One of the common mistakes we make as women is to ignore the changing needs of our skin and body. If you are a first time mom, you would be surprised to know how much our bodies and skin tend to change during pregnancy and after delivery. How you cared for your skin and hair should be reconsidered after delivery, in order to give your body the extra nourishment it needs. It isn’t uncommon to receive a lot of bathing products as a gift for new parents, or as gifts for a new born baby, but is using all of them safe?
Addressing the issue, we will be talking about safe products for little ones as well as mothers :
1. Safe Products -
Whenever you are buying a product for yourself or your babies always check a mark of ‘free from harmful chemicals’, like SLS/SLeS, Parabens, fragrances and other such ingredients. They are known to cause cancer, liver damage rashes and even lead to depression. Here is a list of ingredients you should keep handy and avoid buying products that have them:
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- Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
- Sodium Laureth Sulfate
- Formaldehyde releasing preservatives like DMDM hydantoin, imidazolidinyl urea, diazolidinyl urea and polyoxymethylene urea
- Octinoxate
- Oxybenzone
- Fragrance
- Ethanolamines
- Parabens
2. Made Safe -
Made Safe is a certification that specifies that the ingredients of the product are absolutely safe to use. Looking for a ‘Made Safe’ mark on your products is a good idea.
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3. Organic and Natural -
Not everything that glitters is Gold!
Not everything that is natural is supposed to be organic. Organic means that the product is made of ingredients that have been grown in a natural way, without chemicals or fertilizers. Natural means the products have been made from natural items, irrespective of how they were cultivated. While all organic products are natural, not all natural products are organic. The industry is making good use of the confusion between these two terms and selling one as the other. As a mother, we should buy products that are organic and not just natural, nipping the wrath of chemicals in the bud itself.
4. Use Products that are Hypoallergenic
Hypoallergenic ideally means that the product has been tested and is very less likely to evoke an allergic reaction in the user. That is definitely a great label for bathing products.
5. pH balanced products
The skin has a certain pH of 4 - 4.5. Buying products with similar pH help maintain a healthy and irritation free skin.
6. Preservative Free
If you feel that a certain packaging of the product you are using will last a long time, you must buy a pack which is smaller and tends to be consumed sooner. Choose preservative-free products so that the product does not sit on your shelf for too long. Replenish your stock with fresher supply of the product and choose products that are preservative free.
Of all the pregnancy essentials, it is key to use the line of products wisely. Read all the labels carefully as some brands tend to hide such information in fine letters, trying their best to avoid a keen eye. Choose your baby’s as well as your bathing products carefully and avoid any harsh and harmful chemical entering your system.
Written By
Prisha Lalwani
