Children's cosmetics to avoid

Full of allergens and neurotoxicants. Not to mention titanium dioxide. And most are untested.

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The trend in children's cosmetics, fueled by narcissistic parents, unscrupulous marketing campaigns, and the phenomenon of baby influencers, presents many opaque and health risks for little ones.

Children's skin is thinner and absorbs substances more easily than adult skin. This means that cosmetic ingredients (perfumes, preservatives, colorants) can penetrate more easily and cause irritation or sensitization.

Apparently harmless products can cause irritation, contact dermatitis,  allergic reactions over time. 

The waste is evident. Many cosmetics designed and sold explicitly "for children" are more marketing than necessity. A healthy child, in most cases, only needs:

  • very gentle detergents
  • simple, fragrance-free creams

Everything else (perfumes, makeup, glitter, nail polish) provides no real benefit.

Finally, there's the most controversial aspect of this entire market: the use of ingredients that can be very harmful to children. For example, phenoxyethanol, a substance widely used in industrial cosmetics, can have neurotoxic effects. The same goes for some allergens and stabilizers, or colorants like titanium dioxide (explicitly banned by the European Union from August 2022, as it is considered genotoxic).

But companies that produce cosmetics for children bypass all regulations also thanks to the fact that most of the products are sold in herbalist shops and are essentially untested.

The weekly the buoy They examined eight children's cosmetics products from the most well-known brands, most promoted by baby influencers, and only two products passed the minimum mark, with low levels of undesirable ingredients. The others received very low scores, which is a cause for concern. 

BLACK CHERRY BALM DOTCOM LIP BALM, GLOSSIER

Rating 5

HONEY INFUSED LIP OIL, GISOU  

Rating 4

Maracuja Juicy Gloss, Tarte

Rating 3,5

KISS ON CHEEKS STICK PH-REAGENT FOR LIPS AND CHEEKS, ESSENCE

Rating 3,5

WATERMELON GLOW DEW DROPS, GLOW RECIPE

Rating 7,5

ALWAYS AN OPTIMIST 4-IN-1 MIST MOISTURIZING PRIMER IN SPRAY RARE BEAUTY

Rating 6,9

A-PASSION RETINOL CREAM, DRUNK ELEPHANT

Rating 5,5

MAGIC ALL IN ONE FACE CREAM, ESSENCE

Rating 3,5

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