As a mother, you are busy to do a lot of things to take care of your child, and the last thing you want to worry about is checking the kind of chemicals used in different baby care products. Either while pregnancy or after giving birth the mother should pay attention to products she is using such as shampoos, talc, sunscreen, body lotion, bug spray …., because they contain a lot of toxic ingredients that do more harm than good to you and your baby.
These products can lead to some unwanted effects. For example, sunscreen is necessary to protect your baby’s skin against the dangerous UV rays but many sunscreens contain oxybenzone. This organic compound provides UV coverage but it can cause allergic reactions and a hormone imbalance. The best way to protect your baby from the sun is to cover him up. You can keep him stay in the shade and put a hat on his little head. At the same time, you can look for a sunscreen that doesn’t contain oxybenzone and that contains the minerals zinc or titanium.
Concerning bug sprays, it is recommended to avoid using them on children. The reason is that many bug sprays contain DEET, a neurotoxin, which may increase the toxicity of other chemicals your baby can be exposed to. These chemicals have various effects such as skin irritation, burning lips, nausea, headaches, and difficulty concentrating. So, it would be better if you stay away from products containing it. Instead of using sprays, you can simply try to make your own bug sprays at home. Many recipes can be found on the net.
The best solution to protect your kid is to create a “no” list. In other words, you need to read about those baby care products and their ingredients then, to classify them by avoiding all the toxic and harmful products. Here are some examples of what to steer clear of either in your or your children’s skin care:
- Parabens
- Oxybenzone
- Fragrance
- Sulfates
- BHA
- Triclosan
- PEGs
- Retinol
- Petroleum distillates
- Formaldehyde
- Hydroquinone
Then you need to know what to look for instead. Here you need to look for safe products. Even if it is difficult to know whether a product is safe or not, there is an easy way to get all the information you need without going to an expert or a doctor. The solution is EWG. It is an app that provides information on personal care product ingredients. You can know about the safety of the product by searching the online database or by scanning the product’s bar code on the app. based on the EWG’s rating, you will know from the least hazard product to the most hazard.
