# Are baby soaps 'tear' free?



## nurse_75 (Nov 2, 2011)

I have been looking at recipes for soaps for babies and quite a few mention to make sure the bubs dont get it in their eyes.

Are there any 'tear' free soaps? Like J&J.

Also has anyone made a soap using baby talc and baby mineral oils in it? I found an interesting recipe that sounds nice.

I would like to make a smallish log with soap to try on my kids first (little fella is 15mths and toddler is 3) before I make some for my friends with littlies.

Thanks.

Sharna


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## Bubbles Galore (Nov 2, 2011)

No, there are no "tear free" soaps.  :wink:


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## Tegan (Nov 2, 2011)

No....CP baby soaps are NOT tear free.  Don't get it in their eyes...it will burn like the dickens.

Mineral oil does not saponify.....I wouldn't mix it into soap.  (I'm not sure what talc would do....)

I also don't recommend using your children as guinea pigs.....

http://www.00www.clinuvel.com/dermatolo ... drens-skin

Test it on yourself.....test it on a willing adult.....make sure it's completely safe before using it on a child.


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## nurse_75 (Nov 2, 2011)

Tegan - I didnt mean to imply that I would 'test' the soaps on my children, I would use them on myself first. I am not that irresponsible. You say CP soaps arent tear free... does that mean M&P or HP soaps may be?

It is interesting to note that CP soaps are not really 'all' safe for kids. My kids constantly rub their faces in the bath and like to wash each others hair. I guess I may just stick with the wonderful liquid soap we have currently.

Jenny - I was hoping the answer would be yes as I would love homemade soap that was safe for my kids. I asked this Q after using some wonderful soap that Nat sent me and both my kids accidently got it in their eyes. I was honestly surprised that it would sting like that. This was before I had any knowledge of what was involved in CP soap. 

Sharna


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## Elly (Nov 2, 2011)

soaps are very alkaline and that causes a stinging sensation in the eyes, it doesn't matter if they are CP or HP. It is best not to use soap on babies (infants) because their skins are so delicate. On children you can use 100% OO soaps which tend to be milder than other oils but be careful with their eyes.  I would never use a mineral oil on a child or on myself, that's just me. 
Here is an interesting thread to read on the subject.  
http://soapmakingforum.com/forum/viewto ... light=baby :wink:


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## Bubbles Galore (Nov 2, 2011)

No, Melt & Pour and HP soap are not tear free either. All sting the eyes.


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## nurse_75 (Nov 2, 2011)

Elly - What is your reason for not using mineral oils? I mean something like baby oil? have a scientific background and do appreciate acids/bases so am wondering how does J&J accomplish a 'tear' free formula. 

Does anyone know? and if so, can it be replicated. Off to google this I suppose.


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## judymoody (Nov 2, 2011)

Mineral oil does not saponify so that's why it's not used in CP.  In fact, some people use it to grease their molds for that very reason.

As I understand it, J&J and other baby washes are made from detergent-based surfactants and therefore can be formulated to be more pH neutral.  CP soap typically varies somewhere between 9-11.

HTH!


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## Elly (Nov 2, 2011)

You can find lots of info on the web regarding mineral oils, they are a by product of gasoline distillation from crude oil and its use on human skin has many undesirable effects. I know many people choose to use this oil because they believe that if the health authorities allow them to be sold it must be safe but I know otherwise. Mineral oils clog pores not allowing skin to breathe, the skin is the largest organ of detoxification. 

I have no idea what J&J put in their "tear free baby shampoo" but some say their tear free shampoo contains numbing chemicals so that kids don't feel the irritation in their eyes, don't know if this is true or not.


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## Tegan (Nov 2, 2011)

Sorry, didn't mean to come across as harsh.  Of course you wouldn't use them on your kids first.  I was tired and cranky in general last night when I posted that.  My bad, please forgive.

I don't think you could recreate J&J in bar form...I haven't read a bottle of J&J in a while but I believe it's mostly detergents....(I could be wrong).


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## Padamae (Nov 2, 2011)

You might can try researching sydnet bars. I haven't tried them
Yet.


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## vjbakke (Nov 2, 2011)

Tear free baby products have eye numbing ingredients in them. Just a friendly FYI. Talc has also been liked to cervical cancer in women. I don't have the sources right now but you can google it.  mineral oil is a derivative of crude oil, natural yes but not so good for the skin IMO.I would stick with a gentle natural olive oil soap.


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## nurse_75 (Nov 2, 2011)

Elly - Its funny isnt I have baby oil and use it just once on my eldest child and it has sat there for 3 years now. I dont like it. I use an organic 'free of everything' type liquid wash/shampoo on the kids which appeals to my 'do the best you can' mentality. I never knew that about J&J shampoo. The numbing chemical would have to work pretty **** quick for it to not sting immediately on contact. Might google this myself. I am not one for urban myth reiteration and like to find out truths for myself. I will come back and update if I find anything.

Tegan - I totally get it. I am a nurse (critical care - adult, paeds and neonate) with over 15yrs experience and I tend to get snappy at people who talk rubbish about certain health issues. What I wrote probably sounded like half of the newbie soapers who post fairly misguided q's on here. Thanks for taking the time to reply initially at leaast. There is a wealth of knowledge on here. Nothing to apologise for hon 

Padamae - off to google right now. It is 7am here and my 3 yr old just woke me up.

vjbakke - I had read that about talc and dont use it for that reason. I have a baby powder that is made from cornstarch. I know people use cornstarch in their soaps to bind citrus frangrances so it is obviously safe to soap with. I will go get my book and dig out the baby soap recipe for you all to check out. 

Thanks for all the replies guys. 

Sharna


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## soapbuddy (Nov 2, 2011)

For a baby soap I would go with pure castile (just olive oil, water and lye) It's one of the most gentle soaps around. Due to it's pH, it would still sting the eyes though. Castile does need a long cure time.


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## carebear (Nov 2, 2011)

Johnson's Baby doesn't have numbing chemicals in it.  It's mild primarily because the pH is at a level comfortable to the eyes (neutralish).


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## Northland Naturals (Nov 3, 2011)

i use pure castile (olive oil, water, lye, with a 7% superfat) CP soap on my baby, who is now 1. it doesn't provide much lather, but it gets him clean, keeps his skin super soft, and doesn't seem to bother him.  i am VERY careful with his eyes.  i have also used a 100% OO liquid soap gel that i've made and both seem to be good for him.  no fragrance or color, just simple and clean.


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