We expose ourselves on a daily basis to all kinds of harmful chemicals through each of the skincare products we use. Children are particularly sensitive to these chemicals, and luckily, there are alternatives. Here are some tips on finding products that are safe for your children.
We all want to give the best to our children, and organic products should be an obvious choice. Children are particularly sensitive to chemicals that can be absorbed through the skin, and surprisingly, some of the products that are currently on the market for children even contain hormone-changing substances. You can avoid these chemicals altogether by purchasing organic products, which are also mild for sensitive skin. We have written this guide to help you find healthy organic products for your children.
Green is nice, but ...
Just because a label says it's 'green' or that it's healthy for the body and for the environment, there's no guarantee that it's true. Many companies market their products as green options when in fact they are anything but green. Finding out which products are really good can be difficult. However, there are a number of things you can keep in mind:
- The shorter the list of ingredients the better it is.
- Perfumes can be allergenic, therefore choose odorless products.
- Regarding sun protection, the best is to use physical sunscreen filter .
- Use organic vegetable oils, such as olive oil, instead of skin cream. Oil can also be used for cleaning.
- Use fewer products and wash small children's skin as infrequently as possible.
- Buy products with trusted eco-labels.
Labels you can look for:
- Good environmental choices - The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency's eco-labeling is used on products that comply with their environmental criteria.
- Nordic Eco-labeling - The Nordic Eco-labeling Eco label, commissioned by the government.
- EU Eco label.
- Fair Trade - This is primarily about fair terms for manufacturers and growers, but there are environmental requirements.
Keep in mind that it's neither complicated nor expensive to let your children use organic products. You will find them in Fair Trade stores, health food stores and more and more often in regular grocery stores and pharmacies. We often use more products than we really need. Instead of using many non-organic products for your children, you can buy fewer products which are organic. Keep in mind that children don't need to shower or bathe very often, especially not in winter as it can really dry-out their skin.