XP: Did you hear about the uproar about CB on FB?

Athena0809

 I posted this on the EFF Board but I wanted your opinion/suggestion...

So on the CB's FB page today the founder announced they are now using Sodium Benzoate and lots of moms went crazy over this news. I started thinking well if they are only using it on some products why not just avoid those and continue using the rest? But some people mentioned how they are changing a lot of their products while stating their products won't ever change and everything is and will be all natural...how can a chemical be natural??? And so I started to read the ingredients on all of my CB products. I found out that on the Super Sensitive Lotion the second ingredient next to water is Cetyl Alcohol, I looked it up on the EGW's Cosmetic Database and turns out it is "expected to be toxic"!!! DS has eczema and I can't just use anything, I'm no chemist but "alcohol" can't be good!

If you use a natural/organic baby product--especially if it's unscented, will you please recommend it???

kelly321

I don't know if you can get it in the States, but here there's a line of baby products from two companies called Wala and Weleda that are all natural and unscented (I mean, there's almond oil in the diaper cream, so it smells a little like that, but no added scents).

The diaper cream I use is called "Weleda Baby & Kind, Calendula Babycreme" (translation: Weleda Baby & Child, Calendula Baby cream). I threw away the packaging, so unfortunately don't have the ingredient list handy, but at least with the brand and product name you can look to see if you can even get it in the States.

If you're still having a problem finding something in April, you can PM me (let me know you've PMed me since I never check them) and I can try to bring some over with me and send them to you. That's the next time I'm coming back.

ETA: Just looked, they do offer their products in the US. Here's the English website: https://usa.weleda.com/community/baby-tips/index.aspx

I see they call the diaper cream "diaper cream" and call another product "baby cream" - that's kind of confusing for people used to the German products.

And here's their "all natural" standards: https://usa.weleda.com/cultivating-beauty/our-standards.aspx 

jcsumm0

I use Weleda baby soap.  You can buy it at natural food stores.  Love it! 

Athena0809

Kelly, thanks for the offer! I actually think I have seem Weleda Baby products at my local Whole Foods and Giant Eagle (My day moisturizer is by them!) . I'll look into those products. Thanks for the suggestions ladies!!!

tokenhoser

I use plain coconut oil on Owen for moisturizer (and diaper cream). One ingredient. Naturally antibacterial/fungal. And it makes him smell like a coconut.

Athena0809

tokenhoser:

I use plain coconut oil on Owen for moisturizer (and diaper cream). One ingredient. Naturally antibacterial/fungal. And it makes him smell like a coconut.

I remember you mentioned coconut oil as diaper cream a couple months ago, but distracted me bought the "refined" version and doesn't even smell like anything and I think it made Ben's eczema flare up. I still have almost a whole jar but I might just have to buy the other kind.

P.S. Loving the new siggy pic!

Athena0809

mullenem:

Chemicals are natural.  Water (N2O) is a chemical, salt (NaCl) is a chemical.  Our bodies are made up of naturally occuring chemicals.  If the product works for your LO, then why change products?  Especially if it's difficult to find something that does work for him because of excema.

The risk of sodium benzoate or cetyl alcohol building up on his body or being injested in even close to dangerous levels is INCREDIBLY low.

But to answer your question, I use pure african shea butter as a moisturizer quite frequently.  My mom gets it in a 16 oz tub at a health food store for about $8.  It lasts FOREVER.  It's pretty thick until you rub a glob in your hands and heat it up.  Then it loosens right up.  This is what mine looks like actually:

https://www.amazon.com/HalalEveryday-32oz-Shea-Butter/dp/B003KDJ5KK/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1326911873&sr=8-9

For soap, I like Dr. Bronners.  I use the lavendar but they have an unscented baby one too. 

I should've mentioned their old formula (what we currently use) didn't have cetyl alcohol or sodium benzoate their new formulas do, the bottle I mentioned in my original post is a new unopened bottle, so I'm debating whether or not to return it just in case it works differently for his skin. These two ingredients are just something I don't feel comfortable with when I could have a product that is more natural.

The soap we use, a bar of organic raw shea butter, works great so I might try what you suggested, thanks!

Beabs

I have a degree in Chemistry an I can assure you that exposing your children to sodium benzoate and cetyl alcohol  in small amounts (such as what is in lotion, etc.) is fine.

Per wiki, sodium benzoate should be limited to 647?825 mg/kg of body weight per day. So my 17 lb baby would need to be exposed to >5 g of it per day for it to be a concern. That is A LOT.

Cetyl alcohol is actually "natural". It was originally extracted from whales and now is derived from vegetable oil. I don't know what the recommended exposure limits are for that though.

ETA: Your EWG website you link to above ranks both of these compounds as a 1 (out of 10), so only slightly more concerning than water. I don't understand why you are getting so excited about this TBH.

Lisa Frank

So long as my kid isn't eating it, I don't care what CB does with their products. Because I don't spend the stupid money on that stuff anymore.

My kids mostly get washed with water only (something my dermatologist Dad doesn't think happens often enough).  They don't need soaps or any of that right now.  Especially as a baby. 

I do use some Mustela, and random Weleda, but otherwise, we are a mostly body wash/shampoo household that figures as long as we aren't ingesting it, we're cool.

Now, talk to me about sweet potatoes, apples, turkey, cows or any other food, and my opinion is vastly different

Athena0809

Beabs:

I have a degree in Chemistry an I can assure you that exposing your children to sodium benzoate and cetyl alcohol  in small amounts (such as what is in lotion, etc.) is fine.

Per wiki, sodium benzoate should be limited to 647?825 mg/kg of body weight per day. So my 17 lb baby would need to be exposed to >5 g of it per day for it to be a concern. That is A LOT.

Cetyl alcohol is actually "natural". It was originally extracted from whales and now is derived from vegetable oil. I don't know what the recommended exposure limits are for that though.

ETA: Your EWG website you link to above ranks both of these compounds as a 1 (out of 10), so only slightly more concerning than water. I don't understand why you are getting so excited about this TBH.

That is good to know, thanks. I don't have a chemistry degree so I have no way of knowing. Why I get so excited? Because I have a kid that is extremely sensitive to synthetic chemicals, scents, preservatives... because I've gone through a slew of products trying to find the most natural and gentle for his skin. If he is say hugged by someone wearing perfume, within minutes his skin will be covered by a rash. So yeah, I do get excited. BTW, I found out they extract cetyl alcohol from coconut oil.

And Lisa, you may choose not to spend your money in safe products for your kids, but I choose to spend my money in products that aren't toxic, you may choose to believe that "as long as you aren't ingesting them you are fine" that doesn't mean you are right, Mustela by the way ranks high in toxicity.