause of allergic skin reactions, according to the American Academy of Dermatology
- Limit use of scented products or products that list fragrance as an ingredient to decrease risk
phthalates
- Linked to liver cancer, birth defects and harm to male reproductive organs
- Avoid products containing DBP (dibutylphthalate), DMP (dimethylphthalate) and DEP (diethylphthalate)
- Look for product lists at Not Too Pretty
quaternium-15
diazolidinyl urea
imidazolidinyl urea
DMDM hydantoin
- Preservatives that may release formaldehyde
- Quaternium 15 and imidazolidinyl may cause skin irritation or allergic rashes
talc
- Can irritate the lungs
- Some evidence linking long-term usage in the genital area with cancer
Shampoos, body washes, bubble baths, liquid soaps:
alkylphenol ethoxylates (APEs)
nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs)
- Can disrupt the endocrine systems of fish, birds, and mammals
- On labels, APEs and NPEs are sometimes listed as octoxynol or nonoxynol
lauryl compounds, such as
ammonium lauryl sulfate
monoethanolamine sulfate
sodium lauryl sulfate
DEA or TEA lauryl sulfate
- Harsh detergents that may be irritating or unnecessarily strong for kids
polyethylene
polyethylene glycol
polyoxyethylene
- Could be contaminated with 1,4-dioxane, a probable carcinogen
- Also watch out ingredients with the prefix, word, or syllable PEG, and "-eth" ingredients (as in sodium laureth sulfate)
diethanolamine (DEA)
triethanolamine (TEA)
DEA, TEA or MEA compounds (such as cocamide DEA, linoleamide MEA)
- Suggestive evidence linking DEA compounds to tumors in laboratory animals
- Can be contaminated with nitrosamines, some of which may cause cancer
Nail polish, cosmetics:
formaldehyde
- A probable carcinogen and irritant of the lungs, eyes, nose and throat
Antibacterial / antimicrobial soaps, lotions, toothpaste and other products:
triclosan
- Overuse may cause antibiotic resistance:
Be especially careful to limit use of products containing fragrances and the preservatives listed above, as they have been found to cause the most complaint. Preservatives are necessary to keep products from bacterial contamination, which can cause spoilage and may cause health problems in the user. Some mild preservatives include:
Phenoxyethanol
Potassium sorbate
Sorbic acid
Tocopherol (vitamin E)
Vitamin A (retinyl palmitate)
Vitamin C (ascorbic acid)
Note that so-called natural preservatives may not be as stable or long-acting as chemical preservatives. Products containing natural preservatives should be purchased in small quantities and replaced frequently, as often as every three to six months.
- Don't get tricked by marketing claims. Many terms used on personal care products are meaningless because they are not regulated. These include the terms:
- Hypoallergenic
- Doctor tested
- Doctor approved
- Dermatologist tested or approved
- Nontoxic
- No synthetic ingredients
For information on specific labeling claims, see Consumers Union Ecolabel website, which has expanded to include claims on cleaners and personal care products.
- Test new products before using. Apply a small amount of the product on the inner arm, wait several hours, then check to see if there has been a reaction.
- Monitor your child for any reactions after they have started using a new personal care products.
- Keep a list of products that irritate your child's skin, eyes or breathing. Provide this list to others who care for your child, such as day care centers, camps, relatives.
Resources: The above information was taken from the www.checnet.org website. The Lilou Organics team encourage you to visit their website to read many more helpful articles!
