Rub-a-dub-dub, what's in the tub?

Okay, today I decided to tackle what we bathe our children in. We think it's just a bath and that we're getting them clean and making them healthy, washing away those germs. But it turns out it's far from that. First, I want you to know, that I am getting most of my information off of the www.ewg.org website. That stands for environmental working group. They are a non-profit organization that tests all the products we use and put on our body. Great website. First time I found it I was obsessed for a week and wanted to never get a pedicure again, stop wearing deodorant, stop brushing my teeth. I was horrified by what poisons we were putting on and in our body. But, I finally calmed down and then realized there were options. So, that's what I'll be sharing here.

So, let's start with the common baby products, like Baby Magic Gentle Milk Bath. You know that cute one in the pink bottle? Yeah, well. On a scale rating of "0" being non-toxic, and "10" being the worst, causing cancers, reproductive problems, etc. Baby Magic is a 7. Yep, a 7. Doesn't seem so gentle now does it? One of the biggest culprits in the product is the fragrance. In fact, we should stay away from any non-natural fragrances in all products we use. They don't have any benefit, and they cause a lot of health problems. Yet most companies throw them in for an added bit of cancer I guess. Who knows. Essential oil scents added to products are fine, non-natural, are not. There's a whole other slew of no-no's in this brand, one of them being a paraben. Methylparaben. Some people say, well, if there's only a little, it's not bad for you. Others say stay steer clear. Me, I say if it's my child, why even take a chance. There's a reason children are getting cancers that they never did before, so why not buy a safer alternative?

So what about a baby shampoo. How about Johnson and Johnson's soothing Naturals gift set. That sounds pleasant. It's a 7. Yep, that one too. Not so soothing, huh? It's got the fragrance, also the parabens, but it also has hydrogenated cottonseed oil. Sounds harmless, almost cute even. Turns out that means it has lead, mercury, arsenic. What?! In my baby's shampoo?! What's going on? And who thought that would be a good idea to bathe a baby in that? I'm not a doctor or anything, but I surely know that sounds like a really bad idea.

So what about a baby lotion. Those have got to be good right? I've already picked on two of the big companies, so let's try Huggies this time. Like Huggies Baby Lotion with Shea Butter. Sounds heavenly! A 7. Yep another one. It's also got the fragrance, the parabens, but it also has BHT, which can cause neurotoxicity, for one thing. It sounds bad, but I thought I'd look it up just to be certain. Here's what one medical website said: "Neurotoxicity is the damage to the brain and/or the peripheral nervous system from toxic chemicals". What?! From a baby lotion? Really? And these companies can sell this stuff to moms who are trying to protect their children? Really. This is legal? How can that be? How come no one tells us about this stuff or puts a stop to it. It's just mind-boggling.

Now, I could go on and one about all the rest of the horrible ingredients in every product, but that would take months. So, there's just a sample for you. It's at least enough to make you think and reconsider. I hope. But let's not end there. Let me give you at least a few options too that are better. You can find more on the ewg.org website. But that can take months and weeks to pour over. So I thought I'd save you the trouble by giving you some options. There are many options that are "0"s but you tend to have to get those online at random websites, and then pay for shipping. So I'll suggest ones I think can be found easily at stores.

So for baby shampoo, there's California Baby Shampoo and Bodywash Tea Tree and Lavendar or Celendula. They're both a 1 and it obviously doubles as shampoo and body wash. You can get those at any Whole Foods, or a health food store. Sometimes even beauty stores sell them. So that's an easy fix. Sure, it might cost a bit more than Johnson's & Johnson's, but it's worth it when you find out what's in the other products, right?

Now, for lotion. I noticed that Vaseline has one called, Vaseline Pure Petroleum Jelly for Baby, Creamy Formula with Vitamin E. It's a "0". Not sure if it's too greasy or not, but I'm guessing it's cheap enough to try it out. I also noticed Badger has a Night Night Balm, certified organic, that's also a "0". I think I can usually get that at health food stores too. Sometimes Badger is greasy too though. If those don't work, there's always California Baby again. They have an Everyday Lotion Super Sensitive that's a "1". So that's good. Sometimes not all of their products are sold at the stores. But if you decide to buy all California Baby products, then at least you can shop at their website instead of several to find your baby's or child's soaps.

I no longer use California Baby on my son. I did when he was little, but then noticed that their products at the time weren't the lowest ratings. I'm glad to see they did whatever had to be done to give them lower ratings now. Since then, I've switched to buy my son's soap at www.youngliving.com It's a website that sells essential oils. It's 100% pure and natural. But you have to sign up to get the products. That's a whole other blogging day.

So, there you have it. Hopefully I haven't frightened anyone too much by learning what we're doing to our children. But it's never too late to change. And your child will thank you for it.