How to Find if a Product's Natural Claims are True: No "Harsh" Chemicals?
I have become a little more vigilant after reading last week's report on products, including green ones, with hidden toxic chemicals in their ingredients. I try to read labels diligently when writing product reviews, but frankly, it is hard to stay on top of all claims of natural and chemical-free.
Le Baby Detangler makes such claims that I find suspicious.
- Le Baby Detangler gently detangles hair spray on wet or dry
- Hypoallergenic
- No harsh chemicals
- No parabens
- No sulfates
- Not tested on animals
- Fragrance-free
- Natural scented botanicals
- Does not irritate skin with it's easy on the hair ingredients
Thankfully, they do disclose ingredients:
Ingredients: water (aqua), citrus aurantium dulcis (orange) flower essential water, polyquaternium-7, glycerin, polysorbate 20, aloe, barbadensis leaf, polyquaternium-10, 1,2-hexanediol, sodium benzoate, tocopheryl acetate, citrus medica limonum (lemon) peel oil, peg-8 dimethicone, disodium edta, potassium sorbate, caprylyl glycol
Whenever I can't read an ingredient that includes numbers and dashes, etc., I suspect chemical compounds.
Skin Deep, the Environmental Working Groups cosmetic database, is my go to resource for looking up products. If the products, such as the LeBaby one, has not been reviewed, I look at some of the ingredients.
For example, I don't know what peg-8 dimethicone is, and it doesn't sound good. EWG gave it a hazard score between three and six.
About PEG-8 DIMETHICONE: PEG-8 Dimethicone is a polyethylene glycol derivative of Dimethicone (q.v.) containing anaverage of 8 moles of ethylene oxide.
USE RESTRICTIONS
type of concern
Violation of industry recommendations - Restricted in cosmetics; use, concentration, or manufacturing restrictions - Not safe for use on injured or damaged skin
Those hazard scores are not terrible, but it is still a chemical.
Nowhere on the LeBaby label does it warn not to use on "injured or damaged skin". In fact, it says, "for babies, kids and everyone with sensitive skin".
We have previously reviewed LeBaby's Chemical-Free, Fragrance-Free Hair Gel for Babies and Kids raising similar ingredient concerns and claims of chemical-free.
Disclosure: I was sent free samples of these products to review. No prior assurances were given as to whether the review be positive or negative.
Read More in: Baby | Beauty | Kids | Product review
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Posted by Jennifer Lance at March 12, 2012 1:32 AM
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