Choosing the right baby washing powder for newborns!

Adam December 29, 2021 0 Comments

Baby’s health is a whole list of measures and precautions that mom and dad should remember every day and night. This very long list also includes washing powder. And it’s not only the risk of an allergic instant reaction, but also the risk of intoxication of the child’s body from prolonged exposure to the wrong powder through clothes and underwear.

See also: Rating of children’s washing powders – which one do you choose?

What is he – the right laundry detergent for babies?

The content of the article:

The correct composition of baby laundry detergent – what is better phosphate-free baby laundry detergent?

You might be surprised, but the composition of baby powder is practically no different from that of an adult… In particular, this applies to domestic funds.

What is usually present in the composition of the powder, what components are categorically unacceptable in it, and what to look for?

Surfactant. This component is an active substance whose task is to remove stains from clothes. They are the most dangerous for children’s health (especially anionic surfactants, their maximum allowable concentration in the detergent is 2-5 percent). The main consequences of surfactant exposure are disorders in the immune system, acute allergic reactions, damage to internal organs. Harmless surfactants are obtained only from plant materials.
Soap base. Usually, substances of animal / vegetable origin are used for its production. But when synthetic fatty acids are added, the free alkali formed in the water leads to allergies on the delicate skin of children.
Phosphates. The purpose of these components is to soften water and activate surfactants. Much has already been written about their harmful effects (most of all this concerns sodium tripolyphosphate), but our manufacturers still continue to add them to washing powder, reducing the concentration of phosphates to 15-30 percent. The consequences of the action of phosphates: the penetration of harmful substances into the body of the crumbs, even in the absence of wounds on the skin, degreasing the skin, reducing the barrier functions of the skin, destroying cell membranes, disrupting the properties of blood, reducing immunity. In most European countries and America, these components have long been banned for use and replaced by those that are harmless to health. In the correct powders, the phosphates are replaced with sodium disilicate (15-30 percent), which softens the water, and also supplemented with zeolites.
Zeolites (natural component of volcanic origin). Even if the laundry is incompletely rinsed, they have no harmful effect.
Bleaches – chemical (oxygen and chlorine) and optical. Everyone knows their purpose – to remove stains from light-colored fabrics. Optical brightener works differently than chemical brightener – it settles on the surface of clothing and creates a whiteness effect. Of course, it remains on the fabric even after rinsing, after which it comes into contact with the baby’s skin. Therefore, optical brightener is unacceptable for washing baby clothes (in the correct powder it is replaced by sodium carbonate peroxide), as, indeed, chlorine bleach – it should also be avoided. For babies, experts recommend using hydrogen peroxide-based bleaches (they also deal with bacteria). And if you want absolute safety, just boil the laundry with grated laundry soap or use folk harmless methods of bleaching baby clothes.
Flavors. Of course, it’s nice when you can smell the frosty morning from the linen. But any fragrance in the powder is a blow to the baby’s respiratory tract and the risk of allergies. Hypoallergenic powders are odorless and sold in pharmacies – they usually undergo additional cleaning. In quality powders, fragrances can also be replaced with essential oils.
Enzymesproduced without the use of GMOs. They are needed to destroy stains of protein origin. They are harmful only in the form of dust, but in a soapy solution they are absolutely harmless.
Conditioners and softeners. The principle of action is fabric softening. These components also do not rinse out and affect children’s skin. It is not recommended to use them for clothes of children under 3 years old.

Basic rules for choosing a washing powder for baby clothes – how to choose a baby powder correctly?

Before throwing the powder into the basket and going to the checkout, we carefully look at the packaging, we read the composition of the product and remember the rules for choosing baby powder:

See also: Children’s fabric softener – which one to choose?

On the packaging of a quality product, the composition is always fully indicated. – absolutely all components. In the absence of the composition of the product on the package, we are looking for another powder.
We do not take baby powder if it contains there are phosphates, surfactants, optical and chlorine brighteners, fragrances, softeners and conditioners.
On the packaging without fail there must be a mark – “hypoallergenic”…
All powder components must be completely rinsed out for hand and machine wash. That is, they must be natural.
Pungent specific or too “frosty” (floral, etc.) odor – a reason to refuse powder. No fragrances!
Additional signs of the correct powder (alas, you can only check at home): it perfectly and quickly dissolves in water, it does not form lumps, it does not leave marks on clothes when dry and it foams very modestly.
On a note: large foaming – a clear “symptom” of the presence of surfactants in the powder…
The powder for the smallest crumbs should be extremely soft. Note – whether there is a label “for newborns” on the package.
Adult powders for children under 3 years of age are strictly prohibited.… Components for color retention, whitening, softening, easy ironing, etc. are a health risk for the baby.
Be sure to check the integrity of the packaging and the expiration date.
In order not to buy a fake, we are looking for powder only in pharmacies and large stores…
No matter how manufacturers convince you that baby conditioners used after washing are additional moisture to the laundry, “soft fluffiness” and absolute safety, remember – it is prohibited to use them for newborns.
Even if the powder is imported, the package must contain instructions and composition in Russian, as well as all information about the manufacturer.

Don’t be guided by the experiences of other families. If your neighbor’s babies are not allergic to adult powder, and they crawl quite safely in sliders washed with optical brightener, this does not mean that allergic problems will bypass you.