How to buy the best skincare products for your baby

“Cosmetics for children are safer” is one of the most common myths we tend to believe. This belief is carefully built over time by cosmetics companies through a wide range of marketing channels and strategies. Attractive packaging and smart use of key words such as „natural”, „bio/organic”, „hypoallergenic” or „for sensitive skin” are reasons most of us buy products. The reality however lies below the superficial glossy image. Even over-the counter products sold in pharmacies are not necessarily the safe choice you expect them to be.

While we tend to be more lenient in case of beauty products for adults, where babies and children are concerned, our attitude changes dramatically. We want the purest, non-irritant, as natural as possible, fragrance-free choices. And companies seem to give exactly what we want… or do they really?

So, besides the well-known and generally accepted list of ingredients that should be avoided (for some of them there are already studies that show they increase the cancer risk and toxicity to the immune system, among others), what would be a more comprehensive NO checklist for baby products?

We listed a few categories for which there is already sufficient information to show there is a direct or indirect impact:

 

If you think just because you bought an organic certified product, you made a safe choice, think again. Almost all the above can and usually are found in organic products, including baby cosmetics. So, there is no wonder the cases of dermatitis, eczemas and allergies are on the increase as some of these substances slowly accumulate in the organism and weaken the immune system. Since the effect is not usually immediate, it is easy for us to make the incorrect assumption that they don’t have any impact on our health.

 

Also, don’t be fooled by the hypoallergenic and the 100% natural labels as they are not regulated and are normally used as marketing ploys.

 

So what should be considered a truly good baby cosmetic product?

 

There are four main rules and they all involve you checking the ingredient list:

 

We know, it’s complicated… That’s why we’ll try to help you get a better grasp on the marketing tactics companies use to lure you into buying.

 

We have researched and analyzed tens of organic brands which also have baby lines, and we have prepared for you a few study cases, separated on categories: shampoos, lip balms, baby washes, baby lotions etc. Take your time reading them and you will understand why this is so important.

 

 

 

Now, when you read each of the key words mild, shampoo, babies and newborns, you might be imagining healthy, happy babies floating in a pure, natural environment. It’s a natural thing called the magic of marketing and you probably already know about it.

However, when a company gets that specific on a label, you expect they can back it up with an amazingly pure formula. And since you expect it, you might not check it.

Now, an amazingly pure formula should not contain any of the ingredients mentioned above, and yet when reading the ingredient list we find more than four of the above ingredients in the form of detergents, synthetic preservatives and perfume. Remember this is recommended for newborns, not just kids.

 

We all love chamomile and aloe, they are definitely soothing, but other ingredients in this shampoo might have the opposite effect.

 

Just because a product doesn’t have certain bad ingredients, doesn’t mean they haven’t been replaced with other ingredients you might also not like. Check the ingredient list, always!

 

You kids might beg or throw a tantrum to convince you to buy that bottle because they just love the characters on the packaging. You’re wise to say no, because usually most of the price you pay goes to branding and you don’t get much in terms of quality. Also, those products are usually chock-full of colorants, micro plastics (sparkly particles), synthetic perfume and almost everything else on our list.

 

Our eyes are easily irritated by everything that gets into them. The brand that made this phrase famous was accused of questionable practices (Google it) and we recommend skepticism whenever you see it.

 

Some things on our list originally come from natural bases. Sodium coco-sulfate comes from coconut oil and many brands will try to sell it as a natural ingredient, but it is considered by many outlets an irritant surfactant, better avoided and replaced with milder alternatives. Still, you will find it and similar others in many shampoos and washes for kids and babies.

This is a general issue and in case of baby shampoos, you have to check for dilution, number of surfactants and the location and type of natural extracts. Shampoos that contain more water need more preservatives, so if possible, try to look for water-free shampoos that use a plant base instead, which serves a double purpose. Solid shampoos are not necessarily a safer alternative, because they also tend to contain irritant surfactants, perfumes, colorants. Also, be wary about the plant extracts advertised on the packaging and try to see where they are situated on the list: if they are in the second half, the percentage is probably less than 5%. We will expand this subject in a separate article.

Unless there you are dealing with a health issue, you should always check for yourself before buying cosmetics for your baby. Most brands sold in pharmacies have at least some of the ingredients mentioned above and your pharmacist might not even know what the ingredient lists actually contain (they are more concerned about medications).

If you product fulfills all the above criteria: Congratulations, you have chosen a good shampoo! If not, maybe it’s time to look for something better.

 

One of the best shampoo ingredient lists that we have discovered come from Whamisa. Feel free to check them here: https://www.authentic-plaza.com/en/158-organic-cosmetics-for-children and tell us what you think.

 

To be continued…