Parents are always very careful of the products that they use for the care of their little-ones. Sensitivity of the skin of a newly born infant is very different from an adult’s skin. Thus, extra care has to be taken while purchasing and using different products for the care of young ones.
Now, a latest consumer group report has discovered that some baby bath products contain potential cancer causing chemicals! It is stated that more than half of the baby bath products like shampoos, soaps, lotions, etc. may contain chemicals like 1,4-dioxane and formaldehyde. This revelation was made by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics and its partner Environmental Working Group.
This is believed to be the first report to document the contamination of products for children with the above mentioned chemicals. It was found that certain baby bath products that contain these potentially harmful chemicals are not listed on the product label. It was found that since the manufacturers do not add these chemicals intentionally, they are not required to list the presence of these chemicals on the product label. These chemicals are said to be the toxic by-products of chemical manufacturing. These byproducts can be easily removed by the manufacturers; however by law they are not required to do so.
Since, the presence of these chemicals are not mentioned on the product label, they could even exist in product’s labeled as natural or organic. Thus, there is no easy way through which parents can avoid using potentially harmful products on their infants. One thing that parents could possibly do is to use minimal amount of body care products on their children, or look for those products which have fewer listed ingredients. Since the skin and hair of babies are gentler and more sensitive than an adult, they don’t require the same type of treatment. Babies may not need to be showered daily. Minimal use of baby products could also be useful, in avoiding any possible exposure to chemicals.