Friday, February 20, 2009

Organic Skin Care for Babies

By Amy Nutt

An infant's skin is soft, cuddly and very, very delicate. Despite this knowledge, many mainstream manufactures put harsh chemicals in many leading baby products that are intended for daily use. Seemingly innocuous things like lotions and shampoos can even have carcinogenic parabens or other substances that known to be toxic.

In one alarming study, babies who have been using traditional shampoos, lotions and creams showed a high concentration of phthalates in the urine. Phthalates are chemicals that are added to give plastic more flexibility and can be extremely dangerous due to high toxicity.

Concerned parents needn't worry however, as they have an invaluable resource at their disposal when it comes to obtaining chemical free products: the Internet.

Below is a list of the kinds of products you can obtain (or may need to scrap) to care for your bundle of joy's precious skin.

- The fist thing you need to do is throw your baby oil away! Mainstream baby oil is made with 100 percent mineral oil, a crude petroleum product which can actually clog the pores. Since the skin needs to be able to 'breathe' to release toxins, clogging pores can cause serious health concerns. Vitamin deficiencies have also been reported with mineral oil use, a fact that should be of real concern to parents. The solution? Many herbalist and holistic practitioners advise replacing traditional baby oil with jojoba oil. Jojoba oil is safe for use on even newborns and won't disrupt the skin's natural process. Other organic baby oil replacement products have all natural ingredients like chamomile or rosemary as well so look around before settling on any one item in particular. - Baby lotions have the same types of concerns as mineral oil and contain fragrances that are nothing but a pure mix of nasty chemicals. Alternatives do however exists and if you are so inclined you can find a bevy of organic solutions to the chemical laden baby product. Most of the lotions that are organic in nature will include chamomile and-or rosemary with an aloe vera or jojoba oil base. Be sure that you locate organic items that are 'fragrance free' and 'dye free' too. - Locating organic shampoos and bubble baths is also a good idea since these products can get into the mouth and eyes of your baby. Even so called gentle formulas are chock full of substances that can have long term health affects on developing little ones. You can also look into purchasing organic diapers creams, conditioners and talcum free powers online. Make sure the ingredients are 100 percent all natural and wholly organic.

Before you buy any organic product do you research into the company and make sure your child isn't allergic to any of the ingredients. Read the ingredients lists too, as some companies that claim to be organic still utilize harmful preservatives!

You may also want to take the extra step into purchasing organic cleansing agents like laundry detergent in an effort to protect your child's organic skin care. Although it seems like a bit of extra work, you will be rewarded with a happy healthy child who will benefit from the time and effort their parents took to give them the best care possible.

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