Babies may be sensitive to the toxins that are present in certain baby bath products. These chemicals can cause mild irritation. The skin can break out in red rashes or bumps that can cause discomfort.
Whether you’re having your first or fifth kid it’s important to know the common ingredients used in today’s common baby wash and shampoo products.
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Parents Should Avoid These Harsh Ingredients
Synthetic fragrance
Synthetic fragrances are usually included in the list of ingredients in many baby bath products to give them a pleasant scent. But did you know that sometimes fragrances contain phthalates which can disrupt your baby’s hormones?
Phthalates are typically used to help bind the scents to the product. Exposing your little one to phthalates at a young age can impede their growth and development. Although the added fragrance makes your baby smell amazing, they are not recommended for babies [1].
SLS or Sodium Lauryl Sulfates/Laureth
Another group of harsh chemicals that you should avoid are sodium lauryl sulfates. These are typically included in body washes, shampoos, mouthwash, detergents, and toothpaste. Sodium lauryl sulfate is responsible for giving baby shampoo its rich lather that we associate with soap, but its long-term effects on babies are questionable [2].
Parabens
Parabens are used in preservative formations. Products that have water in their list of ingredients often use preservatives like parabens to prolong their shelf life. This helps keep bacteria and molds at bay. The problem with parabens is that it mimics estrogen and there is a concern that it can disrupt hormones in your baby [3].
Why Choose Organic Baby Bath Products?
Many parents nowadays see the value of going organic when it comes to baby wash and shampoo. However, for others, the thought of giving up common brands for their little one’s skin care routine is unthinkable.
If you are still not sure if choosing natural baby bath products has merit, here are a few reasons that you might want to consider organic baby products.
Less skin reaction
Since your baby’s sensitive skin is not yet fully developed during their first few years, switching to organic baby bath products may minimize any reaction versus other products that you have been using on their skin.
Moisturizes your baby’s skin
Your little one’s delicate skin is prone to dryness. To offset the dryness, you will need to choose bath soap, baby wash, and shampoo that have moisturizing properties using safe ingredients. Natural baby wash and shampoo products can deliver moisture without harming the skin.
No harsh chemicals
Baby bath products are often packed with potentially harmful chemicals, such as phthalates, parabens, and sulfates. These act as endocrine disruptors, which can wreak havoc on your baby’s growth and development. Authentic organic baby shampoo, soap, and other organic bath products do not contain any of these harsh ingredients.
Safer for the environment
Baby bath products with organic ingredients are safe for the environment. As you wash the soap and shampoo from their hair and body, the suds that get mixed with water will not harm the wastewater. Plus the manufacturing process won’t contribute to the damage of the environment because the ingredients are environmentally sourced.
The Best Organic Baby Bath Product For Your Baby
There are many organic baby bath products on the market today. How do you know which is best? Check the label for third-party accreditations. These certifications ensure that the individual baby shampoo and baby wash have natural ingredients that have undergone manufacturing processes that will not harm your baby.
These days parents must look further than just buying tear-free baby shampoo. While that is an essential feature of baby shampoo, parents should understand what they are putting on their child’s skin.
Why is this important? First, organic baby skin care products use ingredients such as vegetable glycerin, which is safe to put on your baby’s scalp and skin repeatedly without fear of absorption. Second, it’s not unusual for babies, especially newborns, to develop skin conditions such as cradle cap or baby eczema.
Cradle cap can appear as dandruff or crusty, oily patches on the scalp as well as the face, and behind the knees. The affected skin can also become a bit red. Parents often put petroleum jelly on the scalp to loosen the patches.
Obviously, parents want to do a good job washing their child’s head with baby shampoo afterward. Bathing your baby with natural baby shampoo and baby wash ensures that your baby will not absorb any harsh chemicals.
This is also important when dealing with eczema and other rashes. Babies, especially newborns, have very sensitive skin. Using soap or shampoo that contains fragrance may make your baby smell good, but you have no idea how many harsh chemicals it took to create that scent. On the other hand, natural products, that contain only organic ingredients should not pose any harm.
So, what should you look for in organic baby skin care products? The MADE OF manufacturers have made the process of choosing the best organic baby bath products easy for you.
They have created a product that you can safely use on your child’s hair and body. MADE OF Baby Shampoo and Body Wash is made only from plant-based ingredients. These include:
Carprylhydroxamic Acid
Also known as Octanohydroxamic Acid, this plant-based amino acid is created from raw virgin coconut oil. The amino acid is antimicrobial, thus serving as an excellent preservative.
Decyl Glucoside
This cleanses the skin without stripping it of its natural oils.
Vegetable Glycerin
Organic glycerin serves as a natural way to boost moisture levels. It’s a common ingredient in both soap, shampoo, and moisturizer.
Aloe Vera
Organic aloe vera is used in many products to help hydrate the skin as well as serves as an anti-inflammatory for minor skin irritations.
Calendula
Calendula extract is derived from the pot marigold plant. This is an excellent skin conditioner and anti-inflammatory.
Sunflower Oil
Sunflower oil is valued as a conditioning agent because it absorbs quickly and does not leave a greasy residue. This makes it perfect when dealing with cradle cap and other skin irritations.
Jojoba Oil
Jojoba oil is an emulsifier and skin conditioner. Its noncomedogenic properties do not clog a baby’s pores. Plus, it is absorbed quickly.
Award-Winning Organic Baby Bath Products
MADE OF products are committed to helping parents use the best organic baby bath products. They do this by having their personal care products undergo several accreditation processes. MADE OF baby shampoo is vegan certified. They do not use any animal products or byproducts.
This is reflected in their Leaping Bunny certification. MADE OF products are USDA Biopreferred. This program is managed by the USDA and focuses on products derived from plants and other renewable sources. MADE OF body wash is also EWG verified.
The Environmental Working Group focuses on tracking chemical safety in products. Finally, this product is certified NSF Organic. That means that the product is at least 70% organic by weight.
If that’s not enough, MADE OF foaming shampoo contains no GMO’s. It is soy-free, nut-free, and fungi-free. It is also bacteria and bleach free.
Best Organic Baby Bath Products
A good shampoo is more than just a tear-free baby shampoo. The best organic baby bath products should not put your baby’s skin at risk. An infant’s skin is quite sensitive. Exposing them to chemicals at an early age can potentially disrupt their hormone production via baby wash and shampoo that contain harsh ingredients.
Organic baby bath products that contain natural ingredients such as organic coconut oil, organic aloe vera, organic calendula, and others can be used on all skin types. Organic ingredients provide moisturizers and gentle cleansers that you can feel good about when using these products on your infant.
Organic Baby Bath Products Resources:
[1] The Tot; Guide to Safer Baby Bath Products, Katherine McMackin-Scoler.[2] Women’s Voices For The Earth; Green Momma Guide: Chemicals To Avoid, 23 Mayo 2019
[3] Know your environment Protect your health; What are parabens, and why don’t they belong in cosmetics?, Tasha Stoiber, PhD, Senior Scientist, Tuesday, April 09, 2019.