INGREDIENTS FAQs

Q. Do California Baby products contain organic ingredients?

California Baby products contain organic & sustainably grown ingredients such as oils, waxes, herbs, essential oils and powders. As the market grows for organic raw materials, we will continue to add even more organic ingredients to our products. Many of the plants and flowers that are grown for essential oil distillation are very hardy, they do not need pesticides or fertilizers and are by default organic and/or sustainably grown.

Q. Do California Baby products contain animal ingredients?

All products start with a vegan point of view. We make two products that utilize animal ingredients: our diaper rash cream contains lanolin and our sunblock sticks contain beeswax. The choice was made to use lanolin and beeswax as water barriers instead of the typical (cheaper and cruder) petroleum and fish oil alternatives. Lanolin is extracted from the wool of the sheep and is not considered a body fat. We utilize a ultra-purified lanolin that removes any impurities to which some people may be sensitive. Beeswax is hypoallergenic and is considered acceptable by many vegetarians.

Q. What type of emollient oils do you use?

We use only pure cold pressed vegan (vegetable) oils in our products.

Q. Why does California Baby use preservatives?

Cosmetics are subject to contamination and growth of bacteria, mold and other microorganisms and children regularly have cuts, scrapes and put all sorts of things in their mouths. So we created a broad-spectrum preservative system to help ensure the integrity of California Baby® products with formulas tailored to the needs of each product. We use higher than average concentrations of antioxidants & essential oils, which help to preserve our products. California Baby feels that preservatives are a very necessary part of a personal care product since they are expected to have a long shelf life—unlike bread or muffins. Our motto is ‘skin care should be preserved, but not food.’ Skin care is not food (although ours smell yummy!).

We utilize a preservative called polyaminopropyl biguanide (by-GWAN-ide)—an extremely gentle, NON-INVASIVE, non-formaldehyde, non-paraben preservative. The molecular size is too large to migrate into the skin, penetrate to the dermis or reach the blood stream. The ingredients that comprise our preservative system are gentle, yet effective. So gentle, that they can be found in ocular (contact lens) solutions that are put directly into the eye!

Note: In March 2009, we began using capryloyl glycine and undecylenoyl glycine, which is an amino acid and not strictly classified as a preservative but as an antioxidant. Many companies that claim to be preservative free utilize this type of system. We feel one should be very careful of companies that claim to be preservative free as it is either stretching the truth or, we feel, undesirable to use an unpreserved product.

Q. DEET Free. Why?

DEET is toxic when ingested and may cause skin irritation in sensitive persons. High concentrations applied to the skin can cause blistering. DEET’s use has been implicated in seizures among children.

California Baby prefers a natural approach to controlling pesky bugs with our Natural Bug Blend® that contains citronella, lemongrass and cedarwood, which are great natural alternatives to toxic chemical bug repellents such as DEET. Our traditionally recommended essential oils are safe, gentle and effective. Our blend works on insects without harming or killing them. It has a distinctive, but pleasant, odor which makes it difficult for pests to locate a host. Citronella is not harmful to humans, pets or the environment. Bug repellency is based on scent—reapply generously and often. For use on ages 6 mos. and up.

Speak with your doctor about a complete bug repellent strategy.

Note: Natural oils like citronella is carefully monitored by the EPA and in order for a bug repellent to be effective, a specific percentage of the active must be used. Products that use citronella simply for scent, like our Summer Lotion/citronella, are not bug repellents and should not be relied upon for bug protection.

Q. Do California Baby products contain coconut derived ingredients?

California Baby products contain coconut derived ingredients. Coconut, the seed of a drupaceous fruit, is not typically restricted in the diets of people with tree nut allergies. However, in October of 2006, the FDA began identifying coconut as a tree nut. Because cross-reactions are rare, many experts in the allergy field feel that coconut should not be classified as a tree nut. Discuss this with your doctor.

Q. I’ve heard negative things about sulfates; what are they?

In addition to being harsh invasive cleansing agents, sulfates or DEA can be contaminated with 1-4, Dioxane, an ingredient known to cause cancer. California Baby products do not contain Sulfates or DEA. Many companies may claim that their products do not contain any Sodium Lauryl Sulfate because they know many consumers do not want that harsh cleansing agent. Check out the other ingredients and you will see they are just as cheap and just as invasive, but they have a different name.

Q. What cleansing agents does California Baby use?

California Baby® pioneered the use of plant derived glucosides (decyl glucoside and lauryl glucoside) which are non-invasive cleansing/bubbling agents that we use exclusively in our bubble baths and shampoo & body washes. Soapbark and yucca are added for extra bubbling power. Our glucosides are very gentle and are non-stripping of delicate membranes, naturally no tears, non-toxic and sustainably grown; they undergo rapid and complete biodegradation in the environment.

Q. Does California Baby use Colors or Dyes or Numbing Agents?

California Baby does NOT add any colors, dyes or clear formula chemicals to our products; the color and texture can change slightly based on the time of year and the harvest conditions of the natural ingredients. California Baby uses extremely mild cleansing agents and does not need to add ‘numbing chemicals’ to make a product tear free.

Fragrance

Q. What does California Baby use to scent their products?

California Baby® uses only pure essential oils to scent our products (unless they are Super Sensitive and No Fragrance); we test our essential oils for synthetic additives and pesticide residue—making them pure and true aromatherapy quality. Because of the quality of our oils you will notice that our blends actually work! Calming does indeed calm...

Q. What is “Natural” fragrance and what do you mean by No Fragrance?

Our Super Sensitive products do not contain any added scent or scent masking agents to make them smell like nothing. California Baby products do not contain clear formula chemicals (for many other products to be completely clear, chemicals must be added to cut through the natural cloudiness of the formula). Natural products will have their own natural scent—this is to be expected and tells you that no scent masking agents have been added. When a product smells like absolutely nothing, it is time to be suspicious!

Q. What are synthetic fragrances and why are they undesirable?

Synthetic fragrances are derived from petroleum and can mimic many scents. Synthetic fragrances may contain phthalates along with many allergens and skin sensitizers. Synthetic fragrances may explain the ongoing headache or the mystery rash you suffer from but were never sure of the cause —suspect your air freshener, shampoo, perfume, dishwashing liquid, laundry detergent… Synthetic fragrances do not belong in natural or organic products – even though some “natural” standards do allow their use. You can spot a synthetic fragrance on the ingredient listing as ‘fragrance’ or ‘parfum’; or you can simply use our most basic sense: smell and take a sniff. Also synthetic fragrances do not evaporate the way essential oils do - so when a scent just won’t go away—it’s a good chance that it is synthetic. Essential oils are expensive and it is highly unlikely that discount products contain even a drop of essential oil. Beware, many companies mix essential oils and synthetic oils and claim aromatherapy or natural.

Q. Do you offer any of your products in larger sizes?

Many products are available in half and one gallon sizes, please click here for a direct link to our ‘Bulk/Gallons’ page.