Growing up Green, for Healthy Babies & Kids [1]

Green Personal Baby Care,

en route to a Greener Life.

Being a Green Parent is not always just about keeping the baby safe,

it’s about accepting our responsibility to ensure that what we use is safe.

You are my everything,

*if we can’t eat it, don’t put it on his skin*!!!

[the rule of thumb]

Before going through Green Baby Care Products, let us take a look on the term relating to the age of the young ones:

• Baby…..........: newborn (post natal) - 3 months
• Infant…...…..: 4 months- 12 months
• Toddle….......: 1 year old (at first birthday) - 2 years
• Preschooler...: 3-4 years old
• Kid / child…..: Kindergarten: 5 -11 years old

is not really a formal term, it is more casual, slang, that can refer to any aged child,

as the kids reach their toddler years, they may enjoy a lot of the same things and have similar interests.

• Tween………: 12 years old
• Teens……….: 13-19 years old

• adolescent….: from 11-17,
• Adult………..: legally at 18 you can consider someone an adult but some may say 21.

Adolescent....: from 11-17,

Consider products that stated *Hypoallergenic Tested, *Dermatologist Tested,

Natural products are undoubtedly better for the baby.

be an Environment Aware Consumer, be a Green Parent.

Part 1: Green Baby & Oils

Newborns’ skin:

Baby's skin is different from ours, his / her skin is thinner only 40% to 60% the thickness of adult skin, other opinion says generally around five times thinner than an adult’s skin, more fragile and less oily, newborn baby’s skin is a unique and essential shield that offers protection from the outside world, it plays an important role in maintaining health, more susceptible to irritants, it defends against irritants, toxins and infections, the skin also regulates infant's internal temperature, and is a tool for exploring the world through touch, it also produces less melanin, the substance that helps keep away / ward off sunburn, it is less resistant to bacteria and harmful substances in the environment, especially if it is irritated, newborn baby also sweats less efficiently, can lose moisture more quickly, infant skin absorbs and loses moisture at a faster rate than more mature skin, so it is harder for he / she to maintain their inner body temperature, in a recent clinical study, 90 percent of mothers thought their infant's skin was not dry, when in fact 60 percent of their infants had signs of dry skin! so it's a good idea to protect the infant's skin and keep it healthy, soft and not stiff [supple] by applying a moisturizer frequently, especially after a bath or diaper change.

Baby / Infant Massage:

Massage can relax babies, improve their sleep patterns, and calm them when they are irritable, baby / infant massage should last about 15 minutes, but even a short massage is good for the baby / infant, using a lotion or oil that is gentle enough for baby's / infant’s skin will help reduce friction and make the massage more soothing, choose products that have been passed hypoallergenic-tested ^[1] as well as dermatologist-tested ^[2] so it's sure safer for massage, baby / infant massage is a good thing, massaging him / her can be calming for both mother and baby and a great time to gain confidence with each other, it encompasses and supports vital aspects of human bonding, baby massage bonds parents to babies and babies to parents, touch is the first language of baby, touch during massage is a very powerful element in human bonding, as communication, both verbal and non-verbal, and prolonged eye contact, bonding has been defined as a unique relationship between two persons [mother and her baby / infant] that is specific and endures through time, it is said to strengthen the bond with the baby, which makes the baby happier and aids digestion, baby / infant massage will stimulate the immune system and promotes the growth of myelin, the protective insulator around motor nerves that enables nerve impulses to travel faster, this means their fine motor skills may develop more quickly, it is also said as a life safer, it doesn’t help them off to sleep, but also deals with their digestive problems, including colic, particularly in the early weeks and months, delayed bonding may occur due to situations such as premature birth, recovery from caesarean, medical complications, adoption, lack of physical and emotional support and post natal depression, in these cases baby / infant massage can begin to recreate the elements of bonding.

^[1] Hypoallergenic is a term coined by advertisers, and first used in a cosmetics campaign in 1953, it is used to describe items, especially cosmetics and textiles that cause or are claimed to cause fewer allergic reactions.

The American Food and Drug Administration has stated, Hypoallergenic cosmetics are products that manufacturers claim produce fewer allergic reactions than other cosmetic products. Consumers with hypersensitive skin, and even those with "normal" skin, may be led to believe that these products will be gentler to their skin than non-hypoallergenic cosmetics. There are no Federal standards or definitions that govern the use of the term "hypoallergenic." The term means whatever a particular company wants it to mean. Manufacturers of cosmetics labeled as hypoallergenic are not required to submit substantiation of their hypoallergenicity claims to FDA. The term hypoallergenic may have considerable market value in promoting cosmetic products to consumers on a retail basis, but dermatologists say it has very little meaning.

^[2] Almost all cosmetics can cause allergic reactions in certain individuals. Often the first sign of a reaction is a mild redness and irritation. There is no list of ingredients that can be guaranteed not to cause allergic reactions, so consumers who are prone to allergies should pay careful attention to what they use on their skin.

Hypoallergenic: implies that products making this claim are less likely to cause allergic reactions. There are no prescribed scientific studies required to substantiate this claim. Likewise, the terms "dermatologist-tested," "sensitivity tested," "allergy tested," or "nonirritating" carry no guarantee that they won't cause skin reactions.

The traditional strategy of safety assessment of cosmetic products was an evaluation by animal testing for single substances as well as for finished products. Since the beginning of the eighties more and more efforts have been made to substitute classical tests with animals through in-vitro methods or other alternatives. Nowadays, many data can be obtained by direct dermatologie observation in humans. The general conditions valid for tests with humans are dealt with and a standard test strategy for dermatological tests is presented.

Do and Don’t for babies:

Organic oils and creams are food for your baby’s skin and can extremely soothing, if product is labeled hypoallergenic, it does not necessarily mean it is not allergenic to everyone, it just means that it doesn’t contain ingredients that are common allergens.

Do:

1. Use beeswax ^[3] a natural wax produced by honey bees, instead of petroleum jelly.

^[3] Beeswax is an ester, the empirical formula for beeswax is C₁₅H₅₁COOC₃₀H₆₁, its main components are palmitate, palmitoleate, hydroxypalmitate and oleate esters of long-chain (30-32 carbons) aliphatic alcohols, with the ratio of triacontanylpalmitate CH₃(CH₂)₂₉O-CO-(CH₂)₁₄CH₃ to cerotic acid CH₃(CH₂)₂₄COOH, the two principal components, being 6:1.

2. For baby oils: use olive oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, jojoba oil, coconut oil, palm kernel oil,
3. Use lavender hydrolats ^[4] roman chamomile hydrolats for babies under 6 months, because they contain some of the same properties of the plant material of essential oils.

^[4] Hydrolats / Hydrosols are the final water by-product left over after the steam distillation of a plant has been completed. Most essential oil distillations use the same water over and over again in a process known as cohobation [the process of repeated distillation of the same matter, with the liquid drawn from that liquid being poured again and again upon the matter left at the bottom of the vessel], at the end of each distillation cycle, there will be a high concentration of water soluble elements in the water. These waters are known as hydrolats or hydrosols, genuine hydrolats are a totally natural by product of hydro / steam distillation and are free from any preservative or fragrance enhancements.

4. Use natural products, as natural products are undoubtedly better for the babies / infants, as well as for mothers.

Don’t:

1. Avoid products that contains: surface active agents [surfactants]: sodium laury sulphate [SLS], sodium laureth sulphate [SLES] and the like., SLS and SLES are associated with eczema and cancer.
2. Avoid products that contains alcohol, monoethanolamine [MEA], diethanolamine [DEA], triethanolamine [TEA],or cocamide, there are concerned that they may form nitrosamine which is carcinogen.
3. Avoid fragrances and fragranced products, because babies are more sensitive than adults, better take their hydrolats, but if essential oils should be used, use certified organic essential oils that are free from exposure to chemical fertilizers, to harmful herbicides and pesticides, never use essential oils undiluted on the skin [dilute with vegetable oils], be careful to take away from the eyes, never take essential oils internally, always keep essential oils out of reach of baby and children.
4. Avoid products that contain benzoic acid synthesized preservatives: parabens family, like methyl paraben, ethyl paraben, propyl paraben, non smelly preservatives used to kill bacteria, fungus and yeasts in shampoos, bubble baths, nappy rash, lotions, ointments, baby wipes, toothpaste. Parabens was said penetrate the skin and get into the bloodstream, have been found in cancerous tumours, particularly in breast tissue, they are also oestrogen mimics and have been involved / implicated in a number of health issues.
5. Phathalate that found in synthetic fragrances / perfumes, which have been linked to reproductive damage,
6. Avoid skin products that use propylene glycol stearate in it, as it is an ingredient in antifreeze.
7. Avoid products containing anti fungus: imidazolidinyl-urea, diazolidinyl-urea.
8. Avoid uses PVC containers, better uses HDPE, PP, and PET / PETE containers.

Baby Oils:

Baby oil is a common product in many families' homes, with lots of uses, including cleaning baby's skin and infant massage, conventional baby oil comes from petroleum, it helps lock in moisture with the smooth, silky feel that only an oil can provide, but even though it is highly purified, there is some research showing that it may not be the best choice for baby's skin, perhaps the biggest danger of baby oil is baby accidentally getting a hold of it and ingesting it, baby oil contains almost 100% mineral oil which has many hazardous side effects, that could hurt them,

Mineral oil / White oil ^[5] is a petroleum ingredient, it comes from crude mineral oil, is essentially a waste product from the distillation of gasoline from oil, it consists of long alkanes, with a length of the carbon chain of about 20, only highly purified petrolatum can be used in cosmetics, this is quite different from a vegetable oil like coconut oil, sunflower oil, olive oil, which is a triglyceride, the important from a biological point of view is our body can digest most vegetable oils, but cannot do so with mineral oil, mineral oil works as a laxative by lubricating the colon, the only advantage of mineral oil is that it does not spoil or become rancid, unlike vegetable oil which can easily be oxidized to become rancid, the most significant hazard is that mineral oil blocks the pores of the skin, it coats the skin like plastic wrap, this does not allow the skin to breathe and prevents the natural release of toxins from the skin, since the skin is the body's largest elimination organ, this is a serious health hazard, especially for a baby, when applied, mineral oil can promote acne and other skin disorders, mineral oil also slows down normal cell development and causes the skin to prematurely age, another significant problem with mineral oil for babies is that it may possibly cause vitamin deficiencies because it is absorbed into the skin, gets processed by the liver and then nutrients get bound by the oil, blocking their absorption.

^[5] White oil is any of various colorless odorless tasteless mineral oils used especially in medicine, pharmaceutical and cosmetic preparations, white oil is manufactured with a mixture of paraffinic and naphthenic hydrocarbons of the highest purity, white oil meets FDA requirements for use in applications where direct, indirect or incidental contact with food may occur, it may be used to lubricate machinery, protect against moisture or control dust on grains and animal feed, it also is used as a component in certain consumer products, such as cosmetics and pharmaceuticals and may be used as smoke oil at air shows

Danger of mineral oil used for medicinal and cosmetic:

According to the International Agency for Research into Cancer in Geneva, mineral oils are probably carcinogenic as analyses of mineral oils used for medicinal and cosmetic purposes reveal the presence of several carcinogenic PAH [polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons]^[6] which are in the Eighth Report on Carcinogens, including benzofluoranthene, benzofluoranthene, and benzo-α-pyrene. They're noted as a human teratogen by inhalation which has caused testicular tumours in the foetus. they are also skin and eye irritants and may be implicated in aspirational pneumonia.

^[6] Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are chemical compounds that consist of fused aromatic rings and do not contain heteroatoms or carry substituents, PAHs occur in oil, coal, and tar deposits, and are produced as byproducts of fuel burning [whether fossil fuel or biomass], as a pollutant, they are of concern because some compounds have been identified as carcinogenic, mutagenic, and teratogenic. PAHs are also found in cooked foods, such as grilled meats

Vegetable oils suitable for making Green Baby Oils:

We took for granted that these ingredients were safe in the products we had grown up with !

Jojoba oil is a botanical extract of the seed of the jojoba tree [Simmondsia chinensis], Jojoba is safe for all sensitive skin, including newborns, Jojoba mimics the sebum found naturally in human skin and can replenish skin that has become dry due to age, weather, environmental pollutants or stresses, with anti-biotic and anti-fungal properties, Jojoba prevents infections from developing in exposed abrasions and speed the healing process while preventing scar tissue from forming, it isn’t actually just an oil, but rather what we call a wax ester, because out of all of the compounds in nature, this wax ester is the most similar to human skin oil [sebum], it is theorized that applying jojoba to the skin can trick the skin into thinking it is producing enough oil, thus balancing oil production, natural jojoba oil serves as an excellent moisturizing agent with exceptional spread. The lubrication properties leave a rich velvety non-oily feel on the skin, while retarding water loss and enhancing the flexibility and suppleness of the skin, Jojoba is completely miscible with the natural sebum of the skin, and when used on the skin forms a very thin, non-greasy lipoid layer, this layer is partially porous and provides exceptional trans-epidermal respiration and moisture control. Unlike greasy occlusive materials such as petrolatum, mineral oils and some lanolin products, jojoba oil provides an absolutely non-tacky, non-oily and non-greasy, dry softening to the skin, it also significantly reduces trans-epidermal water loss, without totally blocking the transpiration of gases and water vapor.

Calendula oil [Calendula arvensis]

Coconut oil [Cocos nucifera]

Palm Kernel Oil [Elaies guinensis]

Certified organic essential oils:

Cajuput oil [Melaleuca leucadendron]

Eucalyptus oil [Eucalyptus globules]

Tea tree oil [Melaleuca alternifolia]

Fennel oil [Foeniculum vulgare]

Anise oil [Pimpinella anisum]

Rose oil [Rosa damascene]

Vanilla [Vanilla planifolia]

Ravensara [Ravensara aromatica]

Certified organic hydrolats:

Roman chamomile hydrolats [Matricaria chamomile]

Lavender hydrolats [Lavandula officinalis]

Footnote:

the rule of thumb * The rule of thumb means a method of procedure based on experience and common sense

To be continues with: Telon Oil – the pure natural baby oil of Indonesia origin.

Sample of Telon oil.

Also Read :

Growing up Green, for Healthier Prenatal Babies.

Growing up Green, for Healthy Newborn Babies.

Growing up Green, for Healthy Babies & Kid [2]
Growing up Green, for Healthy Babies & Kids [3]