Finding a Soap that won’t irritate or dry out your baby’s skin is essential; look for fragrance-free formulas that are as gentle, pure, and natural as possible. The fragrance-free part is key, as fragrance is the biggest irritant when it comes to personal hygiene products. A couple other ingredients to avoid while shopping for baby soaps and shampoos include sulfates; these are often added to increase foaming or lather but these can be irritating to sensitive skin and the respiratory system. Also look for paraben, phthalates, and sulfate free options as these have all been proven to be harmful to the development of small infants.
Note: It is preferable to use bar soaps, which often contain simpler and less harmful ingredients than liquid soaps.
To learn more checkout https://lavieecolo.ca/en/soap/
Baby wipes are commonly found in the diaper bag of many parents, while these products are considered minimally toxic to the average person, to a chemically sensitive individual they can be irritating and have harmful effects. For example, most baby wipes on the market are made out of viscose, polyester and other synthetic materials which can be irritating to sensitive skin. The safest alternative to these conventional wipes is to clean your baby’s bottom with plain water and washcloths or cotton balls. However, many companies now offer options made out of cotton or bamboo. If unavoidable, finding ones that are fragrance-free, alcohol-free and preservative-free are your best bet.
Baby Powder generally should be avoided as much as possible as most commonly used baby powders contain talcum powder, which contains asbestos and can lead to cancer in the reproductive systems of both sexes. The powder also lingers in the air and can enter the respiratory system causing irritation and other long-term health complications in both infants and adults. It is best practice to avoid powders all together, but if deemed necessary by parents a safe non-toxic alternative is cornstarch for the diaper area only.
Disposable Diapers remain in landfills for over 500 years, they are atrocious for the environment and may be harmful to babies. Many disposable diapers emit low levels of xylene and ethylbenzene, chemicals that are suspected endocrine, neurological and respiratory toxins; along with styrene, a chemical linked to cancer. For chemically sensitive individuals, these toxins may be irritating and or harmful. Reusable cloth diapers are a great alternative! They come in a wide variety of fabrics, colours and brands but cotton is by far the friendliest to baby’s sensitive skin.
For product recommendations checkout our Eco-Living Guide
Also visit our section on: Child care, Housekeeping and Personal hygiene for more healthy solutions
References:
Skin care – ASEQ-EHAQ
https://lavieecolo.ca/en/skin-care/
Soaps – ASEQ-EHAQ
https://lavieecolo.ca/en/soap/
Statistics Canada. (2021). ASEQ-EHAQ. Retrieved December 9, 2021, from
https://aseq-ehaq.ca/en/environmental-sensitivities/statistics/