Paraben and other preservatives. A baby’s hormonal system is not yet mature, and hormone
disruptors can cause irreparable damage to the developing endocrine system. There have been no
studies confirming the safety of paraben preservatives for babies. Why should your little bundle of
joy participate in this gigantic experiment with an unknown outcome?
Fragrance. Conventional baby products are usually highly fragranced. These powdery scents are
more appealing to moms than to babies, and manufacturers are in no hurry to remove the scents,
simply because fragranced products usually sell better than unscented ones. Any synthetic fragrance,
as we already know, is nothing but an irritation.
Synthetic color. Most baby products have a cute pink or yellow tint in them. Babies do not care
about the color of their diaper cream or baby wash! All they want is zero irritation. More often than
not, the color in baby baths, washes, and lotions is achieved by adding synthetic colorants, such as
D&C Yellow 10 (Quinoline Yellow) or D&C Orange 4 (Acid Orange 7), considered to be
potentially genotoxic substances.
Want to add more color to your baby’s bath? Steep some herbal tea with berries, such as
strawberries or raspberries for at least 10 minutes and pour it into the bath—believe me, everyone
will be happier.
Other toxic synthetic junk. Other chemicals to avoid include fabric softeners such as cetrimonium
chloride in baby hair detanglers, formaldehyde-releasing preservatives disodium EDTA and DMDM
hydantoin in baby wipes and creams, and petroleum-derived silicones in diaper creams.
Irritating plant extracts and essential oils. These include peppermint, eucalyptus, ylang-ylang,
sage, bergamot, and citrus oils. You may use eucalyptus in a vaporizer during colds, though.
It’s vitally important to avoid all baby products that contain any of the above ingredients. Just a
quick glance at the ingredients list will provide you with more information than any cute packaging or
adorable scent. Which is more important to you—the cute little baby on the label or your own little
pink darling who depends on your ability to discern between safe and unsafe products?
Green Bath for Your Baby
Babies love to be bathed. Bathing relaxes them and may soothe any minor skin irritation, especially
if you keep bath time less than ten minutes. And the smell of a baby right out of the bath.. .mmm, it’s
so yummy!
You don’t need special cleansers for a baby’s face, hands, hair, and behind. One gentle plant-based
cleanser is more than enough. The best green cleansers are based on corn, palm, or coconut-derived
surfactants that are prepared without the use of sulfates. These include decyl poly-glucose, coco-
glycoside, olivoil glutinate, sodium cocoyl glutamate, and the less green cocamidopropyl
betaine.Aloe vera, calendula, chamomile, and olive leaf extracts are soothing and healing. They are
usually well tolerated by all babies, even newborns.
To bathe a newborn, you don’t really need anything other than warm water. Many doctors
recommend bathing babies in plain water until they are six months old. We tried it, and our baby
came out clean and good smelling. Newborns do not get sweaty or dirty except in the diaper area or if
they spit up. You will need a foaming cleanser or a mild soap for cleaning the diaper area, though
organic baby oil or organic virgin olive oil usually work just fine. If the water in your area is