I remember when I was expecting my 1 st born, it was an exhilarating experience. Filled with jitters and doubts and zillions of questions, I surfed the internet the whole 9 months. I knew I was in for a roller costar ride, and I wanted to be prepared, educate myself in the best possible way and make sure I don’t make mistakes or overlook things for which I would
regret or repent later.
From how my baby is growing to how to take care of them post birth, I wanted to know it all. That’s when I came across a term which really got my attention – “Phenoxyethanol”. Once I read about it, I digged in more to understand it better.
So first let’s Understand What is Phenoxyethanol?
Phenoxyethanol is a sticky oily substance used in personal care products like cosmetics, soaps, perfumes and detergents. It’s used as a preservative to prevent the products from building up fungi, bacteria and yeast, giving a longer shelf life to these products. However, while some say Phenoxyethanol is safe, there is a debate and lots of controversy questioning the same.
Phenoxyethanol and Baby skin care
A common preservative in cosmetic, Phenoxyethanol is also found in Baby care products. However, Phenoxyethanol can cause severe harm if consumed, inhaled or absorbed by the
skin. Baby’s skin is extremely sensitive and needs extra care and caution to nurture it. Phenoxyethanol toxicity is discussed about in many studies as it has the potential to damage
the brain and nervous system. Ingredients like Phenoxyethanol can cause skin irritation, rashes, itchy eyes and even impact their respiratory system. No wonder, the credibility of Phenoxyethanol is questioned.
Conclusion
Repeated use of Phenoxyethanol can cause harm to the skin over time. While choosing a product for baby’s skin care, Phenoxyethanol is one ingredient you should look out for. If
you see that a product has Phenoxyethanol in its ingredient list, make sure you reconsider your choice. Instead, go for a product which would be good for your baby and not break their delicate skin barrier causing it any kind of damage.
Parenting is a wonderful journey to embark on and while at it, we want to make it the best one. Small choices and decisions can have a lasting effect. That’s when our knowledge and experience help us choose the best. A little caution and care can benefit our baby and protect them from any harm.
Also read, 5 ways to prevent dry skin in babies.
25 replies on “Are we using Phenoxyethanol free products for our babies?”
Today market has tons of Baby products options and it is natural to get overwhelmed. especially for the new parents. But today, parents are vigilant about what they are buying. Baby’s skin is so delicate that we don’t want it to get affected my harsh chemicals.
We have to choose baby care products wisely and should perform a proper research before buying any product. you have shared great info with this post. it will help parents to avoid buying products that contain Phenoxyethanol. I am sure not many parents are well aware about this compound and its side effects of baby’s skin.
Babies’ skin is very sensitive and one needs to be really careful when choosing baby products for the skin. The best option is to look at products that have natural ingredients. Harsh chemicals like Phenoxyethanol, can be harmful. Nice to see this post raising awareness about this.
Few parents are unaware of Phenoxyethanol-containing products and their effects on a baby’s skin. Before buying any baby care product, we must make an informed decision and conduct extensive research. You’ve provided useful information in this post. It will help parents avoid purchasing such products.
When my baby developed rashes all over her skin from a world famous baby shampoo brand, doctor advised me to check the ingredients are do away with anything containing phenoxythanol. I have learned it a hard way, glad you are sharing this information with all for being careful.
Honestly I had no clue about this ingredient dear which is so harmful, I am so glad you are creating awareness about it buddy
Hansa – thanks for letting us know about Phenoxyethanol. The next time I buy a baby product, I will ensure to check if it has Phenoxyethanol in its ingredient list. I’ll definitely go for a product which would be good for the baby, not causing any kind of damage to his/her skin.
I too recently got to know about this harmful ingredient. The only solution to avoid such harmful chemicals is to read the label properly for its ingredients .
Your post is so engaging that while I do not have babies I still red the article with a lot of interest. Phenoxyethanol is indeed an Obnoxious chemical for babies. Forwarding this post to all my friends with little kids. They will surely thank you.
One has to be very vigilant while selecting the baby care products. Thanks for the information, shall read labels to avoid phenoxyethanol as my child skin is super sensitive.
There are plenty of baby products in market and it’s important to choose right one for kids skin as they have real sensitive one. Thanks for sharing this important writeup.
Selecting the right baby care products that are safe and gentle for their skin is always tricky. This is great information and I’ll pass this on to tbe would be moms I know.
I became a father last year and I choose baby care products very carefully. I had no idea about Phenoxyethanol. After reading this I will definitely check if my son’s baby care items contain Phenoxyethanol or not.
Skincare products for baby needs to be chosen with proper care. Thanks for sharing about this ingredient that causes harm.
This is such an informative post for all parents as baby skin is so sensitive and choosing write products is really important.
Even I have read somewhere that Phenoxyethanol is not good to have in cosmetics. If baby products too have it then it is a matter of concern as their skin is really delicate.
A baby’s skin is always very sensitive and tender and needs to be taken care of. It is scary that BabyCare products can have strong ingredients like phenoxyethanol.
I wasn’t aware of this ingredient, but yes I do have a habit of reading what goes inside the product I use on myself and family. Thank you for sharing this very important information.
The amount of options and variety is good and bad, as everyone needs to be too vigilant about them, checking about Phenoxyethanol free products for babies is definitely a need of the hour.
In our time, we had no choice. There was only Johnson and Johnson 🙂 Now moms have the choice of organic or chemical from lotions to diapers. When one has a choice, we should not use anything harmful for our baby.
This made me do time travel. We used baby care products from a reputed company and because of the baby oil, my son, developed such ugly rashes all over his skin. Dont know what was the ingredient that led to this issue. But it’s important to use products that are safe for sensitive and delicate baby skin. Thanks for this informative post on phenoxyethanol.
When it comes to babies, we should take utmost care about what we are buying for them. My two sister in laws have little babies I will send this post to them.
This is somethings I want aware. I am glad people do consider knowing the product before buying anything especially for younger kids as their skin is very sensitive and need utmost care.
Honestly in India many people’s buying decision is mainly affected by price point. So they dont look further into ingredient list. I agree phenoxyethanol’s existence in baby products should not be there atleast I wouldnt my kid to use it.
wow i have never even heard of this ingredient in baby products. will check them the next time i buy any product for my babies.