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 You never truly understand the value of a no-tears shampoo until you are bent over a baby bath tub attempting to bathe a wriggling toddler! Johnson and Johnson has ruled the market for decades and I firmly believe that the only fragrance that can rival a baby’s sweet breath is the wholesome comforting fragrance of J & J products! My blind faith in J & J was shattered when I read about the spate of product recalls… for containing carcinogens! Every mother’s worst fear is that she has made the wrong choice and caused irreparable damage to her child. Before you demonize and snub J & J, you need to understand that they are not the only ones. I do not say this to absolve them of blame but rather to help you figure out the best choices for your child. These are 3 of the most common hazardous chemicals in baby shampoo.

1.    Phthalates:
Do not expect to see the word “Phthalates” on the shampoo label, instead look for Dibutyl phthalate (DBP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), and diethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) – these are 3 of the most common phthalates in shampoos. Most plastic bottles contain phthalates, so use unbreakable glass bottles instead and if you must use a plastic container make sure that it does not have the recycling code 3 on it, as these containers are more likely to contain phthalates. If you are lucky, you may even spot a ‘phthalate-free’ label on a baby shampoo. Many fragrances also contain “hidden” phthalates, so opt for fragrance free… remember a lot of chemicals went into giving that shampoo its rich natural smell!

2.    1,4-dioxane
This compound is a known carcinogen in animals and it is classified as “possibly carcinogenic to humans”. This chemical may be an added ingredient or it may be a byproduct of the manufacturing process. This makes it particularly difficult to spot this sneaky little compound. You will need to avoid baby shampoos that contain the ingredients that breakdown and form 1,4-dioxane as a byproduct. The most common indicator is ‘PEG’, this is written as PEG followed by a number (example: PEG- 80, PEG-100). You should also avoid products that have ‘ETH’ at the end of their listing (example: sodium laureth sulfate, ceteareth-20).
 
3.     Quaternium-15
Quaternium-15 is used as a preservative in many cosmetic products, including baby shampoos. Quaternium-15 is an allergen and can irritate a baby’s sensitive skin but the true danger of this chemical is that it releases formaldehyde. The US government has classified formaldehyde as a “known carcinogen“and so you need to make sure that your baby’s shampoo does not contain this compound. You can also look out for other formaldehyde releasing agents such as DMDM hydantoin and imidazolidinyl urea.

Only a chemist or pharmacist can actually understand the label on a shampoo bottle…and that is just what the manufacturers are counting on. They know that you do not have the time to spend standing at the supermarket scrutinizing a label while your toddler attacks a box of cereal like a starving raccoon! One of the simplest ways to choose the perfect baby shampoo is to do a little research- I would recommend Skin Deep® Cosmetics Database as this site is dedicated to helping you understand labeling jargon and picking out the safest products.

Warning: The reader of this article should exercise all precautionary measures while following instructions on the home remedies from this article. Avoid using any of these products if you are allergic to it. The responsibility lies with the reader and not with the site or the writer.

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