Cosmetics etc

[Summerblaze]

How many of you watch what is in your cosmetics, hand creams etc.

When I was pg with No2, I put on some hand cream before realising that it had vit A in it. I washed it off and bought another product.

Now this time I seem to be watching everything I do. My DH bought a new handwash so after using it for a day, I decided to google the ingredients and one of the ingredients was classed as a hazard. It was benzophenone-3.

Now I am worrying that I have done something wrong to my baby. DH thinks I'm mad and says that most people don't even check these things out and their babies are fine.

I know what he says makes sense and that worrying is bad for me too. I just can't help it.

Is this something I should chill out about. I feel like everything I touch or put in my mouth is bad.

Never occurred to me to check in any of my pregnancies. I am 29 weeks pregnant with no. 4 and find it hard enough to keep up with the ever changing list of things you can and can't eat whilst pregnant without looking at every other product we use within a day. At a guess I would say that the quantities of any such ingredient would be so small any risks would be negligible.

I think you are right to be aware but maybe you need to relax a little, there is a never ending and ever changing list of 'not to do's' when you are pregnant and if you are sensible in the main with regard to certain foods, cat poo etc you should be rest assured you are not doing anything to put the baby at risk, worrying too much won't help. I'm avoiding dying my hair but I'm still wearing my make up everyday

I think you are being a bit overcareful. I thought vit A was only a problem in large quantities. You get some of it in a lot of foods!

See this list, courtesy of wikipedia:

Vitamin A is found naturally in many foods:

liver (beef, pork, chicken, turkey, fish) (6500 μg 722%), including cod liver oil
dandelion greens (5588 IU 112%)[10]
carrot (835 μg 93%)
broccoli leaf (800 μg 89%) ? According to USDA database broccoli florets have much less.[11]
sweet potato (709 μg 79%)
butter (684 μg 76%)
kale (681 μg 76%)
spinach (469 μg 52%)
pumpkin (400 μg 41%)
collard greens (333 μg 37%)
Cheddar cheese (265 μg 29%)
cantaloupe melon (169 μg 19%)
egg (140 μg 16%)
apricot (96 μg 11%)
papaya (55 μg 6%)
mango (38 μg 4%)
pea (38 μg 4%)
broccoli (31 μg 3%)
milk (28 μg 3%)

The same page also has a chart showing the level of intake you need and the recommended maximum (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitamin_A). I really doubt that absorbing a tiny amount in handcream is likely to be a problem. According to that page you need 750-770 ug per day when you are pregnant.

I've never even considered it. I imagine as long as you're not eating the hand cream/wash then you should be just fine!

You can't control these things, soap in public bathrooms, cleaning chemicals used at work, air fresheners. Try and relax a little :)

I'm using mostly organic cosmetics anyway but I think the one thing that pregnant ladies should consider is chemical deodorant if you are planning to breastfeed as all the nasty chemicals will still be in the skin etc...

MrsHuxtable have you a good recommendation for non chemical deodorant?

Pam There's brand called 'Jason', it's scandinavian I think. They do lovely deodorant sticks I buy in our health shop. It's the best one I found so far. Of course, there are many people going on about those crystal deodorant but they don't work for me. I'm too smelly.

Out of interest I looked up the Jason deodorant and was a bit disappointed to find its list of ingredients:
Propylene Glycol, Aqua, Rice Starch, Sodium Stearate, Silica, Alcohol, Ceteareth-20, Tea Tree Leaf Oil*, Zinc Ricinoleate, Allantoin, Natural Vitamin E, Bisabolol, Fragrance
*Certified Organic
Not sure how "non-chemical" that is.

I'm open too new suggestions.

Maybe a Neal's Yard one or Weleda?

Sorry...never found a chemical free deodorant. I use plain old soap and water. It works just as well as any other deodorant I've tried. Although I understand it wouldn't be an option for everyone!

I do think, in the nicest way, you need to chill out. To wash off a handcream because it contains vitamin A is bordering on madness. Your baby will be fine, if anything the stress and worry you're causing yourself is going to be more damaging than any handwash will.