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Mar

15

SafeMama’s 2010 Safer Baby Skin Care Cheat Sheet

Filed Under ** Cheat Sheets!, Product Safety, Skin Care | 1 Comment

SafeMama 2010 Skin Care Cheat SheetWelcome to the next generation of our 2010 Safer Baby Skin Care Cheat Sheet! As we’ve grown and learned, we have become more aware of other ingredients, aside from parabens and phthalates, we wish to avoid. We also realize that there are different trains of thought (how many chemicals you’ll tolerate) and budgets to consider so we decided to simplify this list and split it up. For more detailed information on why we avoid certain ingredients please check our glossary. Below is a listing of brands we recommend. (Last Updated September 4, 2010)

Notice: Please do not redistribute this list anywhere without our prior written consent. If you would like to share this information with your readers, please use the handy little button we created for doing just that and link back here. We spent time away from our kids, pouring over ingredients lists, digging in the Skin Deep Database and learning about chemicals and processes. Please help us make that worth our time and energy by not copy/pasting our work on other websites, communities, forums or blogs without permission. Thank you!

Want to know about skin care & beauty products? Check out LovelyMama for product reviews and recommendations.  Us Mommies need safe skin care too!

BEST CHOICES: SafeMama’s Top Picks

The following brands are, according to the latest ingredient information, 100% chemical free. They also rate well in the EWG Skin Deep Cosmetics database and are responsible companies. These are listed in alphabetical order for each rating group and not in a preferential manner. [Key: Brand Name, (Skin Deep rating range for baby items only, if available - Skin Deep ratings start at 0 being the best and goes up to 10 being the most hazardous)]

BETTER CHOICES

These are also really GREAT Choices: All baby care items are free of Parabens, Phthalates, PEG’s, Propylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Benzoate, Dimethicone, SLS and a bevy of other chemicals I won’t bother listing. Brands exhibit a very respectable ingredients list. (Note: In some brands cases they carry several products that are chemical free however have one or two items that were not.) I personally use many items from brands in this section.

GOOD CHOICES

Brands are Paraben, Phthalate, Propylene Glycol, PEG, Propylene Glycol Free though had one or more products containing cocamidopropyl betaine, sodium benzoate, dimethicone, and/or phenoxyethanol. Some of these brands had traces of just one questionable ingredient and others had several, or contained more chemically processed ingredients than we were comfortable with. These are still far better choices than most mainstream baby products and would recommend them. You will need to investigate the products yourself and make a judgment call.

Gluten Free Brands

These brands are gluten free according to their informational materials, for those needing to avoid gluten in their skin care. (Not comprehensive)

  • 100% Pure Kids
  • California Baby
  • Episencial
  • Nature’s Paradise Organics
  • TruKid Skin Care

Basic Skin Care Tips:

Read labels carefully. Beware of the basics -paraben, fragrance, PEG’s, and propylene glycol. Use our list as a guide.

Shopping at a “natural” store doesn’t mean everything is paraben and phthalate free. Read labels, know how to decipher the ingredients and don’t be fooled by the word “natural” or “organic” on the label. These words are not regulated the way food is… just because it says natural/organic doesn’t always mean it is.

Be wary of the term “fragrance”. Synthetic fragrances are a phthalate culprit so if you can, try to use products with organic or natural essential oils only if you are unsure. Unscented products can also contain phthalates by using a fragrance masking agent.

Use less products. This seems like a no-brainer but many people use way more than they need. Babies are born with the most perfect skin (usually) and it will never again be as perfect as it is when they’re babies.  Their sin is also sensitive and susceptible.  They don’t need to be slathered in lotions and powders. A little warm water and a washcloth is all they really need. When kids get older and grimier (like mine) a little soap and warm water does the trick and you can spot treat any dry skin problems or rashes.

Make Your Own: Some Castille Soap and water goes a long way!

Note: We support all the brands listed above regardless of what rating they have received.  We also realize everyone has their own standard of “greenness” and feel that there is a product to suit the needs of every child.  Experiment and mix and match until you find which brands work best for you, your family and your budget.  If there is a brand you think is missing from this list, please contact us and let us know and we would be happy to review it for inclusion.

When my son was first born, I probably got sixty bottles of different types of Johnson’s Baby Wash. They had one for every day, one for calming, one for colds. It seemed like they had just about everything I needed. Not having any idea what a paraben or a phthalate was, it was my staple. Once I started doing research (you would think that I would have done this prior to having my baby, but then again, you wouldn’t think they would make a baby shampoo that was laden with chemicals. Fool me once…), I was horrified to learn that I was using something harmful on my son’s delicate skin. I stopped using it immediately and sought other alternatives. I will admit though, I became so used to the smell of the Johnson’s calming baby wash, that I kept a bottle, just for the tactile memory. Every now and then, I’ll give it a little sniff, and it transforms me back to those early days of his newborn baby head. Since then, I’ve done A LOT of research on baby shampoo, and have tried many brands. When my daughter was born, I even brought my own body wash to the hospital and refused to let them use what they had on hand (most likely Johnson’s). Between Kathy and I, I’m pretty confident that we’ve tried just about every brand that’s out there. We’ve pored over ingredients and compared lathering capabilities. And here’s what we’ve come up with.

Jul

15

100 Percent Pure Kids

Filed Under Product Reviews, Skin Care | Comments Off

strawberry_bubblebathIf you read our other site (which is sadly neglected since we’ve been pregnant and/or giving birth, sorry), you’ll know that we LOVE the 100% Pure line of products.  For me, it’s an obsession, really.  I love just about everything they make, so when I saw that they had a kids line, I was ecstatic.    Fresh fun flavors as well as being safe for my little ones?   Absolutely!   It took me a while to track some of the bubble bath down.  It’s pretty popular, apparently.   I ordered some of the strawberry ice cream bubble bath, and I really dig the smell.   A few squirts in the tub and my whole upstairs smells like strawberries.  My son loves it too!

I will give you fair warning though, like most of their other body washes and the like, this stuff is much more watery than your conventional counter parts, and of course, given that there are no SLS’s, it definitely doesn’t produce bubble baths the way we remember as a kid, but it does suffice and my son doesn’t really know any different, given that he’s never known the joys of our old favorite, Mr. Bubble.

Get it: You can order any of the 100% Pure kids line directly from 100% Pure’s website.  Choose from three scents: Strawberry, Mint Chocolate Chip, or Vanilla.   A bottle of the bubble bath costs $12.00, but should last you at least a few months if you’re using it regularly.

May

29

Review & Giveaway: Dimpleskins Naturals Bum Bum Balm Diapering Salve

Filed Under Giveaways Coupons, Product Reviews, Skin Care | 51 Comments

bumbalm1I’ve been lucky that my son doesn’t really get diaper rash often (and let’s hope his new baby sister follows suit on that) but when he does, anything with zinc in it tends to irritate his skin more.   We also cloth diaper, and while I do use disposables on occasion, I need something that I can use while using cloth, so that I don’t have to use even more disposables.    So when I got the opportunity to try Dimpleskins Bum Bum Balm, I jumped at the chance.   Bum Bum Balm is completely all natural, zinc free and also safe for those who cloth diaper.  Score!   This is not your typical diaper rash cream.   As I’ve stated, it’s zinc free, so you don’t have that typical white smelly paste that you have with regular diaper rash creams.  Zinc can leave an almost waterproof residue on cloth diapers when they get washed, ruining their absorbency so this is a great alternative for those who are cloth diapering.   Since this is a balm, it goes on nice and light and doesn’t seem to coat the skin where it can’t breathe, yet the beeswax acts as a barrier to keep moisture away from rashes.

Bum Bum Balm’s ingredients are completely all natural.   With less than ten ingredients, all of which I know and can pronounce, I feel good knowing that I’m not putting any unnecessary chemicals on my children. Check out the DimpleSkins Naturals website – they have some great products!   Bum Bum Balm gets a hearty thumbs up from SafeMama.com!

Get it: You can order Bum Bum Balm directly from Dimpleskins website.  Get 10% off online orders through http://www.dimpleskinsnaturals.com by entering the code SAFEMAMA at checkout, offer expires July 1/09!

Bonus Giveaway!

The wonderful ladies at Dimpleskins have offered to giveaway a free tin of Bum Bum Balm to one lucky winner!  How nice!

To enter:

1. Leave a comment on this entry telling us what diaper rash cream you currently use and why it’s your favorite or why it’s not working out for you at the moment.

For bonus entries do one or all of the following and leave a separate comment for each (so your extra entry will get counted!)

  • Add our SafeMama button to your site (get the code on the lower right)
  • Retweet this giveaway @safemama and follow @safemama on twitter
  • Blog about this giveaway and leave us the link to your entry

Entries accepted  until 10pm EST on June 5th, 2009.  Contest open to US residents.  One winner will be chosen at random.  Good luck! Giveaway Closed.

Congratulations Mandy for picking up the tin of Bum Bum Balm!  Thanks to everyone who entered!

Apr

1

Kids Safe Chemical Act Needs More Support: Here’s Why

Filed Under Product Safety, Skin Care | Comments Off

kidssafeactWe wrote a little while back about the new report that came out from the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics regarding formaldehyde and 1,4 dioxane contamination in baby care products.   Many name brands that are abundant on every superstore and grocery store shelf in the U.S.  Brands like Johnson & Johnson, Baby Magic, Gerber, and L’Oreal (400 ppm!!!).  Their test results for Johnson’s Baby Shampoo, conducted by an independent lab for their “No More Toxic Tub” report, found levels of formaldehyde (200 and 210 ppm) that may be enough to trigger skin reactions in sensitive people, like babies.  (Let’s not forget they are also known carcinogens) The formaldehyde in Johnson’s Baby Shampoo is likely a byproduct from the preservative Quaternium-15, which is used in many bath products.  All the products tested in their report that contain Quaternium-15 had at least 200 ppm of formaldehyde.

Fun huh? Advocates argue that the levels in question aren’t harmful.  Personally, I don’t care if they aren’t harmful to a flea… I still don’t want that garbage on my children.  If there is trace amounts of feces in my drinking water do I still want to drink it? Not really.

Let’s not even get started on the fact that a vast majority of these products, whether they are labeled or tested or contaminated with formaldehyde or not, contain phthalates – hormone disrupting chemicals that are more dangerous to developing children.

Imagine then, learning that information and then finding out that Johnson & Johnson is running a big contest/campaign called The Big Bubblin’ Stars Campaign that preys on parents who haven’t learned this information, using the state of the economy and a $10,000 prize to push their chemically laden products.  Complete with celebrity sponsors and participation from bloggers like the Walmart Elevenmoms.  If they knew this would they still back up J&J’s contest?

This type of campaign reminds me that there are still so many parents out there who aren’t armed with the information necessary to chose the right products.   Not only do parents need to be informed of what is in the products they are putting on their babies and kids, but the industry definitely needs to adhere to some stricter laws, more rigorous testing, and thorough product labeling that discloses ALL the ingredients.  Period.  Right now, there is no rules governing any kind of requirement that a chemical be proven safe for babies and kids before it enters the market.  That needs to change.

We as consumers need to demand and refuse to tolerate it.  We need to support the companies that DO care about our babies and kids and what goes on them.  Rather than companies that whip up a chemical cocktail, mark it as “safe and gentle” and hope consumers don’t ever look up what “Cocamidopropyl betaine” actually is and what it does.  Read up on The Smart Mama‘s analysis of the ingredients in everyone’s favorite Johnson & Johnson’s Head-to-Toe baby wash.  After reading that you won’t even want to wash your car with it.

But What Can I Do?? TAKE ACTION!

kscabadge

These companies need to be held responsible for their actions.  The Kids Safe Chemical Act is where we need to focus our energy and get behind it 100%.  This Act will overhaul our nation’s chemical regulatory law requiring industrial chemicals to be safe for babies and kids, make safety testing a requirement prior to hitting the market and will require testing of the already 62,000 chemicals in our products be re-evaluated for safety.  Just to name a few.  We’re talking to YOU PHTHALATES!

Sign the Declaration and join us in demanding safer products for our families.  Otherwise, we might have to start suiting up for bathtime… hehe!

Who else is outraged?  Not just us…

Mar

13

Formaldehyde and 1,4 Dioxane in Baby Care Products

Filed Under Articles, Product Safety, Skin Care, Take Action | Comments Off

johnsons_shampooThe Green-Internet is already buzzing about a new report that came out regarding toxic chemicals in childrens and baby skin care products.  The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics published a press release yesterday outlining their findings from independent studies and some tips on what to do.

The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics tested dozens mainstream baby care products ranging from Johnson & Johnson, Baby Magic, Suave and Mustela and found formaldehyde and 1,4 dioxane in many of them.

The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics commissioned an independent laboratory to test 48 products for 1,4-dioxane; 28 of those products were also tested for formaldehyde. The lab found that:

  • 17 out of 28 products tested – 61 percent – contained both formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane.
  • 23 out of 28 products – 82 percent – contained formaldehyde at levels ranging from 54 to 610 parts per million (ppm).
  • 32 out of 48 products – 67 percent – contained 1,4-dioxane at levels ranging from 0.27 to 35 ppm.

We get tons of email from readers asking what to do about skin rashes and eczema and if you aren’t already using a natural bath product line it’s time to start.  For starters, formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane are known carcinogens.  Why would we want that on our kids or us?  In addition, formaldehyde can also trigger skin rashes in some children.  These substances are not on labels obviously, but that’s because they are contaminants of the processes companies use to create and package them.  So you won’t know by reading the labels.

This is why we are constantly beating our brains to avoid ingredients like PEG’s and sodium laureth sulfate (SLS).  From The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics:

Formaldehyde contaminates personal care products when common preservatives release formaldehyde over time in the container. Common ingredients likely to contaminate products with formaldehyde include quaternium-15, DMDM hydantoin, imidazolidinyl urea and diazolidinyl urea.

1,4-dioxane is a byproduct of a chemical processing technique called ethoxylation, in which cosmetic ingredients are processed with ethylene oxide. Manufacturers can easily remove the toxic byproduct, but are not required by law to do so. Common ingredients likely to be contaminated with 1,4-dioxane include PEG-100 stearate, sodium laureth sulfate, polyethylene and ceteareth-20.

What to do?

  • Less is More.  Use less products.. .babies and kids don’t need that many products to be clean.  Especially babies… their skin is already perfect, skip the lotion.
  • Pick Safer Products: We’ve compiled lists of product lines that use natural and less synthetic ingredients and we are constantly reviewing safe baby care lines on our site.  Formaldehyde and 1,4 dioxane are often by-products of synthetic chemical processing so the more natural the better. Check out our Safer Skin Care Cheat Sheets.
  • Avoid synthetic fragrances, dyes, or products with a huge list of ingredients that you don’t recognize.

Mainstream baby products might label themselves as “pure, gentle… just like water” or whatever else they claim but in reality, they’re not.  They’re cheap, yes, but it is worth it?

Take Action

Tell Congress what you want… safer products for you, your babies, your kids and everyone else.  Enough is enough!  Your voice is louder than you think.  Write to Congress today.

Links:

Mar

2

You Asked For It: Our Thoughts on Method Baby Products

Filed Under Eco-Mama, Green Mama, Product Safety, Skin Care | Comments Off

methodbabyWe’ve been getting a lot of emails regarding Method Baby products, since they were released last year.   At least 3-4 a week.  At first, we wanted to do a little more research on them, and then, as we discovered more about them, kept putting it off.    But we can’t really hide behind the curtain anymore about Method.

After looking through the ingredients, I, personally would choose a different brand.    I haven’t heard anything back regarding whether or not they use phthalates after repeated attempts to get a confirmation.  I could just be asking the wrong person, but the scents, when I’ve smelled the products, to me, aren’t associated with anything natural.  Green apple is an artificial scent.   They also use benzyl alcohol, which gets a 6 in the Skin Deep Cosmetics Database.    And while there are a few natural ingredients in there, there are some ingredients that are rated as zero, but it’s because there’s no research to the ingredient itself to show otherwise.   Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride.  Does that sound like something that you find in a grassy field of poppies?

Is it a better, “safer” choice?  We don’t have a concrete answer, given the lack of data to the ingredients listed.   I realize that this is something that might be disappointing to a lot of you.   Method is easily available and generally inexpensive.   However, the more we learn about Method’s products, the more we starting to see that they’re not exactly as clean as they make themselves appear.

I’m a firm believer in getting what you pay for.   If a company promoting natural “green” products is going to go the route of putting cheap chemicals in their products,  then in my opinion it’s not worth it.   There are tons of great brands out there that truly want to make a product that’s safe and effective.   I also realize, that in these tough economic times, we’re all on a tight budget.   You can find alternatives (or inexpensively make your own) out there that won’t break the bank.  This is also another instance of why we tell our readers to learn to read labels.   Learning to decipher them takes time, that’s true.  But if at first glance, you can’t pronounce half of the ingredients on the label, ask yourself if it’s worth it.

Update: From an environmental chemist at the Method Home company:

“Regarding your point about phthalates – we specifically require that no phthalates are used in all method products – both in packaging and in formulation. This is even more important in the baby products given the developmental risks of phthalates. In fact the first line of our fragrance design guide is that they must be free of phthalates. For fragrances we rely on blends, such as the one used for the green apple scent, to be designed to be safe for babies. The question is less whether the ingredients come from nature or not, but whether they cause allergies or other adverse reactions in use. By carefully selecting approved ingredients, we can be sure that the fragrances and formulations will be safe for people and the environment.”
SafeMama Response: “We are happy to hear that Method doesn’t use phthalates in their baby products!”
“Benzyl alcohol is a component of a very gentle preservative system, that works well and can be used at below 1% of the formula. The cosmetics database, although a good general resource, does not contain any information about specific uses of the ingredients they review, nor the level at which they are used. To make sure we best understand any ingredient we use, we work some of the best material scientists in the world – Dr Michael Braungart and Bill McDonough and their teams at EPEA and MBDC. The assessments we get from them inform our health and environmental understanding of every ingredient and are more detailed resource than the cosmetics database. We’d be happy to share the assessments for the baby ingredients with you if you’re interested – they do get very technical, from skin irritation potential to processing concerns to biodegradation and allow us to be very confident of ingredient safety.”

SafeMama Response: “This is what we know about the ingredient: [From Chemical of the Day] Benzyl Alcohol can act as a skin sensitizer, and, according to a 1998 study can ‘can instigate immune system response that can include itching, burning, scaling, hives, and blistering of skin.’  It is also a known neurotoxin. It rates a 7 now in the Skin Deep database. ”

‘As for the Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride – you are right, this is a detailed name. The ingredient indeed does not come from poppy fields – it comes from natural guar beans. This ingredient is made by converting the starch from the guar beans to make it effective as a thickener and as a conditioner, even when used in low percentages. This is a safe, non-toxic ingredient that is naturally derived and effective.”

SafeMama Response: “What we are curious about is how these guar bean is “converted”… I can only assume it is converted by the use of a chemical interaction, correct? We have all been told “It comes from a plant, don’t worry about it”  when in reality, it started as a plant and then was pulverized beyond recognition through the use of chemicals and could now be contaminated by that processing.  Nitrosamines, formaldehyde and 1,4 Dioxane come to mind…”

We are waiting to hear back on these points…

May

20

SafeMama Review: Stuff 4 Sprouts

Filed Under Product Reviews | Comments Off

Last year, while looking for yet more lotion for my son (I don’t have a problem and I can quit at anytime, I swear), I came across Stuff 4 Sprouts. It looked cute, with fun scents, and natural. Kristen was nice enough to recently send me some samples of their cream and lip balm. She sent me the Blueberry cream, which currently has phthalates in it, but will be phthalate free by next month. She does disclose this though on her website, as well. I liked the cream. It’s a little greasy at first, but it absorbs nicely and lasts through a few washings. Since it’s a cream for kids, the smell is fun. I mean, what kid wants to smell like an old lady’s attic? They also have the cream in fresh cut grass. Fresh. Cut. Grass! That is one of my all time favorite smells ever. All in all, I liked the way it made my hands feel.

The lip stuff (for extra crispy kissers) was awesome. It comes in a wider tube for smaller hands and even though it’s for kids, I’m all over anything that smells like chocolate. The lip balm is awesome and comes in three kid friendly flavors: chocolate, frosting, and peanut butter and jelly (no peanuts are used in the actual product, so no worries of allergies).

All of Stuff 4 Sprout’s products are paraben and phthalate free, with the exception of the blueberry muffin cream, which as I mentioned is changing to phthalate free as well soon. And a bonus for me is that Kristen lives in my area. I love supporting local businesses.

Safe Mama readers can order online at Stuff4Sprouts.com and receive 15% off your order when you use the code: SAFEMM15. Code is good through the end of June.

Apr

4

Product Review: Little Twig

Filed Under Product Reviews, Skin Care, paraben free | 3 Comments

Ok, well, let’s move onto something a little less depressing, shall we? I’ve been meaning to post about Little Twig. I bought some of their body wash for my son, to try out. I’ve had my eye on Little Twig’s products for awhile now, and quite frankly, while I still like California Baby’s products, I’m getting kind of sick of lavender, and I find that he smells like a wet dog after using it. So I sought out for something a little more fresh and picked up some of the Baby Wash in Tangerine Rosemary. Also, the good folks at Little Twig were kind enough to send me some of the lavender, lemon and tea tree body milk.

The baby wash is heavenly. While it actually has some lavender in it, I can’t really tell, and it smells fresh and makes my son smell more like a clean fresh little boy, instead of your grandma. I love the crispness of it, and it foams nicely. I only wish it came in bigger sizes, with a pump, because the little bottles go quickly.

The body milk I was kind of leary about, given that the main ingredient is lavender, but I was really pleasantly surprised. It’s not overpowering in the slightest, and I love the way this stuff goes on. It’s not thick, or greasy, and it goes on nice and smooth, and absorbs quickly. I also love that I can put it on my hands once and my dry hands don’t chew it up and spit it out and then ask for more. I put it on once and it seems to last through at least a couple of washings. I used it on my son before bed one night, and his dry patches were gone and his skin was still soft the next day. As a result of him being in a plagio helmet, we were needing to give him a bath nightly to keep his head clean and while I would only soap his body every other night, to avoid his skin getting too dry, it was kind of inevitable. Little Twig’s body milk gets a nice soft thumbs up from me. I’m keeping the lotion for myself. He can keep the baby wash… maybe.

All of Little Twig’s products are made with organic ingredients, contain no phthalates, sulfates, parabens, PEG’s, dioxanes or propylene glycol. Phew, that’s a long list.

Another bonus that I love about this company is that they have a great recycling program. Simply send your empty Little Twig bottles back to them, and they’ll give you 30% off your next order. I think this is absolutely fantastic. What girl doesn’t love a discount, and saving the environment at the same time? It’s like being Wonder Woman, without the uncomfortable leotard.

You can find Little Twig’s products at limited Whole Food’s stores, as well as direct from them. And if you’re like me, and need instant gratification, use their store locator.

Feb

5

Chemicals In Baby Products May Be Harmful

Filed Under Articles, Phthalates Info, Skin Care | Comments Off

Many of us have been yammering about synthetic fragrances for years… it’s now finally getting some attention in the media.  Reported on today by ABC News as well as CBS News.  Here is the article from CBS:

CHICAGO (AP) Baby shampoos, lotions and powders may expose infants to chemicals that have been linked with possible reproductive problems, a small study suggests.

The chemicals, called phthalates, are found in many ordinary products including cosmetics, toys, vinyl flooring and medical supplies. They are used to stabilize fragrances and make plastics flexible.

In the study, they were found in elevated levels in the urine of babies who’d been recently shampooed, powdered or lotioned with baby products.

Phthalates (pronounced thowl-ates) are under attack by some environmental advocacy groups, but experts are uncertain what dangers, if any, they might pose. The federal government doesn’t limit their use, although California and some countries have restricted their use.

Animal studies have suggested that phthalates can cause reproductive birth defects and some activists believe they may cause reproductive problems in boys and early puberty in girls.

Read more

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