Organic Baby Cream
| Organic Baby Care |
Creams, creams and creams! The Television, the newspapers and all other media are flooded with creams which claim that they are the best for your baby. But is it really so? On the lines of “Water, water everywhere, not a drop to drink!” we can put it like this, “Creams, creams everywhere, not a single to use on a baby!”
You may ask why. It is because most of these creams use petroleum gel as their base; are added with excessive artificial fragrance, antiseptic drugs and rarely contain any natural or herbal extract. They may look and smell nice, but are very harmful for your baby’s skin and in the long run, can substantially damage the skin if applied on their sensitive baby skin. So, which creams to use? The answer lies in Organic Baby Cream. Let us find out what these creams are made up of, why are they suitable for babies and a lot more about them. Here we go!
Organic Baby Cream: The scientific definition of Organic Baby Cream is the baby cream which has been manufactured using all the organic natural ingredients through an organic manufacturing process, without using any synthetic or chemical ingredients. Since no chemicals are used in these creams, therefore these creams are not harsh on your baby’s skin and do not cause irritations. All the ingredients used in them are natural, organic and healthy for your baby.
Now, you must be thinking that if these people are not using Petroleum Gel base, no artificial flavours, no artificial colours and no synthetic antiseptic medicines to make these creams, then what the hell are they using? What is left to be used? Actually, this question is natural to arise. We are so well acquainted with the regular petroleum based creams (Remember those nice smelling white or coloured creams?) that we can hardly think anything else being used to make these creams. But let me tell you, there is not one but plenty of ingredients with which best quality organic baby cream can be made. Let me give you some names here. The ingredients discussed under cause no irritations and have no known adverse side effects. They are as good as any other edible stuff.
Organic Bee Wax: The natural wax obtained from the bee hives is one of the major ingredients of these Organic Baby Creams and most of these creams use this bee wax as their base in place of petroleum gel. This wax is collected from the bee hives after extracting the honey from them, cleaned, filtered repeatedly and refined to obtain clean wax. This wax is totally safe, has no adverse side effects and is even edible (Yes! It can be eaten and purified bee wax is sold in packs as edible wax and is used by people to keep away constipation. Did you know that man has been eating this wax for thousands of years and forms diet of many tribes still now?). Although most of the bee wax is organic naturally, but those obtained from the bee farms needs certifications that no artificial pesticides or sprays were used on the bee hives, to be called organic.
Organic Coconut Butter: This one too is one of the major ingredients of Organic Baby Creams and used as base. Organic Coconut Butter is nothing but naturally condensed organic coconut oil, i.e. coconut oil that has been extracted from organically grown coconuts through an organic method and contains no chemicals. This is far better in terms of nutrients and food value than bee wax and is rich in anti oxidants and vitamin E. But it has a single drawback to be used as base in creams and that is that it melts at room temperature and becomes liquid.
Organic Shea Butter: Organic Shea Butter or Organic Shea Nut Butter is the butter or natural fat extracted from the Shea Nuts (nuts of shea plant) grown organically and processed organically. This has excellent emollient properties and is very good and nutritive and forms an excellent base for organic creams.
Organic Olive Oil: This again is another widely used ingredient of organic creams and lotions and its benefits are well known. With no known adverse side effects, olive oil is very popular as edible as well as massaging oil. It is rich in vitamins and other nutrients. This oil also thickens at lower temperatures (Not as hard as coconut oil) and melts at higher.
Organic Sunflower Oil: This oil is used as emulsifier or carrier oil. More used in lotions than creams.
Organic Sweet Almond Oil: This again, is very nourishing and very healthy for baby skin as well as for adults. This is very gentle and has very good anti oxidant properties.
Organic Ground Nut Oil: This is not much heard of, but sometimes used in creams.
Organic Essential Oils: These essential oils make the second major ingredient in any Organic Baby Cream after the base. They give the creams their medicinal values and health benefits as well as fragrance and sometimes colour (Not bright or dazzling I mean!). These organic essential oils are obtained from organically grown flowers and other parts of plants through organic processing such as steam distillation. Some very popular and most used organic essential oils in organic baby creams are essential oils of calendula, chamomile, lavender, rose etc. Like many others, these essential oils are rich in properties like anti oxidant, disinfectant, emollient, cicatrisant etc. and help protect your baby’s skin from rashes, infections, cracks, spots etc.
Organic Aloe Vera Extract: The juice or extract of Aloe Vera is a world famous emollient and widely used in skin treatment lotions and creams. It is known to retain the moisture content of the skin and tone it as well. So, but natural, it found a place in the Organic Baby Creams.
Organic Herbal Extracts: Apart from the ingredients discussed above, many other organic natural edible oils, essential oils and other herbal extracts with different medicinal values and nutritive properties are used in Organic Baby Creams as per the requirements and purpose of the skin. Different creams contain different combinations of these ingredients in different proportions and not necessarily all of them.
Differences with Normal Baby Creams: If you had blind faith on some brands in the market and had been buying those regularly available petroleum gel based and so proclaimed “Ideal for your baby” creams for your baby, then it is high time you stop doing that. Probably you did not know how dangerous these creams were for your baby. Under the label of “Gentle on your baby’s skin”, these companies are actually selling poisonous and carcinogenic stuff for your beloved and delicate baby. If you take a look at some of these ingredients below, probably you would never by them again. Just have a look.
- Petroleum Gel: This by product of petroleum refining is damaging for health if ingested (babies are in the habit of licking their hands and even toes) and can even damage the skin in the long run. It blocks the spores on the skin and dust particles stick to it, further increasing chances of an infection.
- Carbomer (of various grades): This potentially allergen and irritant is widely used as a thickener (sometimes as emulsifier) and stabilizer in creams and lotions. This can cause severe irritations in skin and eyes.
- Benzene: This commonly used disinfectant and germ killer is a potent poison too and is one of the most poisonous pollutants found in air. This can severely damage the bone marrow and can cause cancer.
- Synthetic Alcohol: Can be toxic and even carcinogenic. Used in many creams and lotions.
- Glycols (of various types): They are also infamous as carcinogenic and mutagenic.
- Para Amino Benzoic Acid: Used mostly in skin creams and sun screen lotions, this can cause severe irritations, photo sensitivity, skin disorders and toxicity.
- Phosphoric Acid: Widely used in creams. It can cause irritations.
- Polysorbate-n (20-85): This one again, used as an emulsifier in baby creams and lotions, can cause skin sensitizing and irritations.
- Polyquaternium: Very dangerous compound and can be lethal sometimes. This has all the adverse side effects ranging from causing irritations, carcinogenic, fatally allergenic, toxic etc.
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Triethanolamine: Again, a severe irritant to skin and eyes used in baby lotions and creams. It can cause dermatitis and can be carcinogenic too.
You will be scared to know that our body absorbs more than half of what we rub on our skin or head which simply means that almost half of these harmful chemicals are getting into your baby’s body each time you apply them. Moreover, since these compounds are synthetic and not made for the body, hence the body cannot make use of them, i.e. our metabolism cannot break them down and they start accumulating in our body, mostly in kidneys. In the long run, these chemicals can cause dreaded diseases like cancer, kidney failure, tumors, ulcers, loss of vision etc.
What should you do? You have read the differences between the Organic Baby Cream and the ordinary baby creams and you can decide very well what to do. Do not waste any time and switch over to the Organic Baby Creams. If you are buying them from stores, please ensure that they are hundred percent organic and do not mistake them with those creams which have petroleum gel as their base and claim to contain organic herbal extracts. They cannot be called organic. Remember, being organic and almost edible, these creams have shorter shelf life than their non organic counterparts. So, carefully check the ingredients, read the certifications and please check the expiry of these creams. There are many agencies which certify these creams as organic and they function in specific areas. So, tally the name of the certifying agency with the place of manufacture of these creams. Don’t be baffled by the seal of a certifying agency of USA when the product is manufactured in India. Here is a list for your help.
- Australia: NASAA Organic Standard
- Canada: Canada Gazette, Government of Canada
- European Union: EU-Eco-regulation
- Sweden: KRAV
- United Kingdom: Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA)
- India: NPOP, (National Program for Organic Production)
- Japan: JAS Standards.
- United States: National Organic Program (NOP) Standards
Availability: After the rise in awareness regarding use of organic products and consequently an increase in demand, the top players in cosmetic manufacturing have entered the markets with their range of organic products. So, I think Organic Baby Creams should be easily available in any reasonably good store. They are more available in big cities where there is more awareness and more customers. Many good companies are present on internet too and you can order your baby creams from them. They display the ingredients, certificates, where to use etc., as different creams are made for different purpose.
Prospects: Since Organic Baby Cream is the need of the hour and people are becoming more and more aware day by day, the market is rising rapidly as a consequence. Soon, you will have more choices at competitive rates to pick from (buying them is a bit costly affair now). So, just have a little patience.
Finishing Touch: If you are reading this article and are residing in a place where these Organic Baby Creams are not available for some reason, they you can prepare some on your own; provided you will need some organic raw materials. You can at least start with some organic coconut oil and mixing some organic essential oils in it. Then you can use some fresh milk cream or almond oil or honey or all of them. They are far better than those tempting baby creams selling in colourful bottles.
Let me tell you something funny but true. Organic Baby Creams can be used by adults too and believe me, they will show good results. Till then, goodbye!
Sources:
1. http://www.ecobaby.co.uk/d_NappyCreams_3_.htm
2. http://www.naturesbabyproducts.com/best-for-babies.html
3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organic_foods
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