Ingredients to Avoid in Baby Products: A Parent's Checklist
Ingredients to Avoid in Baby Products: A Parent's Checklist
Baby skin is not just smaller than adult skin. It is structurally different. It is thinner, more permeable, and absorbs chemicals at a higher rate per square inch. The skin barrier that protects adults from environmental toxins is not fully developed in infants and does not mature until around age two.
That means every product you put on a baby's skin has a direct line into their body. The ingredients in baby shampoo, lotion, wipes, diapers, and laundry detergent matter more for babies than for any other age group.
The problem is that "baby" branding does not guarantee safety. Many products marketed specifically for infants contain the same problematic ingredients found in adult products, just with softer packaging and a higher price tag. Here is what to actually look for on the label.
Fragrance (Listed as "Fragrance" or "Parfum")
This is the single most important ingredient to avoid in any baby product. The word "fragrance" on a label is a legal loophole. Under FDA regulations, companies can group dozens of undisclosed chemicals under the single word "fragrance" without listing any of them individually.
A single fragrance blend can contain 50 to 300 individual chemicals, including phthalates (endocrine disruptors), synthetic musks, and allergens. The International Fragrance Association lists over 3,000 chemicals used in fragrance formulations, and not all of them have been tested for safety in infants.
Where it hides: Baby shampoo, baby lotion, baby powder, diaper cream, baby wipes, laundry detergent
What to use instead: Products labeled "fragrance-free" (not "unscented," which can still contain masking fragrances). We covered this distinction in depth: Fragrance-Free vs Unscented: The Critical Difference.
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) and Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES)
These are foaming agents used in shampoo, body wash, and bubble bath. They create the lather that most people associate with "cleaning," but they are harsh surfactants that strip the natural oils from skin and can cause irritation, dryness, and disruption of the skin barrier.
For babies with eczema or sensitive skin, SLS is particularly problematic. Studies have shown it increases transepidermal water loss (the rate at which moisture escapes through the skin), which worsens dryness and irritation.
SLES is a milder version that goes through an additional processing step (ethoxylation), but that process can introduce trace amounts of 1,4-dioxane, a probable carcinogen.
Where it hides: Baby shampoo, baby wash, bubble bath
What to use instead: Products with gentle plant-based surfactants like coco-glucoside, decyl glucoside, or sodium cocoyl isethionate. Babo Botanicals Baby Shampoo and Wash uses a gentle, plant-derived cleansing base without SLS.
Parabens (Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Butylparaben)
Parabens are preservatives used to prevent bacterial growth in water-based products. They are effective at that job, but they are also endocrine disruptors, meaning they can mimic estrogen in the body. Multiple studies have detected parabens in breast milk, umbilical cord blood, and infant urine.
The EU has restricted certain parabens in products designed for use on the diaper area of children under three, citing concerns about absorption through damaged skin. The US has no such restrictions.
Where it hides: Baby lotion, diaper cream, baby wash, baby wipes
What to use instead: Products preserved with tocopherol (vitamin E), rosemary extract, potassium sorbate, or sodium benzoate. These are effective preservatives without the hormonal concerns.
Phenoxyethanol
This preservative has become the default replacement for parabens in many "clean" baby products. It is marketed as a safer alternative, and while it is less of an endocrine concern than parabens, it is not without issues.
The FDA issued a warning about phenoxyethanol in a nipple cream product, noting it can cause central nervous system depression in infants when ingested. At concentrations used in cosmetics (typically under 1%), the risk is low, but for products used on areas a baby might mouth (hands, face, nipple area), it is worth being aware of.
Where it hides: Baby lotion, baby wash, diaper cream, nursing balms
What to use instead: The same natural preservative alternatives listed above for parabens. Not every product needs a synthetic preservative, especially oil-based products like balms and ointments.
Phthalates
Phthalates are plasticizers used to make products more flexible and to help fragrances stick to skin. They are endocrine disruptors that have been linked to developmental and reproductive toxicity in animal studies. The challenge is that phthalates rarely appear on ingredient labels. They are typically hidden inside the "fragrance" designation.
This is one of the key reasons fragrance-free matters so much for baby products. If the product contains "fragrance," it may contain phthalates, and you have no way to know.
Where it hides: Anything with "fragrance" on the label, some baby powders, some diaper materials
What to use instead: Fragrance-free products from brands that explicitly state "no phthalates" in their ingredient policy.
Formaldehyde-Releasing Preservatives
These ingredients slowly release small amounts of formaldehyde over time to prevent bacterial contamination. Formaldehyde is a known carcinogen. The amounts released are small, but for a baby whose skin absorbs more readily, cumulative exposure is a reasonable concern.
Common formaldehyde releasers include: DMDM hydantoin, quaternium-15, imidazolidinyl urea, diazolidinyl urea, and bronopol (2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol).
Where it hides: Baby shampoo, baby wash, baby lotion, some baby wipes
What to use instead: Any product that avoids these specific preservatives. Look for brands that are transparent about their preservative system.
Mineral Oil and Petroleum-Based Ingredients
Mineral oil (also labeled as paraffinum liquidum or petrolatum) is a byproduct of petroleum refining. It creates a barrier on the skin that locks in moisture, but it also locks out the skin's ability to breathe and function normally. For baby skin that is still developing its barrier function, this can interfere with the natural maturation process.
Pharmaceutical-grade mineral oil is highly refined and unlikely to contain contaminants. But lower-grade mineral oil used in cheaper products may contain polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which are carcinogenic.
Where it hides: Baby oil, diaper cream, baby lotion
What to use instead: Plant-based oils like jojoba, coconut, or shea butter. Babo Botanicals Baby Lotion uses plant-based moisturizers instead of petroleum derivatives.
Chlorine and Chemical Fragrances in Diapers
Conventional disposable diapers can contain chlorine (from the bleaching process), fragrances, phthalates, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). A 2019 study published in the Journal of Environmental Science and Technology found that disposable diapers can emit VOCs including toluene and xylene.
Since diapers are worn against a baby's skin for 24 hours a day for 2 to 3 years, the cumulative exposure is significant.
What to use instead: Diapers made without chlorine bleaching, fragrance, or lotions. Pura Premium Eco-Friendly Diapers are made with TCF (totally chlorine free) pulp, no fragrance, and no lotions.
What About Baby Wipes?
Most conventional baby wipes contain a cocktail of the ingredients listed above: fragrance, phenoxyethanol, parabens or paraben alternatives, and sometimes even formaldehyde-releasing preservatives. Given that you are using wipes multiple times per day on broken or irritated skin (diaper area), the ingredient quality matters.
WaterWipes Newborn and Baby Wipes are made with 99.9% water and a drop of fruit extract. That is the entire ingredient list. No fragrance, no preservatives, no surfactants.
The Quick Label Check for Baby Products
When evaluating any baby product, scan the ingredient list for these red flags:
- "Fragrance" or "parfum" anywhere on the list
- Any ingredient ending in "-paraben"
- SLS or SLES in the first five ingredients
- DMDM hydantoin, quaternium-15, or any formaldehyde releaser
- Mineral oil, petrolatum, or paraffinum liquidum
If a product contains none of these, it passes the basic safety check. From there, look for brands that are transparent about sourcing and that use recognizable ingredients you can actually pronounce.
Clean Baby Products We Recommend
We evaluate every product at the ingredient level. Here are the baby products that meet our standards:
- Babo Botanicals Baby Shampoo and Wash for gentle, plant-based cleansing
- Babo Botanicals Baby Lotion for fragrance-free moisturizing
- WaterWipes Newborn and Baby Wipes for minimal-ingredient wipes
- Pura Premium Eco-Friendly Diapers for chlorine-free, fragrance-free diapers
- Molly's Suds Baby Laundry Detergent for clean laundry without optical brighteners or synthetic fragrance
- Dr. Brown's Anti-Colic Glass Baby Bottle for plastic-free feeding
Browse all of our baby product recommendations: Baby Category
We publish ingredient-level breakdowns for parents who want straight answers without the marketing spin. Join the Label Lookout community for weekly recommendations delivered to your inbox.