I am a huge stickler for natural ingredients when it comes to my skincare and beauty products (hence this blog ; ), but I admit that I’ll make the occasional teensy-weensy exception for a particularly effective or otherwise desirable product (though I never compromise on the big bad ingredients listed below).  But when it comes to my baby, I am gung-ho, 100% of the time.  I’ve never let anything chemical or toxic touch my baby’s skin, and that is no small feat.

Most of the baby care lines out there, even the self-proclaimed natural ones, are not as natural as they claim.  A quick glance at the extensive ingredient lists can reveal a whole range of chemicals and mysterious ingredients, which though not necessarily toxic per se, are definitely not natural.  Babies have the most delicate of skin, and since their organs are always growing, what we put on (and, of course, IN) our babies can literally impact the building blocks of their little beings.

Though they’re obviously not the sole cause, chemicals in baby care products have been linked to asthma, hormonal imbalance (including premature puberty), skin issues like eczema, and even cancer.  So even if you’re not totally on board with the green beauty industry, making sure the products you use on your baby are all-natural should be a really high priority!

I’ve tested several natural baby-care lines, and the ones below have come out on top.  All of these best natural baby care products are formulated without toxic chemicals, including:

• Talc (carcinogenic)
• Phthalates (carcinogenic, asthma)
• Synthetic Fragrance (linked to asthma, allergies, endocrine and hormone disruption)
• Propylene Glycol [PEG] (allergies and asthma)
• Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (skin irritation, hormonal disruption)
• Mineral Oil and other petroleum-derived ingredients (possible carcinogen, hormonal disruption)
• Parabens (neurotoxin, endocrine disruption)
• Triclosan (carcinogenic, endocrine disruption)
• Lanolin (contaminated with pesticides)

Some of the product lines below are 100% all-natural, which I tend to favor, and others contain a few synthetic or chemical ingredients that are considered safe for babies and still receive the best ratings on EWG.  There are definitely other brands out there, and new natural baby care products are coming out all the time, so this list is by no means exhaustive.  If you’re going to try another product line, just make sure the products are free of the chemicals above, the ingredient lists are rather short, and that you recognize every ingredient listed (a great rule of thumb when selecting any product to put on or in your body!).