How to Keep Baby Safe
To protect your baby,be selective about the products you use. You don't have to spend a lot of money on "all-natural" babycare products (some of them aren't so natural). Here are some tips:

• Use lotions and soap products sparingly.  Usually water and mild soap work just fine at keeping your baby clean - and safe.
• Use everyday items you probably have in your kitchen to make your own baby skincare products. For ideas and recipes, visit www.babiesonline.com or www.wholesomebabyfood.com.
• Look for baby wipes with aloe; usually they don't have propylene glycol. Or make your own.
  
• Avoid products that have fragrance listed in their ingredients. Babies don't need it anyway.
• When buying organic, look for the “USDA certified organic” mark on the label. This mark means that at least 95 percent of the ingredients are organic and no synthetic petrochemicals were used in the product's manufacture. (Beware of items with “organic” in the title but no certification.)
• Keep in mind that there are no regulations for the labeling of body care products, including those for babies, so do your research. To look up specific brands, check out www.cosmeticsdatabase.com.

Next: How green are "green" baby-care products?