Christmas: These common presents are dangerous to your health, according to experts

Believing in Santa Claus, baking cookies or shopping for presents: all this is part of the popular Christmas season! But if you don't want to go wrong, especially when shopping for presents, you should pay attention to the following tips.

Old chemicals

Normally, second-hand shopping is a 'green' alternative to fast fashion chains, according to the eco magazine PepperMynta. However, caution should be exercised with second-hand children's toys. We are talking about old chemicals that pose 'potential health risks due to previously used chemical substances'.

As Chip.de suggests, you should avoid soft plastic from before 2005 because it could 'affect the hormone system and lead to health problems'. You should also be careful with 'untreated solid wood toys' from second-hand stores, as plywood, on the other hand, 'releases carcinogenic substances'.

Wooden toys are safer

If you want to buy a new toy, it is best to look out for the mark for tested safety, as the source explains. In the previous year, around 30 percent of new plastic toys exceeded the limit values. The consumer advice center gives as a tip:

Check toys in the store or after delivery with all your senses: Defects that you can see, smell or feel indicate that the manufacturer is not complying with quality standards. It is also likely that they are not taking safety and harmful substances very seriously.

Beware of cheap products

Cheap toys in particular are made from 'materials contaminated with harmful substances' and are not subject to quality control. However, it is not only when buying toys that faults can be discovered; threads or fibers can also be seen in new sweaters. Even then, you should be careful before deciding to buy this product.

So there's a lot to consider when buying Christmas presents, but ultimately it still comes down to the individual decision so that nothing stands in the way of your Christmas.

Read more:

⋙ Christmas: The right time to buy your tree revealed by experts

⋙ Christmas lights: Here's how one broken bulb can become a major hazard

⋙ Resell unwanted Christmas gifts you can’t return, here's how

⋙ Need to return an unwanted Christmas present? Here is how to do it trouble-free

This article has been translated from Gentside DE.

Sources used:

Chip.de: 'Wichtig gerade zu Weihnachten: Diese Spielzeuge sollten Sie besser nicht veschenken'

PepperMynta: 'SECOND HAND MODE – WIE NACHHALTIG IST GEBRAUCHTE KLEIDUNG?'

Verbraucherzentrale: 'Spielzeug ohne Schadstoffe: Das sollten Sie beim Spielzeugkauf beachten'