Babycare
Is it safe to use toiletries on babies and young children?
As all parents know, children need special care. The younger they are, the more they need looking after - and the same goes for their skin, which can be more sensitive in its early years.
It’s absolutely safe to use those products which are intended to be used on babies and infants. Such products are specially formulated. For example, they use milder cleansers, low levels of fragrance and carefully control the pH to ensure compatibility with baby skin.
All cosmetic products must pass a legally-required safety assessment. In addition, a more detailed assessment is required for any cosmetic product which is intended to be used on children under three years old. Parents can feel reassured that the products they use on their baby's skin and hair are safe.
There has been some media attention in France on the use of cosmetics on babies. In response to this the French Academy of Medicine has published a positive statement against these alleged risks linked to baby care products. The Academy highlights the fact that allegations regarding the safety risk of baby care products published in French media over the last 3 months have not been scientifically substantiated. The Academy criticises the situation and states that alarming the public without any proof cannot be considered a scientific and ethical attitude.
For further information please consult the Agency’s statement (in French).
Is it safe to use cosmetics while breastfeeding?
Some mothers worry about the effect of cosmetics on their breast milk. However, all scientific studies into this issue have concluded that there is no evidence to suggest that cosmetics make breast milk unsafe.
Because cosmetics are applied externally to the skin and hair rather than being ingested directly into the body, their impact on breast milk is negligible and far outweighed by the proven, positive benefits of breastfeeding.
Of course some substances do penetrate the skin or may be ingested (from oralcare and lip products) but these are readily broken down and harmlessly excreted by our bodies. They will have undergone a rigorous safety check to make sure there is no possibility that they can build up to unsafe levels in our bodies.
Is it safe to use cosmetics during pregnancy?
Some allegations have arisen that exposure to cosmetics during pregnancy may cause abnormalities in the development of babies. This will cause a lot of alarm and distress unnecessarily to consumers, and particularly women; and we would like to allay any fears you may have.
Choosing one’s cosmetic products is a very personal thing, but this decision should not be driven by fears over safety – all cosmetic products have to be safe. The cosmetics industry takes its responsibility to the consumer extremely seriously. Safety is the number one priority and strict laws are in place requiring that cosmetic products must not cause harm to human health when applied under under normal or reasonably foreseeable conditions of use. Central to this requirement is that a rigorous safety assessment is carried out on each cosmetic product before it is placed on the shelf.
The cosmetic laws also already require the use of appropriate warnings as necessary, so you can be sure that if there were any risk to pregnant women from using any cosmetic product, there would be a warning in place. In addition, a more detailed assessment is required for any cosmetic product which is intended to be used on children under three years old.
It is important to stress again that any ingredient used in a cosmetic product, whether natural or man-made, must be safe. 'Man-made' does not mean the opposite of 'natural' or ‘organic’. There are plenty of unsafe natural chemicals as well as beneficial ones – in fact we know that many of nature's chemicals are very toxic.
Consumers, especially pregnant women and new mums, can remain confident in their cosmetic and personal care products that they, and millions of others, use safely every day.
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