Most conventional baby products contain numerous chemicals and toxic ingredients that can harm your baby’s health. In fact, some ingredients can be particularly dangerous.

As a general rule, read product labels carefully before buying skin care products including everyday items such as shampoos and lotions . Here are some ingredients you should be wary of:

Artificial fragrance

Artificial fragrance is added to countless skincare and beauty products. Baby products are no exception. Artificial fragrance helps mask the smell of ingredients in products butare themselves produced from chemicals that can cause skin irritation, rashes and other skin problems. If your child has eczema, artificial fragrance can aggravate his or her condition.

Artificial fragrance may have long lasting impact on baby skin. Aside from inflammation, it can also lead to respiratory, neurological and eye damage.

Talc

Talc is powdered mineral. It’s found in baby powder. This is dangerous for your baby because it can cause lung issues. It’s therefore better to switch to a talc-free powder for your baby.

Propylene glycol

Propylene glycol is a chemical found in many baby products. As a carcinogen, propylene glycol can be absorbed easily by the skin. Propylene glycol is also present in some baby wipes.

Check for the labels of polyethylene glycol (PEG) and polypropylene glycol (PPG) on products.

Phthalates

Phthalates areused in moisturizers, lotions, deodorants and shampoos and carry the potential toenhance the risk of developing breast cancer. In addition to, phthalates arelinked to reproductive birth issues.

Often, phthalates arenot listedin baby product labels. This is because they are added to fragrances.

Sodium lauryl sulfate

Sulfates aresynthetic compounds used in baby products because of their ability to produce foam. But, sodium lauryl sulfate can cause skin rash, lung and eye irritation. They can beespecially harmful to sensitive skin. Sulfates can also interact with other chemicals to develop nitrosamines that can lead to kidney issues.

Formaldehyde

Formaldehyde can cause allergic reactions, skin irritation and weaken the immune system. According to research, formaldehyde exposure has been known to cause cancer in rats. It has been classified as a ‘human carcinogen’ by The International Agency for Research on Cancer.

Triclosan

Triclosan is a synthetic chemical used in skin care products to prevent the growth of bacteria.However, excessive exposure to triclosan can have an adverse effect on a child’s health. It can cause skin allergies, eczema and allergies. Moreover, some studies raise concerns that triclosancan make bacteria antibiotic-resistant.

Parabens

Nearly all baby shampoos, soaps and moisturizers contain parabens. Parabens are neurotoxins. They can cause skin irritation and hormone disruption.

When it comes to baby skin care products, your safest option is to stick with natural, organic products. They are made of earth-friendly ingredients and avoid harmful chemicals.