Child Safety Rules with Fragrances

Part of the perk of having a little girl is being able to play "dress up" with her. If your little girl isn't going through a tomboy stage, she's probably admiring you with your perfume, makeup, hairstyles and work etiquette. She may want to be a little version of you and will copy everything you do. As complimentary as this, it can also be dangerous if she doesn't know the safety measures involved in the products you use, and one of them is cosmetic ingredients.

Tip One: If you let her try on your perfume, emphasize that she is not to spray this perfume without you being around. Tell her there are chemicals in here that are dangerous and should never be sprayed without parental supervision.

Unlike body oils, which also shouldn't be ingested, perfumes and colognes have a lot more poisonous ingredients that can be dangerous to the eyes and mouth if it comes too close.

Tip Two: In your single, childless years, it was fine to leave all of your perfume displayed on your dresser. But with children trying to grab anything that catches their attention, it's time to put your perfume away in a shelf high enough so they can't reach them. You might want to invest in a locked glass shelf like the ones in department stores.

Tip Three: Beware of wearing perfume around your children, especially asthmatic kids. As much as you may love your perfume, it may not agree well with babies if they're kept close to your chest or shoulder area for burping and breastfeeding. Or, your child may be allergic to your perfume so wear it sparingly if you see any symptoms. With Chicago pollen issues and the mosquito scare, don't let your perfume add to breakout, hay fever or sinus issues.

Tip Four: Keep an eye on your child's reaction even while shopping in fragrance aisles or at a perfume factory outlet. Don't let her reach for any perfumes or colognes while you're testing something out or even let a fragrance clerk spray anything on her. They usually won't, but the "cuteness" may temporarily blind them. Always keep a safe eye on how your child is breathing around these fragrances in stores and at home. Observe how her skin reacts to perfume or even fragrance lotions and fragrance soaps.

Additional Notes: This entry was published by the Chicago Fragrance Examiner. To check out her fragrance reviews, visit the Examiner link.