Do you remember when shopping for kids was easy? Back when the main criteria for making a purchase were price and cuteness factor? Oh, those were the days ... before everything was so loaded down with toxic chemicals that buying a bottle of stuff to untangle your 6-year-old's mane requires a dictionary to decipher the ingredient list.
Most of the time that means buying something that "looks" like it should be OK. But how do you know if that new sport bottle really is safe? If that new bottle of "kids" shampoo is going to give them cancer? How about a list of the biggest, baddest toxic nasties that you need to avoid at all costs when you're shopping for your kids?
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The Stir asked the experts at the non-profit watchdog the Environmental Working Group to help us come up with a list of the top five ingredients in any child product that parents need to avoid. They did that and threw in two more biggies to keep away from the kids.
No more trying to figure out what every single word on the back of the bottle means: if any of these terms show up, you'd be better off putting it right back on the shelf.
What are the words you look for on the ingredients list of any kid product?
Image by Jeanne Sager
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Comments 37
Check out the health food store for soaps, shampoos, toothpaste, etc. Many are sulfate free as well as free of many if not all of these chemicals. Another consideration is no-poo's (plenty of recipes out there). Check out some green cleaning solutions.
If you go to the EWG web site you can find lists of good products to use. It is a great web site! I have been avoiding these chemicals and more because I have chemical allergies. I am allergic to formaldehyde and DMDM hydrotonin along with a list of other chemicals release formaldehyde. One I think they should have added is propylene glycol. It is the first ingredient in many diaper wipes and hand santizers. It is antifreeze, causes cancer, causes eczema, and allergies. I am allergic to it. There are tests for some chemical allergies. There are hand sanitizers without propylene glycol that are made for kids and I found a brand that I can use. On baby's skin I try to use clear water as much as possible. Other things I use are castile (vegtable) soap and coconut oil.
I am with the previous posters. The slide shows are a real pain and there is a complete lack of support in this article. References and alternative names would have been nice.
We use products from melaleuca and have for the last 5 years to avoid the things that are listed. My son's "eczema" cleared up OVER NIGHT once we switched.. Interesting...prehaps we have less eczema and more crap in the stuff we put on our kids.
Am I the only one who feels overwhelmed shopping? I have had moments where I practically melt down even in just the super-market trying to figure out what is OK to eat! Just when I think I have it right, it turns out something I was eating that was supposed to be good for me, no longer is. <Sigh>