Your baby’s skin is ultra-sensitive, and it dries out very easily. There’s no doubt that you want the best for your baby, so your best bet is to shop all-natural so that you know exactly what it is you are putting on your baby’s delicate protective outer layer. Organic is the way to go. But, where do you go to get it? And how do you know that what you’re buying is the real thing? Here is a guide for finding safe organic skin care products for babies.
USDA Organic Certification. Don’t buy anything that is not explicitly USDA Certified. In order to acquire USDA organic certification, a product’s ingredients must comply with the very strict standards and definition of organic, as specified by the United States Department of Agriculture. Organic means that there are no artificial additives, no chemicals, no preservatives, and nothing that should irritate your little one’s skin.
Ingredients. Always read the ingredients list in its entirety. Skincare manufacturers sometimes like to stick some surprises in at the end, where the fine print is. You should be able to recognize all of the ingredients, and they should be household names to you – like cocoa butter, shea butter, and olive oil. Steer clear of any product that includes cetyl alcohol, stearic acid, decyl polyglucose, or ammonium lauryl sulfate.
Shop local. Oftentimes, when you shop from small, mom and pop organic growers in your area, you can get the inside scoop about how their products are made, as well as develop a bond of trust with the people who grow the stuff you will eventually be using on your baby. You may even be able to tour the grower’s organic garden, and there’s no better testament to a product’s origins than that!
Talk to your pediatrician. If your baby develops eczema or any of the variety of other common baby skin problems, then your pediatrician may be able to lead you in the right direction as far as organic skin care products that are also formulated for problem skin.
As you can see, there is a lot to consider when shopping for organic skin care products for your baby. It’s certainly not as simple as walking into a store and picking up the first “organic” item you see, as most of those so-called organic products are nothing more than hype and fancy packaging. Do your best to protect your little one’s skin by considering all of these tips the next time you go shopping for baby’s organic products.
About the Author: Shea Piatak loves all things green and organic. When she’s not looking for ways to help her family live a healthier lifestyle, she’s also looking for ways to reduce per production of waste by using email fax services and other online sites to reduce paper waste.