Ibrahim Hakan Bucak, Habip Almis, Huseyin Tanriverdi

How safe are children's shampoos?

Shampoos are daily care products designed to clean the hair and scalp. The aim of this study was to compare the contents of baby and newborn shampoos sold in supermarkets and pharmacies, determine the levels of substances reported to be dangerous to babies and newborns’ health in these shampoos. This cross-sectional study included 18 newborn and baby shampoos that families could buy at supermarkets and pharmacies in Turkey. For newborn and baby shampoos, the number of preservative substances have been determined. A total of 68 chemicals was found in these 18 shampoos, with an average of 14.83 ± 2.43 chemicals in each shampoo. Most of these chemicals were not recommended for use in children. Shampoos that contain numerous chemicals and substances confirmed to be harmful or have suspicious effects should not be recommended. It is clear that more studies are needed in this under-researched area.

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