Children

Since I have had my son, I am extra conscious of what I put into my body and what goes into his.

Convenience and price has led many people to accept products that are very bad for their health. Food products are full of preservatives and empty calories, with no nutritional value. Or, body products contain known skin irritants that are used to test for allergic reactions in a medical setting. Many mothers blindly put faith in doctors and children’s companies…trusting that these people have their child’s best interest at heart.

However, this is not the case. Chemicals we can’t even pronounce are in our foods and body products.

Sodium Laureth Sulfate and Sodium Lauryl Sulfate is one of the first ingredients in many conventional body washes, shampoos. and detergents. These substances are included in the products in order for them to foam up. Unbeknownst to many, these chemicals cannot be metabolized by the liver, are known skin irritants, and can lead to eye damage in children. Many other harmful effects are reported about these chemicals.

At my baby shower, I was given Johnson’s® Bedtime Washcloths for my son. I reviewed the ingredients and what I found was amazing. Here are the ingredients:

  1. Glycerin
  2. PEG-80 Sorbitan Laurate
  3. PEG-8 Sodium Laureth Sulfate
  4. Cocamidopropyl Betaine
  5. Decyl Glucoside
  6. Disodium Lauroamphodiacetate
  7. Phenoxyethanol
  8. Fragrance
  9. Lauryl Methyl Gluceth-10
  10. Hydroxypropyldimonium Chloride
  11. Methylparaben
  12. Propylparaben

Now that was not fun to type! Only 2/12 ingredients were familiar to me (glycerin and fragrance).

So I went to Johnson’s website and viewed this product. Guess what they promote?

Enhanced with NATURALCALM™ essences, our improved cleansing and moisturizing products gently cleanse and nourish your baby’s delicate skin as you set the mood for quiet time before bed. Specially formulated for baby’s delicate skin. Start her before-bed routine with a relaxing bath and enjoy the soothing aroma of NATURALCALM™ essences.

All I see from that statement is a distraction for consumers. The special essence blend is nothing more than a lavender-like fragrance. And is that really going to help my baby sleep better? I’ll just skip the chemical bath and apply some lavender oil…

Anyways, marketing ploys convince mothers that a company’s product is safe and it will help their child. I am guilty of this. I believed this too before I had a helpless infant to think about. I’ve never had skin allergies or abnormal skin conditions, so I never really considered questioning what was in the new bodywash I bought for myself because it smelled good.

At my babyshower, I also received a babywash/shampoo by BABYSPA™ and I actually use this product on my son. It contains no mineral oils or petroleum products, no artificial fragrance or color, no animal products and no nut oil. AND NO SODIUM LAURYL/LAURETH SULFATE!

So why do companies who make products for children use such irritating ingredients? It is the fact that these ingredients are cheap! SLS is found in dish soap, car wash soap, and carpet cleaner. If you use a product that foams up, it probably contain SLS.

Start making it a habit to check the labels on products in your home. Research the ingredients online and find out for yourself what the ingredients are and how they can affect you and your child’s health.

But watch out for products labeled “Natural” or “Organic.” Don’t let that label fool you. Many of them still contain skin irritants.

Many times the quality of these products is really “You get what you pay for.”

*Special thanks to HealthyGreenMom and Natural Health Information Centre

My next post will discuss toxic ingredients in commercial food.

To Your Well-Being,

Olivia Johnston



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Filed under: Children's health

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