Ken Cook | Why your baby's skin is soaking everything in and what you can do to protect baby
Key Takeaway:
Because baby’s soaking it all in:
- Skin is your largest organ
- Anything applied to baby’s skin can get into the bloodstream almost immediately after putting it on
- Look at the science from EWG ingredient by ingredient to make informed choices for your family
Transcript
Your skin is an incredible source of exposure to toxic chemicals. And we started by looking at what we put on our skin: personal care products. Many of these products end up getting into your bloodstream, almost immediately after they've been applied to your skin.
Whether it's something you use in the shower or something you use after you shave or something you put on your baby to try and prevent diaper rash or, deal with keeping their skin soft and comfortable - that substance that you're putting on that baby's skin is as important as what they eat. It ends up getting in their bloodstream, ends up getting into their bodies. And we know from studies that have been done by us and by others, that there are lots of chemicals that can end up in babies even while they're developing in their, in their mother's womb.
So what you have to realize is that your skin is your largest organ, it absorbs all kinds of chemicals, it's exposed to, whether they're on your skin or in the air. We want to make sure that people understand that, and then take the very easy steps, actionable steps to reduce toxic chemical exposure. So, be smart about what you buy to put on your baby. We don't need chemicals in diapers getting into babies bodies. We don't need chemicals that are dangerous in food. So protecting against all of that is vital, but the skin is something that a lot of people don't think about.
Don't just go buy the smell. Don't just go by the claim that it's natural or healthy. Look at EWG’s advice. Look at our guides. We look at chemical by chemical, what science tells us about how safe they are.
Access EWG's Guides to learn more about protecting your family.
