The Most Unexpected Sources of Allergens I Found in Baby Products

Who knew that hours of research would need to be filtered into finding the right allergy-friendly diapers, baby shampoo, and other products? Before pregnancy I thought you just went to the store and bought whatever products said ‘baby’ on them. Didn’t baby mean gentle and soft on skin? I quickly learned that was not the case.

Prenatal Vitamins

As soon as I found out I was pregnant I began my hunt for an allergy safe prenatal vitamin. I scoured so many company websites, emailed manufacturers, and looked up and down the pharmacy aisles. Every time I thought I had found one that was safe for my allergies, the manufacturer would inevitably come back to me with a response about how there might be allergen cross contact in the processing facility due to XYZ ingredients being derived from an allergen, or other products containing allergens sharing the same facility. Access to allergy safe pharma products is my lifelong struggle. Thank god for compounding pharmacists and brands like AOR who are allergy aware. I was able to consult with my doctor at a chronic illness management clinic I have been going to for a few years, and he helped me frankenstein together a supplement regimen that would satisfy my requirements. We did a blood test first as I have some pre-existing nutritional deficiencies that have caused me health issues in the past, and for which my dosages might vary. Some of the vitamins and minerals I sourced came from AOR and others from the compounding pharmacy. I then secured nine months worth of these supplements so that I could rest easy at night knowing I was covered. Please note that putting together one’s own prenatal vitamin should only be done under the guidance of a board certified doctor, and only if necessary.

Diapers

As a new mommy who has eczema and allergies herself, I had to be conscious of skin-friendly products not just for my baby but for myself too. My skin has never reacted well to plasticky materials, so I knew I needed to find more ‘natural’ diapers. I popped on to well.ca (one of my favorite online retailers), and was amazed to see a wide selection of diapers available. Before this, I truly thought there were only 3 brands of diapers available; Huggies, Pampers, and Honest Company. I was so wrong! There were a multitude of diaper brands I had never heard of before.

As I opened each product page to read about the different varieties, I was surprised to see that diapers have ingredients labels. I found ‘natural’ diapers with seed oils, lotions, vegetable starches, synthetic dyes, fragrances, plastics, and all kinds of things that would certainly irritate my own skin and possibly my baby’s too. Despite my initial discouragement at seeing these ingredients (which would be sandwiched up against baby’s skin all day and night) I managed to find three brands that had minimal ingredients (plastics are inescapable but some brands use more than others), and that advertised themselves as being appropriate for eczema prone skin; a Danish brand called Bambo, and a North American brand of compostable diapers called Nest, and a Canadian brand of compostable diapers called Eco Pea Co. Fortunately we have accessible and affordable cloth diaper services in Toronto that are significantly cheaper than using disposable diapers, and you don’t have to rinse or wash anything - the service does it all for you! I had my heart set on cloth diapers as our main route, but my baby’s skin reacted to the detergent used to wash the diapers, and the snaps left dig marks in his skin. After three diaper attempts and one obvious rash, we decided to forego the cloth diaper idea altogether. Compostables are a great alternative as most brands decompose within 30 years, and I buy compostable garbage bags to dispose of them in. We do not have a diaper genie. We are nearly four months in and baby has never had a rash or irritation from his compostable diapers.

There was one occasion when we found ourselves out of diapers entirely (the achilles heel of specialized diapers is that they have to be ordered online and therefore have unpredictable shipment times) and had to dip in to the free box of Pampers newborn diapers that I had received in the mail after signing up for their email newsletters. Although they are advertised as gentle on skin, the fragrance irritated my skin immediately and baby’s bum became irritated. As a mommy with eczema (and also a generally dramatic human at the best of times) I looked at these diapers like they were the enemy and debated whether I would be better off wrapping him in a hand towel with a diaper cover over top (I did not). I decided to donate the remaining Pampers diapers to the local community pantry so that they could be used by families whose babies may need them. They are not “bad” diapers, they were just not the right fit for us.

Wipes

Baby wipes with a light fragrance - WHY? Babies do not need to be fragranced. Most of the typical brands were quickly ruled out, and I settled for water wipes (there are several brands of these) which are 99% water with 1% fruit extract. The brand I bought is called WaterWipes and is certified by the National Eczema Association. When buying wipes, I look for brands with two ingredients or fewer. Most of the brands that advertise as “gentle” or “sensitive skin” actually have a long list of ingredients, often including fragrance, oils, glycerin, etc. My skin would not be able to stand touching these wipes every time I change my baby, wipe up spit, etc. We tried Pampers Sensitive wipes but had the same experience as we did with the diapers - mommy’s skin couldn’t hack it, so they were donated to a family who could make better use of them.

Mattresses, change pads, and loungers

Is this one a surprise or what? A baby mattress is, again, something I never thought I’d have to put any thought in to. Don’t you just buy the middle of the road one that has good reviews and fits the crib? Well, baby mattresses can be made out of anything, including soybeans, apparently. And soybean foam mattresses, change pads, and loungers are pretty common. Did I mention that I have a soy allergy? Many mattresses have a materials list, similar to an ingredients list, available. I ended up buying an ALLERGEN FREE MATTRESS (I cannot make this stuff up). It was advertised as soy free and allergen free, and thank god it was a very reasonable price. I opted for cotton change pads and a cotton-lined lounger, which was simple enough. This discovery begs the question - is a soy mattress just a slice of tofu? We may never know.

Baby shampoo, wash, and lotion

As I mentioned earlier, I don’t feel babies require fragrance. They already smell like wonderful little new babies, with that gentle scent that is so unique to your own personal baby! I would never want to cover that up even if I wasn’t conscious of allergies and eczema; it’s precious. After popping over to the drug store to quickly grab a few baby washes and lotions, I came home empty handed. Every single brand contained some type of fragrance or something that mommy is allergic to, like dairy, or almond oil. I’m used to having to hunt down the right products online so this was par for the course in my opinion, though I was surprised by the prevalence of fragrance.

After speaking to fellow moms and skimming well.ca for baby skincare, I landed on CeraVe and Mustela, both of which are well known in the allergy and eczema world, and both of which have baby lines that were developed with eczema and allergies in mind. Some of the Mustela products, a line from France, contained my allergens, however I was able to get a wash, lotion, and skin hydrator that I am very excited to share with baby. From CeraVe, I bought the baby wash and lotion. We go through a lot of skincare in my home so having extras can never hurt. I am especially excited to try the Mustela hair styler and skin refresher which is made from organically farmed chamomile water. And if you read that sentence and thought wow, that’s one bougie mommy, I can’t fault you. But just know that I am sitting here spritzing myself with a delightfully hydrating botanical mist. For baby’s laundry I am using The Unscented Company laundry detergent, a favorite of mine. We use their liquid hand soap too.

How many hours did I log searching for the right products for my baby? I prefer not to count it at this point. Let’s just say it was several nights worth. With my history of eczema and sensitive skin, I am extremely particular because I know how bad it can be when eczema flares up. Knowing I have sourced products that I personally trust allows me to feel calm and relaxed. I bought some travel bottles and bottled up the CeraVe lotion to leave at my parents’ and my in-laws’ homes, as well as care packages with diapers and water wipes so that we will have our trusty products wherever we go.

What to read next:

• The Best Investments I Made Towards Having an Empowered Pregnancy and Birth Experience

• Dealing with GERD During Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period

• How I Managed Crazy Eczema Flare-Ups During Pregnancy And Post-Partum

• My Journey Through Pregnancy As An Adult With Anaphylactic Food Allergies

• Dealing With Food Allergies, And Anxiety During Pregnancy And The Postpartum Period

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