Kids love to play in a bath full of bubbles. The child loves bath time and they beg to have bubbles in it almost every time. Children on average take about a 15-minute bath. That means that whatever you put in the bath water has a lot of time to be absorbed thru their skin into their little bodies. So how safe are bubbles??
It only takes 26 seconds for chemicals that come into contact with our skin to be absorbed into the blood stream. How safe a bubble bath is, depends on what ingredients it contains. Some of the ingredients are found in common bubble bath formulations and I was not impressed.
Here is a list of ten ingredients that you should avoid in a bubble bath.
Propylparaben
It can cause reproductive/developmental toxicity, allergies and it is an endocrine disruptor. Beware of Johnson's baby bedtime bubble bath because it contains this horrible chemical. This chemical has also been linked to cancer, particularly breast cancer.
Fragrance
It is irritating to the skin, eyes and lungs, can cause organ system toxicity and/or allergies and is bad for the environment. This is a catch all term for 4,000 different ingredients and the company doesn't have to disclose what is included. A majority of the chemicals that make up the "fragrance" are synthetic compounds that are made from petroleum. You can also find some of these chemicals in cigarette smoke, yuck!
Retinyl Palmitate (Vitamin A Palmitate)
This is one of the worst ingredients. It causes biochemical and cellular changes in our body, cancer, reproductive/developmental toxicity and organ system toxicity. You can also find this ingredient in some sunscreens.
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DMDM Hydantoin
This is derived from FORMALDEHYDE which is used to preserve body parts and corpses, yikes! It can cause skin, eyes and lung irritation and has the potential to cause allergies and CANCER. It has also been linked to depression, chronic fatigue, ear infections, dizziness, headaches, joint pain and it can weaken the immune system. This chemical can be found in antiperspirants, nail polish and personal care products.
Cocamide DEA
It can cause CANCER, organ toxicity, allergies/immunotoxicity and can be contaminated with other harsh chemicals. Research has found a strong link to kidney and liver cancer. This can be found in shampoos, face washes and soaps.
Benzyl Benzoate
This chemical is an endocrine disruptor, can cause allergies/immunotoxicity and is a occupational hazard. It is used as a fragrance ingredient, preservative, solvent and artificial flavor.
Limonene
Limonene is used for scent. It has the potential to cause reproductive/developmental toxicity, allergies, and it is irritating to the skin, eyes and lungs. It is also bad for the environment.
Methylchloroisothiazolinone and methylisothiazolinone
They are used as a preservative in many products to extend their shelf life. They can cause cancer, irritation, allergies and are bad for the environment. Methylisothiazolinone can also cause neurotoxicity (adverse affects in the central nervous system like the brain).
PEG-80 Sorbitan Laurate
PEG means that the product contains polyethylene glycol. It can cause allergies/immunotoxicity and organ toxicity. It has the potential to be contaminated with cancer causing chemicals. Because PEG strips the body of it's natural oils, it makes the body more vulnerable to toxic chemicals. To me, this means it's going to increase the risk of adverse effects from all the other nasty ingredients in the product.
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate/Sodium Laureth Sulfate
When this chemical is combined with other ingredients, it can form nitrosamines which are a deadly class of carcinogens. It is linked to irritation of the skin and eyes, organ toxicity, developmental/reproductive toxicity, neurotoxicity, endocrine disruption and CANCER. You can find this chemical in many personal care and household cleaning products.
My advice is to only use a bubble bath that contains ingredients you can pronounce. There is NO reason these companies need to put all these toxic chemicals in these products.
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Child Care