Prepare For Baby
Choose Natural or Organic Baby Skin Care
Why think about baby skin care before the baby is born?..... Because it's the best time.
I've been there. Years ago my first thoughts after finding out I was pregnant were how am I going to take care of my baby? I started learning about how I was going to keep my baby healthy and safe.
That is still our top concern today but it has become more complicated by our increased exposure to chemicals in our daily lives and the understanding of the possible effects.
Our decisions start with taking good care of our own health and safety while we are pregnant and learning about the benefits using the right
pregnancy skin care routine can have for you and your baby.
If you've already been limiting chemical exposure during your pregnancy you are on a roll. You may already have become an avid label reader and are recognizing the ingredients used in skin care. Take your knowledge a step further and learn about the ingredients being used in products you will want for your baby.
Once you decide you can shop early and watch for sales or coupons (better products can be more expensive) and you can also let family and friends know about your choices so when it comes time for baby showers
or any shopping for your baby everyone understands what you want and you end up with products you know and trust.
Limiting Chemical Exposure
Many of the most popular baby products have been used for years. I myself used them on my daughter years ago. Now, I am concerned because
more and more we are learning that some of the ingredients from products we use on our skin is indeed being absorbed into our bodies.
We live in an age where exposure to toxins can't be avoided no matter how hard we try. We just can't control all of them
and no one can tell us the effect all these different chemicals will have on our bodies.
But we sure can do all we can to limit our baby's lifetime exposure as much as possible and a good place start is skin care.
Natural or organic ingredients in products are the best choices for baby skin care but that means reading and understanding the back label.
Don't make the mistake of assuming that because a product is made for babies that it contains only the best and safest ingredients. That is not always the case. There are no regulations for baby skin care products either. So be informed.
Compare Ingredients From Two Different Companies
Take a look at the ingredients in Johnson and Johnson's Baby Shampoo With Natural Lavender:
Ingredients from packaging:
WATER, CITRIC ACID, EXT DC VIOLET #2, COCAMIDOPROPYL BETAINE, PEG-80 SORBITAN LAURATE, SODIUM TRIDECETH SULFATE, PEG-150 DISTEARATE, FRAGRANCE, POLYQUATERNIUM-10, TETRASODIUM EDTA, QUATERNIUM-15.
This product is rated a 5 for moderate safety from the Skin Deep Database. The ingredients tetrasodium edta, sodium trideceth sulfate, polyquaternium-10 are considered safe. But at the other end of the spectrum is fragrance which
is an unknown and always a concern. Other ingredients are considered of moderate concern. This company has not signed the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics and they do animal testing.
Now look at the ingredients in Earth Mama Angel Baby Shampoo and Baby Wash:
Ingredients from packaging:
Saponified oils of Cocos nucifera (organic coconut) oil, Olea europaea (organic olive) oil, Butyrospermun parkii (organic shea) butter, kosher vegetable glycerin, Aloe barbadensis (organic aloe) leaf juice, Vanilla planifolia (organic vanilla) bean extract,
Citrus sinensis (orange) oil, tocopherol (Vitamin E) 86.5% organic content.
Not surprisingly this product is considered among the safest. Everyone of the ingredients is natural. They have signed the Compact for Safe Cosmetics and don't do any animal testing.
Which product would you choose for your baby skin care?
Finding The Best We Can Afford
We want to do the best thing for our babies but the biggest complaint I hear is natural products are too expensive. Using the natural ingredients in products is usually more expensive than synthetic ones.
OK, maybe some products are not in your budget. Don't get discouraged.
Learn about skin care ingredients. Pick your battles. Check out the worst offenders by reading
nontoxic skin care and try to avoid those ingredients.
For a very thorough list of baby skin care products check out Skin Deep's
Parents Buying Guide and also see their baby care section. In one place you can see the ingredients, learn more about them and see how and why they are rated as they are.
Where To Shop
When I shop I consider more than ingredients. I usually read about the company on their website. Look to see if they have any certifications or cruelty free logos. Did they sign the Compact for Safe Cosmetics etc? The companies below are a few suggestions for baby skin care.
Terressentials Organics 100% organic ingredients.
California Baby Bulk sizes available. Also travel sizes, good for sampling.
Earth Mama Angel Baby Gift baskets and kits with smaller sizes of some products.
