Identifying Harmful Chemicals in Baby Bath Products

Learn What the Risks Are and How to Avoid Them for the Health of Your Baby

There are many chemicals in baby bath products. New research is showing that many of these chemicals are harmful to children. Phthalates, a class of chemicals which have been banned from children's plastic toys by President Bush on August 14, 2008, is used as a carrier for synthetic fragrances as well as an emulsifyer to give lotions, creams and liquid soaps their smooth consistency. Chemicals from this class have been shown to cause human health problems such as asthma, allergies, liver damage and kidney damage. If these chemicals shouldn't be in children's toys, why are products still being sold in baby bath care products that are rubbed all over their little bodies?

Phthalates are hidden in body care products under the name of 'fragrance' or 'parfum'. This class of chemicals acts as an emulsifyer and carrier for synthetic fragrances. In an article on MarketWatch, it was stated that on August 14, 2008, President Bush signed a phthalate ban in children's toys into law. Yet this class of harmful chemicals continues to be used in baby bath products.

According to one study from the Clinic of Pediatric Surgery at the University of Marburg in Germany, "This plasticizer is well known to be genotoxic and teratogenic in animals and to cause changes in various organs and enzyme systems even in humans." There are hundreds of studies available on PubMed website, a web site hosted by the National Library of Medicine, that show the reproductive and organ toxicity of this class of chemicals. For more information about phthalates, please read Phthalates and Your Health or visit the PubMed web site and type in search terms such as, phthalate liver, phthalate reproductive and read the reports for yourself. President Bush finally did and banned these harmful chemicals from toys - but they are still in baby body care products.