Baby products should not contain toxic chemicals
This Green Baby Day – 18th June 2026 – Wen is launching #NotOnOurBabies, a campaign calling for stronger protections from harmful chemicals in baby care products and greater transparency about what is in the products families use every day.
Harmful chemicals are now part of everyday life. Over 350,000 synthetic chemicals are in use globally, yet fewer than five per-cent have been tested for safety. Many, including PFAS or ‘Forever Chemicals’, endocrine disrupting chemicals and flame retardants, are found in everyday products and those intended for children.
Babies and young children are more sensitive to these chemicals because their bodies are still developing. Exposure to toxic chemicals before birth at critical times of foetal development can have serious health effects, especially impacts on female reproduction, not determined until later in life. Pre-birth and early life is also where exposure can affect development and long-term health.
Exposure starts early
The science is clear that pregnancy and early childhood are critical windows for development. Exposure to harmful chemicals during this time can affect hormonal systems, brain development, immune function and long term health.
Many chemicals used in personal care products, including endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), PFAS “forever chemicals”, phthalates and some fragrance ingredients, have been linked to serious health concerns. Studies have found harmful chemicals in umbilical cord blood, breast milk and babies’ urine, demonstrating exposure from the very earliest stages of life.
Exposure does not come from one product alone. It builds up across everyday life through the air we breathe, the food we eat, contaminated water and the products we use at home and on our bodies.
Even low level exposure matters, particularly during early development.
Parents should not have to be chemical experts
Parents and carers are often expected to navigate this risk without clear information or meaningful choice. Most people would reasonably expect products designed for babies and children to be safe.
Many ingredients are hidden behind vague terms like “fragrance”, making it difficult to know what products contain. At the same time, regulation in the UK has not kept pace with emerging scientific evidence or stronger protections introduced elsewhere, including in the EU.
This should not be left to individuals alone.
We need stronger protections that prevent harmful exposure, rather than placing the burden on parents to manage risk themselves.
Exposure is shaped by inequality
Exposure to toxic chemicals is not equal.
Those already facing inequality are often most affected, with limited access to safer alternatives and higher levels of environmental exposure. For example, studies in the US found increased levels of endocrine disrupting chemicals in hair products used by black women and children. This correlated with higher levels in beauty products targeted at racialised communities, also Black children were found to have the highest level of phthalates in their urine.
What Wen is calling for
This Green Baby Day, we are calling for urgent action to reduce babies’ exposure to harmful chemicals and strengthen protections for children’s health:
- A ban on harmful chemicals in baby care products
- A precautionary approach to regulation that acts before harm occurs
- Safety standards that reflect cumulative, real life exposure
- Full ingredient transparency, including fragrance disclosure
- UK regulation that keeps pace with or exceeds international protections
Products designed for babies should be held to the highest possible safety standards.
Take action
Register Webinar: Safe From The Start: Toxic Chemicals in Baby Care 18th May 3pm
Sign the Open Letter: #NotOnOurBabies – A Preventable Health Crisis
Read #NotOnOurBabies campaign guide
Read make your own baby care and body care products
Find out more and take action at wen.org.uk/greenbaby
