Baby Safe Dryer Sheets: My Shocking Discovery + A Nontoxic Alternative

Dryer sheets benefit your clothes in many ways. They soften clothing, reduce wrinkles, and give your laundry a fresh scent. However, these perks come with a price. Most dryer sheets contain synthetic and unhealthy ingredients that are harmful to humans and the environment.

Many parents use baby safe dryer sheets because they want a healthier alternative to traditional dryer sheets. What they don’t know, is that you can find many dangerous chemicals in dryer sheets advertised specifically for baby clothing. In addition, dryer sheets also pose a negative impact on the environment because they are one-time-use products that you can’t recycle.

Common Misconceptions About Baby Safe Dryer Sheets

Many dryer sheets advertised for babies conain at least one dangerous ingredient.

Many baby dryer sheets are not biodegradable and can leach toxic chemicals into our environment and water supply.

Dangerous Ingredients in Dryer Sheets

Below are three ingredients you can find in popular dryer sheets for babies and kids. 

• The word “fragrance” on the product label represents an undisclosed mixture of various chemicals and ingredients. Fragrance mixes have been associated with allergies, dermatitis, respiratory distress, and potential effects on the reproductive system. (1)
• Fragrance is a known immune system toxicant or allergen. (1) 
• Review articles report fragrance in cosmetics can cause allergic contact dermatitis, and skin allergies in children. (1)
• Peer-reviewed studies report that fragrance exacerbates asthma and causes respiratory irritation. (1)
• European Union Ecolabel data shows that fragrance has high acute toxicity to aquatic life. (1)

• Propylene glycol is a small organic alcohol commonly used as a skin conditioning agent. It has been associated with allergic contact dermatitis and contact urticaria in humans. These sensitization effects can happen at concentrations as low as 2%. (2)
• Propylene glycol is classified as a skin irritant by the National Library of Medicine HazMap. (2)
• It’s also found to provoke allergic reactions in patients with eczema and other skin allergies. (2)

• Benzisothiazolineone is classified as an irritant to the skin, eyes, or lungs. (3)
• Until safe levels of exposure have been established, the use of benzisothiazolinone in cosmetic products as a preservative or for other functions cannot be considered safe in relation to sensitisation. (3)
• The US EPA reports benzisothiazolinone is a moderate skin sensitizer and is moderately toxic to aquatic life. (3)

Should You Use Dryer Sheets for Baby Clothing?

The short answer is no. You should not use baby dryer sheets when doing laundry for babies, children, or adults. It’s nice to have soft, static-free, and fresh smelling clothes. But the negative impact dryer sheets may pose to your health and the environment is not worth the risk. Especially, when there are safer and healthier alternatives available.  

The Best Baby Dryer Sheet Alternative

• Woolzies all-natural dryer balls are made from 100% organic New Zealand wool.
• They are hypoallergenic and contain no fillers, additives, or synthetic chemicals.
• These dryer balls help keep your clothes soft, fluffy, fresh, and fragrant (when used with essential oils).
• Woolzies sells their own brand of essential oils but I prefer to purchase organic essential oils from Mountain Rose Herbs. I like to use lavender essential oil with my family’s laundry when I want to add a fresh scent.
• Woolzies dryer balls can be reused again and again and last for up to 1,000 loads.
• They bounce around inside of your dryer creating space between laundry items. This allows hot air to circulate and reduce drying time by up to 25%.
• Read more about these wool dryer balls…

Sources:

1. https://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ingredients/702512-FRAGRANCE/

2. https://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ingredients/705315-PROPYLENE_GLYCOL/

3. https://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ingredients/716930-BENZISOTHIAZOLINONE/

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