Can someone recommend a good, natural, tear-free baby shampoo? - Page 2

[Serena]

Well, dd has hardly any hair, so... no advice on the shampoo, but we looove the Calfornia Baby body soap. Smells delicious. And we're on our second bottle in EIGHTEEN months!! A little really does go a long way. Oh, we also had some Baby Oh Baby brand, which smelled absolutely as good. The brands cost more, but they're worth it--numbing agents or no numbing agents, J&J and other brands are full of chemicals--sodium laureth sulfate and other petrolatum derivatives and false fragrances--yuck.

[fishy]

Originally posted by hlsanders
I don't look for 'no tears' varieties, because the only reason that it actually IS no tears is because it contains an eye-numbing agent. That makes me uncomfortable.

are you kidding me? i did not know that and now im mad!

[HeatherSanders]

The lady that used to have a very informative article up at her site is no longer selling baby products and so, the article was pulled down. I contacted her, but have not received word back.

The ingredient to watch for is Polysorbate 20 which causes a numbing sensation to the eyes. Polysorbate 20 is a derivative of Novacain (dentists use as numbing agent). This prevents your baby from feeling the sting of the stronger detergent additives in shampoos. So, basically the irritating ingredients are still THERE, they just can't be felt.

Source: Penn State Cosmetology School

This is what I was able to find online, but I am still looking for my book, Healthy Baby, Toxic World - I remember reading about it there as well.

Applesforhealth.com explains the eye-numbing ingredient as a way to reduce the irritation that otherwise would be caused by ingredients such as sodium lauryl suflate

Some baby product brands incorporate anti-irritant ingredients into their formulations to reduce the irritation sensitivity potential of sodium lauryl sulfate, but not the other side effects.

[ksmeadowlark]

ksmeadowlark . . . I accidentally edited your reply somehow when I tried to post mine below.

Can you re-post please - my apologies! Those 'super moderator powers' of mine accidentally were utilized without my realization.

[HeatherSanders]

Hmmm...I don't buy that about polysorbate 20 being a numbing agent. I did some checking around and it is a common emulsifying agent used in soaps, shampoos, candles, even photographic chemicals. From what I found, it is a "very mild emulsifier based on polymerised oleate (palm oil) and sorbitol ester (abundant in nature or derived from glucose)." (www.trinature.com)

So, back to researching, eh? This has me thinking - If it IS a derivative of novacaine, it makes sense that it would be a numbing agent. BUT IF IT ISN'T . . . well, NOW I need to KNOW!

:LOL The things I decide that I MUST know! I'm a strange bird!

[ksmeadowlark]

eek! The boards are acting strangely. I wrote out this long message above, but when Heather replied to it, it inserted her message into mine, and most of my info is gone. I PMd her, maybe she can fix it.

Anyway, I wanted to add that I don't think that Polysorbate 20 can be a derivative of Novocain bc as I posted before, Polysorbate 20 is derived from natural compounds, based on polymerised oleate (palm oil) and sorbitol ester (abundant in nature or derived from glucose), whereas Novocain is a synthetic, manufactured substitute for cocaine (4-aminobenzoic acid, 2-(diethylaminoethyl) ester).

[ksmeadowlark]

OK, let me add a little of what I had typed before...

I don't think that polysorbate 20 is anything other than an emuslfiying agent, which means it helps with the textures of substances. It is used in candles, soaps, lotions, air sprays, even photographic developing chemicals. (see www.trinature.com)

The only place I found info about it being a "numbing" agent was in several natural health websites, and all the text exactly the same, like people have been copying and pasting the info around. It reeks strongly of internet legend, from what I can tell.

I will admit that I am only basing this on internet research, just like others have done. And we all know that we have to read virtually everything from the internet with a grain of salt, right? But I keep coming back to info that leads me to believe what I posted above.

I noticed that even Johnson & Johnson has a fact page disputing this bit about their baby shampoos having a numbing agent in them.

[HeatherSanders]

Lisa,
I really think you might be 'on' to something. As much as I strive to be as 'natural' as possible I absolutely despise it when someone tries to pass off 'myth' for 'truth.'

And yes, we have to consider everything we find on the web for its source - and those sources are a bit difficult to come by.

So just WHAT do they use to make it tear free though, because there are ingredients in there that would burn the eyes, y'know?

[ksmeadowlark]

I have to run off for the evening here in a sec, but I was thinking that the formulas that don't burn (like Ca Baby) may be more pH balanced, and also just have milder cleansers than the ones that burn. I dunno...will check on that later.

[HeatherSanders]

Hey Lisa, we have our 'own' thread! :LOL :LOL
Think people got tired of our correspondences??

[ksmeadowlark]

LOL, maybe we are just too nerdy for everyone else

Meanwhile, my DS needs to have his hair washed!!!! Gotta find a new shampoo! :

[HeatherSanders]

I was just pulling out the Dr. Bronner's because I didn't want to deal with reading through the ingredients.

I am 'researched' out lately . . . and I need to get working on a new article for May! Uggh!

I'll tackle this when my brain is intact . . . right now I think it is in hiding, because I can't seem to draw it forth! HA!

[ksmeadowlark]

Yeah, I could see that you are researched out, you with your 5446 posts!!!! Whoa! How did your number get THAT high?

I guess we will make do with the Healthy Times Pansy shampoo and try harder to avoid eyes. DH never liked the idea of using "pansy" shampoo on DS though! LOL I may have to spring for some CA Baby when the next paycheck rolls in, just bc I don't wanna deal with this anymore right now either.

[emma_goldman]

what about Burt's Bees new Shampoo&Wash, Tear Free, 8 oz, available at Frontier's for 3.15? Off to look at the ingredients list....