cleerbaby

 

Switching to non-toxic baby products is one of the most important things you can do to protect the health and development of your infant. As well-meaning parents prepare for a baby's arrival, they stock up on chemically-based detergents, lotions, creams and powders filled with fragrances.  They order plastic bottles and chemically-laden diapers, clothing and toys. Exposure to these items can cause or contribute to a baby's allergies, rashes and other developmental and health problems. Each toxic exposure weakens a baby's system.

FACT:

Babies' bodies are more vulnerable to environmental toxins

  • Babies absorb more toxins because their skin is thinner and more permeable to chemicals.

  • Babies breathe more air per body weight than adults

  • Babies are uniquely sensitive to the effects of neurotoxins because the blood-brain barrier is not fully formed until an infant is 6 months old.

  • Babies and children are uniquely sensitive to hormone disruptors that mimic estrogen.    This affects their development and puberty.

  • A baby's immune system and central nervous system are still developing and less capable of eliminating toxins.

Though it may seem overwhelming to detox your baby's environment, there is good news. There are plenty of simple and affordable ways to reduce the amount of chemicals we expose our babies to. We can help you identify which items are the most toxic and give you some solutions for safe swaps!

#1: FEEDING and TEETHING (DITCH THE PLASTIC)

Plastic baby bottles, breast milk and food storage bags, formula cans, and food storage containers can contain BPA which is a hormone-disrupting chemical. It can leach into food when heated. BPA can affect the child's reproductive system, increase his/her risk for breast cancer, and contribute to early puberty and obesity. Choose glass bottles and stainless steel sippy cups instead of plastic. Even BPA-free plastics contain other hormone-disrupting chemicals that can leach into baby food.

The following kitchen and food products typically contain plastic that can be absorbed by babies:

  • Bottles            

  • Pacifiers                                 

  • Breast Milk Storage Bags                  

  • Sippy Cups

  • Nipples           

  • Disposable Bags for Bottles  

  • Teething Rings and Toys

  • Food Storage Bags/Containers

#2: BATHING

(CHOOSE SAFE BRANDS AND PLANT-BASED PRODUCTS)

What you put on your baby is just as important as what you put in your baby. Applying products such as lotions, soaps and shampoos is really the same thing as ingesting these products through the skin. They are still carried into the baby's bloodstream - just not through the digestive system.

NOTE: The same goes for you, mama. The chemicals you absorb through your skin, ingest through your digestive system and inhale through your lungs affect your health and the health and development of your unborn baby.  And lotions you apply to your skin will get absorbed into your baby's skin when you snuggle skin-to-skin.

Many of the chemicals in baby personal care products are synthetic and because they are not natural, their little bodies have no designated pathway for their elimination. Many of these chemicals are toxic, many mimic hormones - even in tiny amounts, and many accumulate with daily use.

NOTE: The European Union has banned more than 1,300 personal care chemicals, while the U.S. has outlawed only 11.

For example, phthalates are commonly used in ingredients classified as "fragrance" and "parfum" and are added to lotions, soaps, shampoos and more. They are banned in Europe and are toxic to the liver and kidneys. Phthalates mimic the hormone estrogen when absorbed into the bloodstream and have been linked to reproductive and developmental problems. They can also trigger skin allergies.

In fact, the term "fragrance" on a label - on anything from baby wipes to trash bags to laundry detergent, can indicate the presence of up to 5000 different ingredients. A typical shampoo fragrance is created by mixing up to a hundred of these chemicals together. Many are human toxins and are suspected or proven carcinogens. Fragrance can affect the central nervous system, behavior, skin allergies, and respiratory distress, among others.

NOTE: "Unscented" means a product may contain chemicals that neutralize or masks odors of other ingredients. "fragrance-free" means that fragrance chemicals and masking chemicals are not used in the product.

Other toxins in baby personal care products include petroleum products (especially baby oils), antibacterial chemicals, ammonia, formaldehyde, parabens and colorants which can contribute to hormone disruption, allergies and other skin problems.

 NOTE: Not only are these chemicals permitted in products sold in the United States, manufacturers are not even required to include them on their labels for trade secret protection purposes.

The following baby personal care products commonly contain toxic chemicals, including fragrance, phthalates, sulfates, petroleum, and antibacterial ingredients (which kill beneficial bacteria).

BATH

  • Soap                           

  • Shampoo                    

  • Bubble Bath

  • Lotions/Creams/Sunscreen

  • Baby Oil

 DIAPERING

  • Wipes

  • Diaper Cream

  • Baby Powder 

NOTE: "Tear free" shampoos are made with a pH that matches baby's tears. This is why they don't sting. It does not make them safer. A neutral pH is less irritating to skin and scalp.

#3 LAUNDRY & CLEANING

(REMOVE PRODUCTS THAT CONTAIN VOCS)

Household cleaning agents are the #1 source of toxins in the home.  The vast majority of them contain not one, but an abundance of toxic chemicals.  These products are absorbed through baby's skin, inhaled into their lungs, and ingested as chemical residues that remain after household items have been washed.  Chronic and repeated exposure to multiple chemicals in multiple products can cause a build-up in baby bodies that not only places a burden on their sensitive liver and kidneys, they can cause long-term neurological damage, skin and respiratory irritation, and hormone disruption. 

The surfactants and solvents used in mainstream laundry detergent and fabric softener may be linked to reproductive disorders, skin and respiratory irritation, headaches, neurological problems and cancer when inhaled or absorbed into your skin through the clothing a baby weara.  The synthetic fragrances used in these products can also cause respiratory irritation. 

The following everyday products commonly contain toxic volatile organic compounds (VOCs):

LAUNDRY

  • Laundry detergent                  

  • Stain remover            

  • Fabric softener

  • Bleach

  • Ironing Spray 

NOTE: just because a product is marketed or formulated for babies (like baby laundry detergent) does not mean it contains fewer toxic chemicals.

HOUSEHOLD

  • Dishwashing detergents         

  • Dusting Spray

  • Disinfectants                          

  • Bleach

  • Bug Spray                              

  • Air fresheners

  • Household cleaners             

  • Glass cleaner  

  • Floor Cleaners                        

  • Scrubbing Powders

#4 IDENTIFY AND SHOP SAFE BRANDS

The easiest way to identify and shop safe products is to align yourself with brands that do the editing for you. Whether you are focused on personal care and cleaning products or fabrics and furniture, there are some excellent companies making high-performance, safe products.

SOME OF OUR TRUSTED BABY BRANDS INCLUDE:

  • Young Living            

  • Dr. Bronner's

  • Babo Botanicals         

  • Seventh Generation

  • Norwex                      

  • Burt's Bees

  • Beautycounter            

  • Honest Co.

  • Better Life                  

  • Grove Collaborative

cleerbaby resources

apps: 

EWG’s Healthy Living: EWG stands for the Environmental Working Group, which is a non-profit organization that evaluates all the products in stores – from food to shampoo – and rates them based on their safety and sustainability.  It is super-easy to use and an incredibly valuable tool.  Use the app for food and personal care products.  Their website evaluates cleaning products as well.

Reference Guide for Essential Oils (by Abundant Health):  This app tells you what Young Living essential oils work best for certain conditions and also describes the properties/uses for each oil.

Detox Me (by Silent Spring Institute): explore ways to reduce your contact with toxic chemicals in your home or workplace.  Scan bar codes to check the safety of products. The app also includes DIY recipes for safe cleaning products.

 

books and documentaries:

Healthy Child, Healthy World, by Christopher Gavigan

The Pure Cure, by Sharyn Wynters & Burton Goldberg

The Honest Life, by Jessica Alba

The Human Experiment | Netflix

Stink: Why Are Toxic Chemicals Hiding in America? | Netflix | www.stinkmovie.com