Babycare Products
When choosing babycare products, ‘Best ever softness’, ‘hypoallergenic’ and ‘dermatologically tested’ do not quite mean what they appear to. Your average babycare product contain a cocktail of chemicals that are disguised as parfum, preservatives and colours. Look at labels on Baby-wipes, shampoo, nappy cream, bubble-bath’s, talcum powder and anything else going on your child’s skin. Babies skin and blood brain barrier are very thin compared to adults, so more chemicals can build up and lead to serious health disorders. Warm water is enough to clean a baby, so why do we need to chance it with these products?
Sodium Laurel Sulphate
is found in products such as Johnson’s ‘No More Tears’
baby shampoo, Avent’s ‘Baby Body and Hair Wash’
and Boot’s ‘Sleep Baby' and 'Child Bath Bubbles’.
It is a commercial detergent and is safe in very low doses if washed
off the skin, but can trigger eczema if in prolonged contact with the
skin in high concentrations (28).
Talcum powder can irritate the lungs and cause breathing problems if
inhaled in large quantities. Past studies has shown a link between long-term
genital use and ovarian cancer, but talc is not considered to be toxic
in any way by the regulatory bodies (ibid).
Parfum can contain any of 200 different synthetic chemicals, so look
out for that on labels.
Propylene glycol is prevalent in numerous baby products and has been
linked to depressing the central nervous system – the nerves that
make up the brain and spinal cord. It is an irritant and easily absorbed
by the skin (especially babies skin) and has been linked to fatalities
in premature babies (29).
Parabens are also worth watching out for. This family of compounds are
mainly used as preservatives and are skin and eye irritants.They have
also been found to mimic the female hormone oestrogen and have even
been found in human breast tumors. This has led to suggestions that
parabens are linked to breast cancer (ibid).
A company called Neways produce a range of safe and effective alternatives that are totally non-toxic and affordable. These include baby lotion, baby talc, bubble bath, hair detangler and hair & body wash. They do not contain any artificial fragrances, preservatives or harmful ingredients. Check out www.newhuman.co.uk
PREGNANCY
Vitamin A or Retinol
is found in many cosmetic products and should be avoided. Too much of
this in the blood-stream can interfere with the development of the foetus
and can lead to malformations. Vitamin A supplements should also be
left well alone (unless otherwise advised).
Suncreams can also be toxic. Dr.Martin Schlumpf, an environmental toxicoligist
from the University of Zurich have been studying the ingredients of
suncreams. Nine out of ten compounds in the creams mimicked oestrogen
(see above) and some were found that were related to camphor (30).
Birch and Wintergreen essential oils contain the chemical methyl salicylate
and is best avoided. Women with a record of early miscarriage may want
to avoid clary sage.
Very hot baths are not a good idea. They can cause a number of problems.
For a full download of the whole story visit: www.guardian.co.uk/chemicalworld.