Are Your Baby Products Really Safe?
October 15, 2009 by Michele Dupper
Filed under baby food
When purchasing personal care products specifically made for babies most people do not even consider the fact that there may be potentially harmful ingredients in them. Especially when they are buying brands that have been around for more 100 years. Many believe that all baby products are created to be milder and gentler and that the government protects us as consumers from dangerous ingredients. Unfortunately, this is not the case.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has no power to require that personal care products be tested for safety before they are sold. There is a panel responsible for ensuring the safety of personal care product ingredients in the US called the Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR). However, it is an industry-funded panel, not a government health agency and they do not seem to be too concerned with the issue. Based on a national survey conducted by the Environmental Working Group (EWG), they have only reviewed 23% of ingredients in the 1,700 children’s products that were included in the study. Their survey also found that children are exposed to an average of 27 personal care product ingredients every day that have not been found safe for kids.
What we put on our children is equally as important as what we put in them. They are considerably more vulnerable than adults; their chemical exposures are greater pound-for-pound. Their developing organs are more susceptible to damage from chemical exposures and they are less able to detoxify and excrete chemicals. For example, an infants skin is much thinner than adult skin and it actually thickens as they age. It is believed that the thin skin of a newborn is more permeable to specific chemicals than the skin of an adult. Add to this that the surface area of a babies skin relative to body weight is greater than adults and the potential dose of a chemical from dermal exposure may be about 3 times greater in infants than in adults. We also need to consider the fact that they have more years of future life to develop diseases brought on by early exposure to potentially harmful chemicals.
Be diligent and read the ingredient list on the products that you are using on your children to be sure that they are safe. Below is a list of the most potentially dangerous ingredients in diaper cream, shampoo, conditioner, body wash/liquid soap, lotion and baby powder that you should avoid, according to EWG.
BHA: Commonly found in diaper cream. The European Union considers BHA unsafe for use in fragrance because it can cause skin depigmentation. It is a known human immune system toxicant and a possible human carcinogen. BHA also produces liver damage in lab animals at very low doses, and is a suspected hormone disruptor.
BORIC ACID and SODIUM BORATE: Commonly found in diaper cream. The cosmetic industry’s own safety panel states these chemicals are unsafe for infant or damaged skin because they are easily absorbed into the body. It accumulates in the brain and liver, and is eliminated very slowly.
CETEARETH and PEG Compounds: Commonly found in shampoo, conditioner and lotion. These may contain impurities including 1,4-dioxane, a possible human carcinogen, as well as ethylene oxide, a known human carcinogens. The cosmetic industry’s own safety panel ruled that many of these compounds are not safe for use on injured or damaged skin because they are easily absorbed into skin and make it easier for other chemicals to penetrate.
DMDM HYDANTOIN: Commonly found in shampoo, conditioner, body wash/liquid soap, lotion and baby powder. This preservative provokes allergic responses, and can be irritating and toxic to human skin. Degradation can lead to the formation of formaldehyde, a cancer-causing agent.
FRAGRANCE: Commonly found in shampoo, conditioner, body wash/liquid soap, lotion, diaper cream and baby powder. Fragrances are among the top 5 allergens in the world and are known to trigger asthma attacks. Fragrances can contain ingredients suspected of neurotoxicity, as well as known or suspected hormone disruptors.
PARABENS: Commonly found in body wash/liquid soap and lotion. The European Union banned use of sodium methylparaben in fragrance because it can depigment skin. Lab studies link parabens to cancer and reproductive or hormone-disrupting effects. Some are skin sensitizers or irritants.
TRICLOSAN: Commonly found in body wash/liquid soap. An animal study indicates triclosan may be a potent disruptor of the thyroid hormone system. Triclosan can be irritating to the eyes and skin, and breaks down into toxic chemicals in surface waters and chlorinated tap water.
If a product states to be pure, natural or organic, do not automatically assume they are free of these ingredients. Unfortunately, sometimes these statements are nothing more than a sales tactic since marketing claims on personal care products are not defined under the law. Of the children’s products studied by the EWG survey, 35% marked as “natural” on the label were not fully natural at all, but contained one or more ingredients linked to allergic reactions, hormone disruption, or nervous system problems. To be absolutely sure that the products you are purchasing are free of harmful ingredients, you must read the ingredient label.
Michele Dupper is Mom to her 1 1/2 year old son and the owner of Truly Organic Beauty (http://www.trulyorganicbeauty.com). She lives in sunny FL and has been transitioning to a green lifestyle since starting a family. Michele enjoys educating others about living a more natural lifestyle that is beneficial for the health of our bodies as well as our planet.
Author: Michele Dupper
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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