AUSTIN, Texas — Editor's Note: An earlier version of this story listed an additional brand of lotion that contained concerning ingredients. That brand has since reformulated its product to remove that ingredient.
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. Consumer Reports takes a closer look at what’s in some popular baby lotions, and the results might surprise you.
A baby’s skin can’t regulate moisture as well as an adult’s, 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. We want to also look at ingredients that impact our air, our water, our soil.
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. 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 but 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.
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.
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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.
CR also tested ten of the baby lotions for lead and other toxic contaminants and found none.