Hoover Shampooer

As babies get used to the idea of bathing, it's easy for them to get shampoo in their eyes. Originating with Johnson & Johnson's No More Tears baby shampoo, many companies now manufacture tearless shampoos for infants. Read on to find out what makes them tearless, and whether or not it's safe for your child.

Shampoo



Shampoo contains chemical detergents called surfactants, which attract both water and oil. While you lather, surfactants attract oil containing dirt and grease away from your hair. The water-attracting properties of shampoo allow it to wash away easily when you apply water. Tearless

Shampoo

Baby shampoos are designed with surfactants that are milder. Surfactants used in adult shampoos are anionic, while baby shampoos have a higher percentage of nonionic detergents.

Anionic vs. Nonionic

An anionic surfactant is a detergent with high acidity, made of chemicals containing more electrons than protons. The reactivity of anionic detergents allows it to clear more oil and dirt, but causes more irritation with skin or eye membranes. Nonionic surfactants do not have as many reactive ions to release, cleaning less dirt but causing less eye irritation. Baby

Shampooing Tips

Because infants don't sweat as much as adults, they only need to wash their hair once or twice a week. Toddlers should wash their hair three times a week, and then every other day once they reach preschool age.

Phthalates

A 2008 study from the University of Washington correlated baby shampoo use, along with baby lotion and powder use, with higher concentrations of phthalates in a child's body.

Phthalates are chemical compounds used in cosmetics to help retain the proper fragrance. Although no scientific evidence exists for side effects, many believe that increased phthalate exposure in infants can cause problems later in life.