Ask any mom she would tell you thousands of stories about how she makes sure to keep her children away from chemical-free products in the given circumstances. This holds true in this modern world the same way it was in the earlier times when mothers were entirely dependent on home-based products to take care of their babies. With the time, added advancements and technology, today’s parents have a multitude of options available in the market. We mothers always make sure to choose the best for our babies to keep their sensitive skin away from rashes and skin allergies to keep them healthy in all ways. 

My children are grown-up now. I’ve passed through the early stage of parenting where filtering products based on ingredients was the first priority. I had that fear that I’m invariably infusing paraben into their life. I made sure to use products that can keep them safe in the most organic way. We all know we can’t make our life 100% chemical-free life but we can keep our lifestyle to that level where we can pick products that are not toxic to the user and the environment. 

If I talk about a decade back, then there won’t be many options available in the market. There were a few dominating baby products brands that have been going through generations but I didn’t pick those. The reason was Paraben and so many chemicals, controversies which we unintentionally consume without knowing about the consequences. In recent years the knowledge and reluctance around Paraben have surged.  And most of the companies have begun to talk about it openly and mentioning boldly on their products but very few have the knowledge that Paraben has been replaced by Phenoxyethanol (in most of the brands) which is another form of chemical with its own pros and cons.

You just need to search a little to know more about it and to have a clear idea of what actually it can do, harm or have a neutral effect on each of us. I’m not claiming to have detailed product-based research on it which is anyway not possible as we mostly depend on trustworthy websites to source our information.

Phenoxyethanol is another type of preservative chemical which is being used in personal care, cosmetics, and baby care products. A little sticky liquid to make the shelf life longer and to save it from deterioration. Mostly found in perfume, soaps, cosmetic ranges, and baby products.  

The use of Phenoxyethanol has a mixed reaction usage mostly depending on age and related factors. Usage of this particular chemical may cause skin allergies and eczema but nothing on a serious level. But the real research through FDA claims and had warned that Phenoxyethanol can affect the acute nervous system in infants or added symptoms like diarrhoea, depressed nervous system, infant’s appetite, change in skin colour, and are vulnerable to some more serious concerns. 

Coming back to Indian markets where we don’t have such restrictions yet to take over the market. The huge market potential and developing countries where we do sometimes skip basic standards to meet the demand. But when it comes to our next generation, I’m sure no one would take risk of even imagining the repercussions. Baby products that are anyway in abundance with a lot of promise and claimed to be paraben-free might have been replaced with some other chemical that most of us haven’t heard of. In the same line, I’m talking about how Phenoxyethanol is still unheard of and not yet tapped in baby care products. Because adults can take a load of chemicals to some extent but not the newborn population. They do need extreme care in all respect and we moms need to be vigilant enough to check the product composition before we use it on them.

Babycare has changed in recent years. It’s not about spending more but picking up wisely. And checking on the listed chemicals if they are harmful in any way. Parenting comes with a lot of responsibilities and I’m sure everyone is learning and giving their best!