Harmful Baby Soap Ingredients Every Parent Should Know
Baby skin is delicate. Learn which baby soap ingredients to avoid, from triclosan and fragrance to DMDM hydantoin, DEA and parabens, before you buy.
Baby skin is prone to all sorts of conditions and allergies, so parents have to be extra careful when choosing care products. The same goes for the baby soaps on the market. You need to know which harmful ingredients should not be in soap. Read on for a rundown of baby soap ingredients.
Harmful Ingredients to Avoid When Buying Soap for Your Baby
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Triclosan and Triclocarban
Both of these ingredients are actually very good at fighting bacteria, because they have strong antibacterial power. In adult or general-use products they may not cause significant problems. For babies, whose skin is still vulnerable to disease, however, they are very dangerous.
That is because both ingredients increase bacterial resistance to antibiotics. Given to a baby, this effect indirectly leads to ongoing health problems. One example is inhalation toxicity, where a toxic substance enters the airways and causes liver problems.
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Fragrance
Keep in mind that buying soap because it smells nice or makes a lot of lather is not wise. Even specialist doctors do not recommend baby soaps containing perfume, because it can cause allergies and irritation in the eyes, skin and even lungs. For babies with eczema especially, avoid every product that contains fragrance.
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DMDM Hydantoin
If you read a label and find DMDM or Hydantoin, avoid that product. For your information, this ingredient is considered harmful because it is closely linked to headaches, chest pain, earaches, dizziness and several other conditions. That is because DMDM is a derivative of formaldehyde, which should be kept away from babies.
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DEA, MEA, TEA
These are not just letters. They stand for the substances Diethanolamine, Monoethanolamine and Triethanolamine. All three must be avoided because they can cause kidney and liver disease. Excessive exposure has even been linked to cancer. Unfortunately, these hormone-disrupting ingredients are still found in many shampoos and soaps.
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Phthalates and Parabens
Be wary of baby soaps that contain these two ingredients. Although they are very common in cosmetics and skin care products, they are very dangerous for babies. Their original function is as preservatives, but the harm comes from their ability to mimic estrogen in the body and damage the hormone system.
To prevent allergies and protect a baby's skin, knowing these ingredients is very important. Quite a few soaps on the market come from unscrupulous makers who add harmful ingredients, especially to products for little ones with sensitive skin. For peace of mind, choose Mitu baby soap, known for its safety and quality.