Fragrance ingredients contaminating newborn babies – take action!

New study finds synthetic musks in umbilical cord blood.
Why? And how can you change this?

A new study was released today, that found 232 chemical contaminants in umbilical cord blood samples from 10 newborn American babies. Among the findings: two synthetic musks (a component of fragrance) were found in 7 of the 10 cord blood samples. This means newborn babies are arriving pre-polluted (read the full article here)!

From the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics website:

Artificial musks commonly added to fragrances and personal care products can be absorbed through skin or inhaled, and concentrate and persist in our bodies – so our many small exposures can add up fast. Synthetic musks have also been found in human breast milk and fatty tissues, and are ubiquitous in wastewater and rivers.

The cosmetics industry and other industries that use “fragrance” in their products use a whopping 9,000 tonsof synthetic musk annually, despite the fact that little is known about the safety of these chemicals. Unfortunately, preliminary research raises concerns: musks may disrupt hormones and are toxic to aquatic life.

Because of a loophole in labeling law, the ingredients in “fragrance” are considered trade secrets, so companies don’t have to tell us what’s in scents – often dozens or even hundreds of synthetic chemical compounds like synthetic musks and other ingredients linked to harm.

What can you do?

You can take action:

• If you are concerned, Click HERE and let the cosmetic companies know of your concern.
• Begin using synthetic free, and all-natural products whenever possible.
• Avoid anything that say’s “Fragrance” as one of the ingredients.
• Know that you do not have sacrifice scent, just because you are sacrificing synthetic “fragrances”. Look for products lightly scented with all natural Essential Oils, like our Baby Me! bar, scented with a touch of Bitter Almond Essential Oil .
• For newborn baby baths, just use a little bit of REAL soap. Gentle and mild, a 100% olive oil Castille bar is best. Just please remember to keep soaps away from baby’s eyes. (Real soap does not contain the chemical used to “cover up” the burning of the eyes.)
• If you choose to use something else, PLEASE look at the ingredients, if you don’t know what it is, do NOT use it on your baby’s skin.