Consumer Reports experts on baby lotion ingredients to be on the look out for

Few things are as soft as a baby’s skin. So you might think products made for them would be gentle and free from anything harsh or potentially dangerous.

That’s not always the case.

A baby’s skin can’t regulate moisture as well as an adults, so parents often purchase special baby lotions to help meet their unique needs.

Consumer Reports and fellow nonprofit organization Made Safe, examined the ingredients of several popular baby lotions.

“What we want to identify are ingredients that are a concern to human health," said Made Safe Founder Amy Ziff. "We want to also look at ingredients that impact our air, our water.”

Of the 13 baby lotions—seven from these brands had the most concerning ingredients: Aquaphor, Aveeno, Burt’s Bees, CeraVe, Dove, Eucerin, and Johnson’s.

“Ingredients to avoid are ones that are potentially linked to cancer, such as preservatives like phenoxyethanol and polysorbate," Ziff said. "Additionally, petroleum ingredients, including mineral oil and paraffin. Also with petroleum products—they don't break down in the environment.”

Consumer Reports reached out to the makers of all seven brands and none responded. Another potential issue—fragrance and dyes.

“They can both be hiding hundreds of other ingredients that don't have to get listed on the label,” she added.

Fragrance and dyes in personal care products and cosmetics are considered trade secrets in the U.S., which means they can be kept confidential but could be linked to health concerns like cancer and endocrine disruption.

Lotions with safer ingredients include California Baby Super Sensitive Everyday Lotion and Earth Mama Simply Non-Scents Baby Lotion.

These lotions may be pricier because natural ingredients cost more than synthetically produced ones. – But since you only need to use lotion when your baby’s skin is dry, it might be worth the extra money.

“Fewer ingredients, better ingredients. That's what you wanna do.”

Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at jennifer.kraus@newschannel5.com.

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