Our team puts forth a lot of effort to make this blog both “fun and informative…” but I’ll be the first to admit it: this post isn’t so fun.
But it is informative, and it is important!
Who didn’t grow up with the classic Johnson & Johnson baby care routine? The commercials showing their “gentle” baby products make them appeal to every mom as a necessity to keep baby clean and happy. You probably walked (or will walk) away from your baby shower with baskets full of that stuff.
Let me tell you a dirty little secret about the cosmetic industry: the FDA doesn’t regulate what goes into those products. Each cosmetic company sets its own standards of safety, and they aren’t even required to list all of their ingredients! So we’re ending up potentially with things like mercury in mascara (it’s a preservative!) and lead in lipstick—yes, in the 21st century— yes, in America. Even labels like “hypoallergenic” and “dermatologist tested” have no regulations, so companies can claim whatever they want.
Let’s get back to Johnson & Johnson.
“As gentle to eyes as pure water,” right?
You may have heard, but Johnson & Johnson got into trouble with the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics when they were targeted for containing quaternium-15, a preservative that releases formaldehyde and 1,4 dioxane, a very dangerous chemical found in up to 46% of care products tested in one study. Both are clearly known to cause cancer.
Updates in January of 2014 stated that the company FINALLY got rid of quaternium-15 from their products in the US (they’d already been selling them without it in the UK and other countries) and committed to cut back on the 1,4 dioxane.
BUT…. What did they replace it with? Is it any safer now?
Okay, so the quaternium-15 isn’t there anymore.
Here's a simple breakdown of some of what they replaced it with in the new formula.
Phenoxyethanol: This nasty one is considered “safe” by the US and is used even in cosmetic lines claiming to be 100% natural, yet studies indicate that this chemical affects brain and central nervous system, is an endocrine disruptor, and can potentially cause DNA mutations.
Ethylhexylglyceryn (say that 10 times fast): Although it’s derived from vegetable glycerin, it is not a natural preservative. It can cause irritation to the eyes and skin and has been known to cause dermatitis. So much for being gentle on the eyes, but it definitely could be worse, right? Let’s keep going.
Sodium Benzoate: This one is lurking in your food, soft drinks, and self-care products! Natural Health states: “Sodium benzoate is a known carcinogenic [cancer-causing] additive which, when eaten or applied to the skin, gets transported to the liver, where it is supposed to be filtered, and expelled in urine, but the damage gets done before that process is completed. Sodium benzoate chokes out your body's nutrients at the DNA cellular level by depriving mitochondria cells of oxygen, sometimes completely shutting them down. Just as humans need oxygen to breathe, cells need oxygen to function properly and to fight off infection, including cancer” [emphasis added].
If that's not enough, the World Health Organization came out with a publication that appears to downplay the risk by using the word "only:" “With sodium benzoate, several studies on different species have been performed, and embryotoxic and fetotoxic effects as well as malformations were seen only at doses that induced severe maternal toxicity” (translation: at high doses this chemical causes toxicity and malformations in your unborn baby!)
That's not even touching the other chemicals, fragrances, and dyes that are still in the products.
Yeah, but…
You may argue, as do the cosmetic companies and often the government, that it is such a small dosage of toxicity that it’s negligible. I used to think that myself.
But let me ask you: what is that small dosage of toxic chemicals doing to your body (especially your baby’s tiny and much more susceptible body) as you apply it day by day, week by week, year by year? Add that to the hundreds of other chemicals in that and other self-care products + genetically modified foods + prescription drugs you likely consume throughout each day. Think of what it is potentially doing to your baby whose brain development and reproductive system are not yet fully developed! And people wonder why we’re experiencing so many more health problems at younger and younger ages across the nation.
Here’s what Natural News has to say about that: “Cancer [and I would like to add--most diseases] [are] all about the cumulative effect. When the human body is exposed repeatedly to any level of this carcinogen, which rears its ugly head in thousands of products, the immune system, over time, is depleted to the point that one acquires an immune deficiency. Then the body does not have enough essential nutrients to detoxify, and this occurs at the cellular level.”
So you decide: is it worth it to an “improved formula” line that still contains harmful substances? It’s not limited to Johnson & Johnson by the way, it’s just about every self-care product out there (including adult lines).
Pregnant moms need to be especially cautious as well! Read this article for more information on how your exposure to toxic chemicals prenatally as well as during pregnancy has the potential to drastically affect your reproductive system and ability to have a healthy birth.
So Now What?
Of course, it’s near impossible to completely eliminate all toxins from our environment (unless you plan on moving to the middle of the Sahara Dessert and living off of some oasis with pure well water…if that even exists!), but there certainly are steps you can take to purifying your home for a healthier baby and healthier you.
There are a million things you “could” do, down to getting 100% organic cotton clothes, mattresses and organic cloth diapers that don’t release dangerous chemicals, but I want to focus on what I feel, based on my personal research and understanding, can make the biggest difference for your little one long term so that you don’t feel overwhelmed.
Take a look over this list…my challenge to you is to find just one of these action steps you can take on this today! It doesn’t have to be complicated or one more thing to stress you out.
Making simple changes can have powerful results—and who knows what you are doing to save the long-term health of your family.
1. Breastfeed your little one for as long as possible.
This is my number one—breast milk contains an incredible reservoir of antibodies and unreproducible nutrients tailor-made to your little one’s needs. I remember getting a bad case of the flu once while breastfeeding my first years ago, and wondering whether or not I should discontinue to keep her from getting sick. Turns out, breastfeeding is the BEST thing you can do for your baby’s immune system. Baby is already getting antibodies for the disease before you even know you’re sick!
If you don’t choose or aren’t able to breastfeed for whatever reason, it’s okay, don’t feel guilty—but do try to avoid using store-bought formula where possible. You can either make your own formula at home that will be much, much better for your baby than the store bought kind, or you can check in your community for a breast milk bank, where you can either apply to purchase or receive donated bags of frozen breast milk.
2. Focus on ingredients more than nutrition facts.
I think we have such a bad habit of counting calories and carbs in our food. The real power in being an educated consumer is looking at the ingredients list. Something can be low carb or calorie and still be terrible for you in a million other ways.
Pretty much if you can’t pronounce it, it’s a darn good idea not to use it and not to eat it, and to avoid giving it to your baby if you can. The same principles that apply to products apply to food.
Be conscious that just because something is labeled as having “no added preservatives,” “gluten free,” “made with real fruit juice,” “no high fructose corn syrup,” "fortified with vitamins and minerals" or “100% natural” does NOT make it healthy and certainly does not make it free of chemical additives. Even the term "100% pure" is not regulated; notice your 100% pure almond extract only has a small percentage of extract and the rest is alcohol, etc.
Try to incorporate as many whole foods as you can, but don't overwhelm yourself! Take baby steps, even if that just means starting to cut back on sugar, before you gradually add in more fruits and veggies to your family's diet.
3. Get rid of all your baby products (and mommy products!) that are full of chemicals (anything you can’t pronounce), including artificial dyes and fragrances.
They are almost guaranteed to be lurking in:
Baby shampoo
Diaper rash cream
Lotion
Baby powder (scary stuff...Johnson & Johnson was fined $72 million to a woman who died from ovarian cancer --the cancer was directly linked to her daily use of talcum-based Johnson’s products over the course of decades.)
Hairspray/other hair products
Hand sanitizer (contains high levels of toxins! Sure it’s killing the germs but at what expense?) Even anti-bacterial hand soaps contain triclosan which is very dangerous. Studies show that you’re better off using regular bar soap that doesn’t contain any fragrance—you’ll still get an effective clean without damaging your systems.
But what do you replace them with?
The best idea is to make your own products. Not every mom has time for it, but many enjoy it and find it to be reassuring knowing exactly what is in everything.
For example, I use pure (truly pure) sandalwood essential oil as my moisturizer in the morning. It's expensive but it lasts FOREVER as two drops is all it takes to cover my entire face, and my skin has never felt softer or more pure. My hair serum is a simple combination of pure lavender, peppermint, and rosemary oils. I use On Guard and lemon oils combined with water and distilled white vinegar as an easy, cheap, green, and effective disinfectant spray around the house. If that's calling your name, click here to shop for Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade (CPTG) Essential Oils. There is also a DIY page on the site that will teach you how to make simple homemade products for you and baby.
But if you're not up for that and you'd rather just buy the products, that's okay too! I have an amazing resource for you if you don't know where to start in your quest to find truly safe mom and baby products!
It's called EWG, and they have a huge database of 80,000 cosmetics and over 80,000 food products with rankings on their safety and studies linking to that. Look for items with a safety score of 1 to ensure the healthiest products!
We've really just touched on the tip of the iceberg here, but if you found this helpful, leave a comment! Do you have any tips or product recommendations for moms trying to eliminate harmful substances?
(Disclaimer: The Mommy Method and it's associates are not liable for the information contained on this website and it's outcomes in the health of others. Consult a medical professional for medical advice)