After a stressful day, there is nothing like a hot tub filled with your favorite bubble bath. You just want to drift into a state of tranquility and escape the worries of the daily routine. You climb into that soothing, fragranced, hot water and lean back ready to be "taken away". But what are you actually doing to your body? Most of us have never stopped to think about the bubble bath we have just poured into the bath water, but maybe we should. We have been warned about the dangers of bubble baths for our young girls, but what about the dangers to ourselves?
Do you know of anyone that has contact dermatitis? Are you aware that the fragrances used in bubble baths are often found to be of a high concentration level? Therefore, the potential for allergic reactions is greater with a highly fragranced, carbonated bubble bath. In addition, physicians have found that bubble baths strip away the mucous lining of the genito-urinary tract and make the area vulnerable to infections especially in young girls.
People taking bubble baths not only have an extended duration of skin contact, but also the hot water increases skin permeability, and the entire body is exposed. For children the exposure is even more concentrated. Products containing cocamide, DEA, or TEA, PEG compounds, ethoxylated alcohols, or polysorbate 60 or 80 should not be used - unless the manufacturer provides label certification that states the product is free from nitrosamines or 1,4-dioxane.
Therefore, to use bubble bath safely, fragrance-sensitive people need to have a well-ventilated area. Of course, if your child develops any irritation or rash especially in the genital area, discontinue their bubble bath.
There is a brighter side to this if you do not want to give up your bubbles! There is a toxic-free solution for you so that you can drift away in a sea of bubbles. Contact me for the answer. If you want to read more about chemical dangers in your home, go to my home page.
Source: The Safe Shopper’s Bible
David Steinman & Samuel S. Epstein, M.D.