What's in mainstream baby-care products?
- a variety of harmful ingredients; used by large manufacturers because they are inexpensive and will yield the highest profit margin.
- according the the American Enviromental Protection Agency, standard chemicals are ten times more toxic to children than to adults, and children receive 50% of their lifetime cancer risks in the first two years of life (see complete article on our website).
Common ingredients to avoid:
Although there are a number of harmful ingredients found in just about all personal-care products, these are some of the most common offenders:
| Ingredient Name |
Use |
Harmful Effects |
| Parabens (methyl, propyl, butyl, ethyl) |
Inexpensive preservative – used in almost all mainstream products
(shampoo, toothpaste, lotions, soaps, etc) |
Possible skin irritant, studies have found parabens in breast tumours;
possible hormone disrupter |
| Sodium Lauryl Sulfate |
Foaming agent and detergent – used in almost all mainstream products
(shampoo, toothpaste, lotions, soaps, etc) |
Dries the skin, possible irritant; reacts with many other ingredients
to form nitrates (which are carcinogenic) |
| Petroleum / Mineral Oil |
Used in skin products to form barrier on skin |
Does not allow skin to breathe; causes acne and promotes bacteria; linked
to cancer |
| Propylene Glycol |
Used in most products as a moisturizer |
Skin irritant; causes liver and kidney damage in animal tests |
| Artificial Fragrances and Colours |
Used in most products |
Toxic; highly allergenic; skin irritants; carcinogenic |
Check out the ingredients on the skin-care products you use in your household!
What to look for in baby products:
Try to avoid any of the above ingredients, but most importantly – don't get fooled by labels! Many so-called natural baby-care (or adult) products claim to be organic or natural but still contain a number of toxic ingredients. Either learn your ingredients and learn to read labels carefully, or buy your products from a trusted store that only sells products which are organic and non-toxic (like us! We’ve yet to find a reliable store... that's why we started our company).
Where to get more information:
There are a number of excellent websites and books in the market; however, if you're looking for a summarized version (but longer than this!) than check out our website and read the link at the top of the homepage titled "Why Use Organic", and the link at the bottom of the homepage titled Interesting Reading.
