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Non Toxic Natural Rubber Baby Dolls – Non Toxic, Phthalate-Free, PVC-Free, Vinyl-Free Baby Dolls
When you shop for a plastic baby doll, you will see that many baby dolls are made of vinyl. You will be surprised to find that vinyl is actually a highly toxic plastic. It is made of numerous toxic, harmful chemicals and it also emits volatile organic compounds to the air your child breathes. I wanted to avoid buying a vinyl baby doll for my daughter so I researched for organic baby dolls and wrote a post, ‘Organic Baby Doll – Non-Toxic, PVC-Free, Vinyl-Free, Phthalate-Free Baby Doll Guide‘ in the past. At the time, if you wanted a plastic doll, there was no better alternative to a vinyl doll other than ‘phthalates-free’ vinyl dolls. However, a ‘phthalates-free’ vinyl doll is still a doll made with vinyl which are full of harmful chemicals. Then recently, one of my readers asked me about the natural rubber doll, Gotz Baby Pure Lina. Now there are baby dolls that were made of natural rubber which I couldn’t find in the past! In this post, I want to share with you how children’s doll materials can be toxic, how natural rubber is non toxic and what natural rubber dolls are available.
Vinyl (PVC)
When you search for a plastic baby doll, you will see that many baby dolls are made of vinyl. When you say ‘vinyl’, it is referred to polyvinyl chloride which is also called PVC. Unfortunately, PVC which is used in many children’s toys is very harmful. Workgroup for Safe Markets calls polyvinyl chloride (PVC or vinyl), the most toxic plastic for our health and the environment. Vinyl chloride is one of the main ingredients used for PVC and it is highly toxic, flammable, and carcinogenic. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) classifies vinyl chloride as a known human carcinogen. Also, about 57% of the mass of PVC is chlorine. Chlorine is a toxic gas that attacks the respiratory system, eyes, and skin and it was first used in World War I as a poisonous gas weapon. PVC also contains dangerous chemical additives including phthalates, lead, cadmium, and/or organotins which can be very harmful to children. Also, to make PVC plastic softer and flexible, plasticizers are used. Phthalates are commonly used as plasticizers in PVC. They are known to be endocrine disruptors and some phthalates are known carcinogens. PVC also releases dioxins, carcinogens during its lifecycle from its production to use to disposal. It damages our health and environment with its highly toxic chemicals from production through disposal of PVC. Chlorine production involves use of toxic chemicals such as mercury, asbestos and PFAS and this results in the release of these toxic chemicals into our environment. Health of workers in chlorine production sites and nearby communities can also be affected. PVC products also release toxic fumes and leach harmful chemicals into the air your child breathes in.
Harmful Chemicals In Children’s Dolls
Fortunately, some phthalates are banned in the USA since 2008 to be used in children’s toys. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, “‘Children’s toy’ is a consumer product designed or intended by the manufacturer for a child 12 years of age or younger for use by the child when the child plays.” The European Commission has also prohibited the use of phthalates in children’s toys since 1999. However, that doesn’t mean that PVC dolls are safe for our children. As mentioned above, PVC contains other harmful, toxic chemicals including carcinogens other than phthalates. The Danish Consumer Council THINK Chemicals has tested 20 dolls which were bought in local shops, bigger retailers as well as through online platforms such as Wish and Amazon. The test showed that 3 dolls contained banned phthalates. Also, 3 other dolls were found to have perfume which is also a mixture of harmful chemicals. Also, researchers from DTU (Denmark Technical University) and the University of Michigan together with UN Environment have found that out of 419 chemicals found in hard, soft and foam plastic materials used in children toys, they identified 126 substances that can potentially harm children’s health either via cancer or non-cancer effects, including 31 plasticizers, 18 flame retardants, and 8 fragrances. They stated that existing regulations usually focus on particular chemicals such as phthalates, brominated flame retardants and metals and do not cover the broad range of chemical substances that are found in plastic toys. Also, there are thousands of new chemicals entering the market every year, it is hard for regulators to know which chemicals are harmful for children out of all of these chemicals. In addition, they mentioned that some toxic and banned additives are still found in plastic toys also on regulated markets. This may happen because contaminated plastics can be recycled, producers may just be unaware of harmful chemicals or some countries that produce children’s toys may not have regulations on harmful chemicals in toys. The European Environmental Bureau (EEB)’s 2019 article also stated that national officials blocked 248 models of toys (likely tens of millions of units) from sale in 2019 after tests revealed illegal levels of toxic chemicals. Of these, 228 (92%) were categorised as “serious risk”, 127 (51%) were contaminated with phthalates, a plastic additive and 73 out of 248 blocked toys were dolls. They also mentioned that phthalates were found in children at harmful levels in 13 out of 15 EU countries and the European Chemicals Agency concluded that phthalate is not adequately controlled. The article also mentions that banned chemicals are sometimes still found in toys because of recycled plastic recyclers sell plastic for toys containing banned substances and some manufacturer also sell toys with legal substances at illegal concentrations.
Phthalate-Free Vinyl Dolls
It’s disappointing to know that some dolls can still have phthalates despite the regulation. Knowing that, I can’t be sure that there is no phthalates in the vinyl when I see a doll’s material description as vinyl. On the other hand, there are some dolls marketed as being made with phthalate-free vinyl. At least with these dolls, manufacturers claim that no phthalates were used in the vinyl material used for their dolls. However, although you can feel relieved that there is no phthalates used in the vinyl material used for their dolls, keep in mind that the material used is still vinyl. Vinyl, whether it contains phthalate or not, still contains other harmful chemicals. Therefore, phthalate-free vinyl doesn’t mean the material is non toxic. If you get a phthalate-free vinyl doll, trying to air it out as much as possible before use would be a good idea. The best non toxic material options for a doll would be pvc-free material which are organic cotton or natural rubber.
Natural Rubber Material
Natural Rubber Baby Dolls
I have listed 3 natural rubber baby dolls that I came across. Baby dolls made with natural rubber can be a bit pricier than dolls made with plastic vinyl. Also, natural rubber baby dolls are probably not suitable if your child has an allergy to natural rubber. If natural rubber dolls are not for you for whatever reason but you still would like to avoid plastic vinyl and opt for other PVC-free alternatives, try organic cotton or PVC-free baby dolls listed here.
Ecobaby Dolls Baby Cora – Natural Rubber Baby Doll
Materials: Ecobaby Dolls Baby Cora is made of all natural rubber. It is non toxic, eco-friendly, biodegradable and safe for your baby. It is also BPA, PVC, BPS, Phthalate-free. It is hand crafted, stuffed with natural rubber and has cotton clothes.
Age: For children 18 months +
Dimension: 12.5 x 6.75 x 3.5 inches
Ecobaby Dolls Baby Brooke – Natural Rubber Baby Doll
Materials: Ecobaby Dolls Baby Cora is made of all natural rubber. It is non toxic, eco-friendly, biodegradable and safe for your baby. It is also BPA, PVC, BPS, Phthalate-free. It is hand crafted, stuffed with natural rubber and has cotton clothes.
Age: For children 18 months +
Dimension: 12.5 x 6.75 x 3.5 inches
Baby Pure Lina by Gotz – Natural Rubber Baby Doll
Materials: Gotz Baby Pure Lina is made of 100 % natural organic caoutchouc (natural rubber). It is non toxic, vegan, eco-friendly. The baby only wears a cloth diaper so put on a onesie and can wear any additional outfits from the Gotz 13″ baby doll fashion collection. Lina is not packaged in a retail box, but rather ships to you wrapped in a biodegradable bag for environmental sustainability.
Age: For children 18 months +
Dimension: 12.99 x 5.51 x 3.54 inches
Final Thoughts
I am so glad that there are baby dolls that are made of natural rubber. I have been looking for natural rubber baby dolls. I wished that these dolls were available when my daughter was younger. I am planning to get one for my daughter if my daughter is still interested in playing with a baby doll. Vinyl is so toxic and bad for our environment as well as not being healthy for our children. You may be surprised to see that so many dolls are made of vinyl in the market place. I hope that this change sparks new starts in the doll industry and we get to see more dolls made of natural rubber other than vinyl. Hope this post help you find a non toxic, vinyl-free, phthalate-free, pvc-free doll for your child.
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For organic baby dolls, please read my post, ‘Organic Baby Doll – Non-Toxic, PVC-Free, Vinyl-Free, Phthalate-Free Baby Doll Guide‘.
For non toxic kids backpacks, please read my post, ‘Non Toxic Kids Backpacks – Non Toxic Backpacks For Kindergarten Kids‘.
For non toxic lunch bags and lunch boxes, please read my post, ‘Non Toxic Kids Lunch Bags, Non Toxic Kids Lunch Boxes, Non Toxic Kids Water Bottles‘.
For non toxic kids rain gear, please read my post, ‘Non Toxic Rain Gear For Kids – Non Toxic Kids Rain Jackets, Non Toxic Kids Rain Boots & Umbrellas‘.
For non toxic art supplies for kids, please read my post ‘Non Toxic Art Supplies For Kids – Which Art Supplies Are Safe?‘.
For non Toxic toy brands, please read my post, ‘Best Non Toxic Toys – What Are The Best Non Toxic Toy Brands?‘
For healthy toddler shoes, please read my post, ‘Toddler Shoes Guide and Review – Toddler Shoes That Promote Healthy Foot Development‘.
