This is the second part in a two part article series on what chemicals to be aware of in baby products and how to choose the best organic baby products for your child. Below is a continuing list of chemicals to avoid and why they are harmful.

1,4 Dioxane: Ethylene oxide is used by companies to aid in making rough petroleum based ingredients more gentle. As a result of this ethylation 1,4 Dioxane is produced, which is a noted carcinogen and suspected to stimulate kidney damage. Of late some alleged “green” companies were exposed because their products contained this very chemical which proves the use of petroleum based chemicals. Once again you will not discover this listed in the ingredients list, because it is a by product and not part of the primary formula. Refrain from any product with any of the following ingredients: oxynol, myreth, oleth, laureth, any other “eth,” or PEG, polyethylene, ceteareth, polyethylene glycol or polyoxyethylene.

Mineral oil: Would any compassionate parent put gasoline on their child? The Environmental Working Group say that 40% of all baby lotions and oils contain petroleum, which is a non renewable hydrocarbon made from the substance crude oil. The oil will spread over you baby’s skin with a non-breathable toxic film. The Australia’s National Occupational Health and Safety Commissions (NOHSC) say that prolonged contact with mineral oil has an joint risk of developing skin conditions such as eczematous dermatitis, oil folliculitis, melanosis of the face and plantar warts. Petroleum can also discontinue hormones and stop the skin’s ability to detoxify. After sun exposure it is the 2nd most likely cause of premature skin aging. Sunscreens that have a foundation in mineral oil are now being involved in promoting colon, skin and breast cancer and disturbingly are found in most breast cancer tissue. Petroleum is a known carcinogen and also known to adversely effect health, yet is still approved safe by the FDA.

Sodium Laurel Sulfates (SLS)/Sodium Lareth Sulfates (SLES): These are the ingredient responsible for suds or froth in shampoos, soaps and toothpastes. As late back as 1983 the Journal of American College of Toxicology reported that SLS can cause separation of skin layers and inflammation of the skin and damage the immune system. They also state that SLS/SLES can cause malformation of a baby’s eyes. These chemicals are promptly absorbed by the skin and wind up in the heart, lungs, liver and brain.

Parabens are commonly used as a chemical compound in products ranging from food to shampoo to baby wipes. At small doses they are known to create system organ toxicity and reproductive damage.

“Natural”: Unfortunately this statement is unregulated and has no assurance of safety. Many products labeled “natural” contain at least one of the above listed ingredients and have petroleum based chemicals in them.

How to reduce the toxic load on your child

Read labels: memorize or carry the above noted ingredients with you when you shop.

Keep in easy and simple: all you need before a baby becomes mobile is warm water and a washcloth.

Select certified organic baby products: when you do need to use products, select ones that are certified organic. This way you are confident that these products contain only pure, truly natural, non-toxic ingredients that are safe for your baby, your family and the environment.

It is important to note, the skin is the largest organ in the body and easily absorbs just about anything placed on it. Listed above are some ingredients that are the major toxins. There are many more. Ensure your children’s future health by protecting them in the present. If you can’t pronounce the ingredients or are clueless to what something is, if the label appears like chemical textbook instead of a garden do not buy it. Do this and you will know what you are putting on your baby’s (and your own) skin is safe.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Elizabeth_Daniels

Related posts:

1. The Truth About Organic Baby Products – Part 1 of 2 This two part article will cover what key chemicals you...
2. Organic Baby Products Organic Baby Products Guide provides information and resources for shopping...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

This two part article will cover what key chemicals you should avoid for your baby and why you should buy organic baby products. The second part of the article will focus on tips for buying the correct and safest organic baby products.

Unfortunately baby care products such as shampoos, lotions and powders are classified under cosmetics’ regulations and the FDA is consequently not required to test their safety. Consequently when purchasing your organic baby products the sole way to be certain a product will not have unsafe compounds is that it is certified organic, and even healthier, to be certified organic to food standards. It is fundamental to realize that infants and children are very unguarded to the dangerous effects of these chemicals because their bodies, organs and brains are still in development and growing. You need to be informed about how certain ingredients cause harm, how to interpret labels to avoids hazardous toxins and what are the good substitutes.

Major toxins to avoid:

•Phthlates: phthlates have been known to disrupt the reproductive and endocrine systems, more so in young bodies and the flourishing rates of male infertility are thought to be linked to phthalate influence.

There has been a lot about Phthalates in the news lately but were you aware that they are contained in nearly most baby care products like lotions and shampoos? Places such as Canada and Europe are taking action, earlier this year Australia banned the use of products with more than 1% phthalate, however I don’t think this action was taken on bath and skin products. They are still trying to convince us they are safe. They are not. In a related vein to Australia, California passed a law to ban 6 type of phthalates in toys and bottles but also products like bath and skin care products have not been placed under the law. Companies are not required to fully reveal ingredients on the label, so therefore there is no way to know if they are phthalate free unless you buy certified organic baby products.

Research conducted of late from the University of Washington found that children were not just being exposed through formula, bottles and chewing toys but were also absorbing phthalates through the skin when it was applied directly to the skin. Urine testing was used in 163 children aged 2-28 months and it was concluded that over 80 percent of these infants had over 7 types of phthalate in their urine. The amount of phthalates found was directly related to frequency of baths and lotion use. What was horrifying is that baby shampoo had been used on more than half of the tested infants within 24 hours of the urine testing. Thirty percent had lotions applied and 14% had had powder used. These babies had four times the level of phthalates in their urine than those infants whose parents had not used those particular products on them.

The manufacturers rebut these research claims by expressing the only phthalates used in baby products is called DEP, which apparently has been proven safe. So why then could 7 or more different types be found in the testing? Yes, infants are exposed by many means, but the fact remains that all phthalates were significantly increased in infants whose parents had done nothing else unusual except use lotions, shampoos and powders. This shows a strongly suggestion that the increased phthalates came from these particular products. Remember full ingredient disclosure is not required, so you really don’t know exactly what manufacturers are placing in these products.

Cancer causing agents or Carcinogens. The Environmental Protection Agency has found through a review of 23 peer-reviewed studies of cancer over the last 50 years that infants up to the age of two years are 10 times more susceptible to carcingenic chemicals that an adult, and in some instances they are 65 times more susceptible for some cancer causing chemicals. Between the ages of 2-15 years children are three times more susceptible to carcinogens than adults. They reason by stating children accumulate up to fifty percent of their lifetime cancer probability by the age of two.Here are just a few ingredients noted or suspected to cause cancer: Ammonium laureth sulphate, Alkyl-phenol-ethoxylades, Cocamide (and cocomide)DEA, FDC- (FD&C) Colors, Benzene,Glycols – Propylene glycol, Ethylene glycol, Diethylene glycol and carbitol.

Fragrances are known to contain up to 4000 separate ingredients, with just about all of those being synthetic. These synthetic fragrances can result headache, dizzy spells, rashes, skin disorders, coughing and vomiting, skin reactions and asthma. Their affects on the central nervous system can cause hyperactivity, depression, irritability, inability to cope and some other behavioral changes.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Elizabeth_Daniels

Related posts:

1. Organic Baby Products Organic Baby Products Guide provides information and resources for shopping...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Reason #1 – Individual

At present, purchasing organic baby products may cost somewhat more than purchasing similar products that is not guarded to include only organic materials. For the parent who wants to provide only the highest quality products with which to surround the new baby, organic baby products are the best answer. The parent in this instance typically feels that it is worthwhile to pay a little more money because the quality is higher and because their baby will be healthier without the extra exposure to harmful components of standard baby products. The added bonus for the parent is to encourage a healthier global society by going organic.

Reason #2 – Mother Earth

By insisting on organic baby products, the purchaser is helping to ensure the health of the planet. For example, organic cotton is raised without spraying by chemical agents or chemical fertilizers. This means these chemicals are not ending up in the soil or in the water supply to negatively impact future generations. Organic baby products and other organic products can help to clean up the air and water in this country. It will take a concerted effort by many people to make the switch to organic products in order to improve the economic picture worldwide.

Reason #3 – Business

Organic baby products and other organic products are a growing business sector in this country and world wide. Although it is somewhat of a niche market at present, global opinion is shifting dramatically in the direction of organic baby products. Savvy business people are taking advantage of the popularity of these products and the availability of the global markets found on the Internet in order to build new business opportunities and to expand the product line of existing businesses. The organic items have a good profit picture and one that is likely to become even better.

Reason #4 – Producers

Farmers and other producers of organic baby products are building more profitable agricultural bases when they switch to organic products. Organically grown products require more effort and care to produce. Since the producer of a crop grown organically will not use chemical fertilizers, other methods for enriching the soil must be used. The same is true of manufacturing processed that release harmful ingredients into water or air when completed for traditional products. This practice is eliminated when the parent shifts to organic baby products instead of other staying products.

Although all this information can seem overwhelming, the easiest way to switch from conventional to organic products is to throw away all your baby’s old products and opt for organics all at once. Good luck!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sophia_David

Related posts:

1. Organic Baby Products Organic Baby Products Guide provides information and resources for shopping...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Feel good that you are doing what is best for your baby by using organic baby products, and also that you are supporting organic farmers who are helping to protect the Earth by not using the harmful pesticides. Organic Baby Products Guide offers information and links for organic baby clothing, organic baby accessories, organic skin care products, organic baby toys, organic cloth diapers, organic baby bedding & mattresses, organic products for mom and more.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.