Is camphor safe for baby skin?

Gentle products containing camphor

Blue Heaven

Blue Heaven Kajal

Snake Brand

Prichly Heat Classic Cooling Soap

PHARCO

PHARCO Calamine Lotiune

Minancora

Minancora Ointment

cleansers

Unknown

Eve Lom Rescue Mask (100ml)

Neutrogena

Neutrogena Sun Rescue

Y.S.S.Y

Vernis à ongles

Chapstick

Chapstick Classic Skin Protectant | Original

Gentler alternatives for baby skin

Ingredients — Pregnancy-Safe Ingredients Database — 28,000+ Ingredients Rated

See also

• Is camphor safe during pregnancy?
• Should I avoid camphor during pregnancy?
• What are pregnancy-safe alternatives to camphor?

Frequently asked questions

Is camphor safe for baby skin?

Evidence from multiple clinical reports and reviews shows that young children can develop acute neurotoxicity (including seizures) after camphor ingestion and after dermal/inhalational exposures to camphor-containing products; pediatric cases and poison-control guidance indicate that small doses can produce severe toxicity. This establishes a suspected (non‑reproductive) hazard for infants exposed topically (scored here per user request for 0–3 yr skin safety). A demonstrated mechanism of systemic neurotoxicity and measurable dermal absorption supports m=2. Because infant skin has higher absorption per weight and reported dermal exposures have produced toxicity in toddlers, exposure for baby skin is moderate (adult topical absorption scored as 1; +1 for baby skin → 2). ([pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19403490/?utm_source=openai))

Is camphor safe for newborns?

Evidence from multiple clinical reports and reviews shows that young children can develop acute neurotoxicity (including seizures) after camphor ingestion and after dermal/inhalational exposures to camphor-containing products; pediatric cases and poison-control guidance indicate that small doses can produce severe toxicity. This establishes a suspected (non‑reproductive) hazard for infants exposed topically (scored here per user request for 0–3 yr skin safety). A demonstrated mechanism of systemic neurotoxicity and measurable dermal absorption supports m=2. Because infant skin has higher absorption per weight and reported dermal exposures have produced toxicity in toddlers, exposure for baby skin is moderate (adult topical absorption scored as 1; +1 for baby skin → 2). ([pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19403490/?utm_source=openai))

Can I use camphor on a baby under 6 months?

We don't have baby-skin-specific data for camphor. Stick to ingredients we've marked no known risks for babies until more evidence is available.

What are safer alternatives to camphor for babies?

See our curated list of pregnancy-safe alternatives to camphor based on similar function and a no-known-risks safety band.

How does VeriMom rate camphor for baby skin?

VeriMom scores camphor at 33/100 (high risk) based on EU CosIng status, ECHA hazard classifications, and peer-reviewed PubMed studies. Our scoring pipeline is fully transparent.