Using safer products on babies and young children should be a top priority, no matter where you are on the natural spectrum. Simply put, their little bodies cannot filter the toxins nearly as efficiently as we adults can which results in a higher build up in the system. Many very concerning studies have come out showing young children having higher levels of everything from fire retardants to phthalates in their systems than the rest of the population. The good news is that you don’t have to sacrifice performance for safety with a lot of the natural kid’s products that are on the market today. In fact, even though I started my natural journey while pregnant with my son five years ago, I still used some toxic products on him (eeek!). Between the baskets of bath products from well meaning friends and family member’s insisting that Desitin was the only way to go, I certainly fell into the trap of thinking those products performed better or they must be ok if so many people use them. I’ve done some posts on why they’re really not safe so I’ll spare you the details and include some links at the end. I can also say by first hand experience that these products really do stack up to their conventional counterparts.
Bath Products
There’s nothing better than a little munchkin fresh out of the bath! I love cuddling with my kids at bedtime with their jammies on with damp hair and clean little cheeks.
SOAPS- I did a full review of bath soaps here, but the abbreviated version is that I prefer Lafe’s baby wash for newborns and Babytime by Epicential for older babies and kids. I don’t use a separate shampoo or conditioner, however I do use Honest Co.’s hair detangler on Annabelle right after the bath so I can comb through her hair. (I also use it on Carson sometimes to tame his bed head!)
We use Honest Co. bubble bath sometimes as well. That’s always fun for making sudsy mohawks and beards.
MOISTURIZERS- I change up moisturizers depending on the season and current skin issues. Both of my kids have had eczema, so I was thrilled to find that Cocovít really takes care of that (along with yeast diaper rashes, cradle cap and a whole lot of other things!). Read my full review here to find out why it’s different than conventional coconut oil.
Day to day, if it’s not too cold out and there’s no skin issues, I use Honest Co. lotion on them after the bath. It goes on quick and easy and dries fast without being greasy which makes it easy to put on those tight jammies.
A luxe option would be Malaya’s baby oil. I say luxe because it’s a little expensive to use daily on multiple kids, but it does work really well at laying down some serious moisture and the ingredients are very good for sensitive skin. This would make a great baby shower gift or a nice splurge for a new baby.
Diapering Products
Above is Annabelle’s shelf above her changing table. Since she just turned two, we’ve started potty training so hopefully it won’t be there too much longer, but here’s a run down of our favorite diapering products. I prefer Honest Co. disposable diapers so I subscribe monthly which is why you see so many other Honest items as well. They make it easy to use natural since their products are very effective and pretty cheap when you bundle them. You can read my full review of Honest diapers and another great natural brand here. If you’d prefer to use cloth, there are some great options out there today!! They make it very easy and budget friendly. I’ve never used cloth but I seriously considered this line.
Honest Diaper Cream is the best natural diaper cream I’ve found. I tried a lot of balms from different brands and still use those in conjunction with the diaper cream at times, but I found nothing makes as good of a barrier to prevent diaper rash as their zinc oxide cream. I use it every night and if Annabelle has a rash, I use it at every diaper change.
POWDER.. Well two kids in, I have yet to need it. I find it unnecessary, and the small particles can easily irritate young babies lungs so honestly I would skip it. If you just have to have it, Honest Co makes a natural version.
WIPES- Obviously, I use Honest Co wipes. They come free with the diapers and it was the deciding factor when I signed up for the bundle. I had trouble finding another brand of natural wipes I liked so it just made sense to go for the whole package. If you want a budget friendly version or are cloth diapering and also want an eco-friendly wipe option, try this DIY version.
Random Products
Things I use a lot but don’t fit into a category!
NATURAL REMEDIES- I love Zoe Organics Refresh Oil and Breathe Balm. Their Refresh Oil is good for everything from nausea to headaches and the Breathe Balm does wonders for congestion. Waxelene is a non-petroleum based alternative to Vasoline and can be used for all the same things. I use it often under bandaids for cuts and scrapes. I learned the hard way that they stick to the bandaid without a little barrier there. It can also be used on chapped lips or cheeks.
SANITIZER- In winter time this is a must to keep us all from being constantly sick! My favorite clean version is CleanWell.
I hope this gets you started in the right direction. For more reading check out the following articles and some of my past posts:
https://www.maisonpur.com/the-natural-nursery/
https://www.maisonpur.com/keeping-kids-feeling-best/
https://www.maisonpur.com/oh-baby/
https://www.maisonpur.com/what-you-need-to-know-about-phthalates/
Love the little photo of you and your cutie!<3 And the Cocovit CO is the best! 🙂 xx
Thanks Jana! We all use Cocovit around here haha!! Hope you have a great weekend! xoxo