Organic Hair Products for Baby and Kids

4 years ago, my first baby was born, and as a new mom, I went to buy her baby hair care and body care products. Naturally, I wanted only the best, so I choose a baby shampoo manufactured by an established company that is well know for its baby products.

I was under the false impression that by purchasing a baby shampoo from a well known company that specializes in baby products, it surely means that all ingredients in the shampoo are safe and good to use for my baby.

I was wrong.

One day I read an article in the newspaper talking about the harmful ingredients a baby and kids hair products contain. These ingredients are harsh chemicals that are dangerous for humans, especially for babies and kids.

So I took the shampoo I had at home and carefully read the ingredients. Since I didn’t understand what they stand for, I did a little research to find out their meaning.

Unfortunately, almost all ingredients are dangerous for humans, and what's more depressing was the fact that all hair care products, that I checked, had almost the same harmful ingredients.

It was hard for me to believe that companies specializing in baby products are using those kinds of materials, since babies and small kids are very vulnerable.

I even wrote to one of those big companies to ask about the harmful ingredients they use, but they didn’t bother to answer.

Here is a list of some of the ingredients hair care products contain that you might want to avoid:

• Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) and Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES) - SLS is perhaps the most harmful ingredient in personal-care products. Industrial uses of SLS include: garage floor cleaners, engine degreasers and car wash soaps. These chemicals absorb through the skin and settle in the body, especially in the liver, kidneys brain and eyes.

  It could keep children's eyes from developing properly. Children under six are especially vulnerable to improper eye development, can cause roughness and flaking of the skin, it is linked to cancer and it's believed to be one of the causes of cataracts.

• DMDH Hydantion - Preservative that provokes allergic responses and can be irritating and toxic to human skin.
• Fragrance - It's the top 5 allergens in the world, known to trigger asthma, and can contain ingredients suspected neurotoxicity and hormone disruptors.
• Mineral Oil - It is a byproduct that is made from petroleum, used in industry as metal cutting fluid. It May suffocate the skin by forming an oil film. Healthy skin needs to take in oxygen and release carbon dioxide. This process should not be inhibited. Holding large amounts of moisture in the skin can "flood" the biology, and may result in immature, unhealthy, sensitive skin that dries out easily.
• Propylene Glycol (and PEG) - Used as industrial antifreeze and as hydraulic and brake fluid; When in contact with the skin can cause liver abnormalities and kidney damage. The Environmental Protection Agency lists it as a toxic substance and when disposed of it is considered hazardous waste and must be treated as such.
• D&C and FD&C Colors - Most D&C and FD&C colors are derived from coal tar which is a carcinogen. Most coal tar colors are potential carcinogens may contain carcinogenic contaminants and cause allergic reactions.

Before you shop for baby or kids hair care products, here are some things you might want to consider:

• Be sure to carefully read the labels - Don't just look at the packaging it may be misleading, even when you shop for organic hair care products you should verify that all ingredients are indeed natural and organic and no chemicals.
• Avoid products with hidden ingredients - This means there are one or more ingredients that are not listed on the labels and there is no way of knowing if these ingredients are safe or not.
• Stay away from products containing harsh chemicals - The list above, that are harmful for your baby and kids. You can check the Environmental Working Group list for safe products to use.

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