Natural Choices for Baby
Once parental instincts kick in, everything surrounding your baby goes under the microscope—and for good reason!
A wide range of products in your home—household cleaners, air fresheners, body care and oral care products, carpet, glues, paints and varnishes, clothing and toys—may contain toxic ingredients that can be absorbed in small amounts through the skin, mouth or nose. It all adds up to what experts refer to as a “toxic load” that small bodies must endure.
Fortunately, parents can make easy, natural choices to reduce toxins within the home, where baby spends so much of his early developmental months. Simply go from room to room—just like you would when “babyproofing” the house to prevent falls and other accidents—and conduct a quick inventory of all the products you use. Consider a natural alternative for as many items as possible.
Healthy Housekeeping
Any proud parent of an active toddler can tell you the time will come when your baby decides to lick the floor. Yes, really! How that makes you feel depends on what you’ve been using to clean it.
From floor to ceiling, many household cleaning products contain potentially harmful chemicals. Not only can they be dangerous if ingested, they also can irritate sensitive skin and nasal passages.
Natural cleaning products are widely available, ranging from all-purpose formulas to those specially formulated for floors, countertops, mirrors and windows, laundry and more—or you can even make your own out of ingredients such as baking soda, washing soda, borax, vinegar and lemon juice. Here are a few ideas from our customers to get you started.
Baby Body Care
Now how about those bath bubbles—ever wonder what gets absorbed through baby’s skin during a long, playful soak?
What you put on your baby’s body is just as important as what you put in it. Baby skin is very sensitive and still developing while it begins to do its jobs: regulate body temperature, hydrate and protect. Artificial colors, preservatives and scents may diminish skin’s effectiveness and cause irritation that is not always visible. Fortunately, there are baby lotions, oils, powders, wipes and washes without those ingredients.
Our Quality Standards mean you can expect to find a wide selection of the most natural products available. We also evaluate every product in our Whole Body department to determine which ones meet tougher standards than ever for results, quality of source, environmental impact and safety. Those that pass the test we label Premium Body Care™.
Diaper Decisions
One thing on baby’s body most of the time is a diaper—so make an informed diaper decision. Today there are so many diapering options, it seems the only wrong choice is conventional disposables (hard on baby, hard on the Earth).
Natural disposables are free of chlorine bleaching and synthetic fragrances, and are often made from recycled material. Reusable, washable cloth diapers have evolved from the old cloth squares with pins and are now designed to fasten and fit much like disposables. A recent innovation is a diapering system with reusable covers and removable, absorbent inserts that can be flushed.
The right choice depends on what works best for you because each more eco-friendly style has its pros and cons, and there are varying opinions regarding the effects on water use, energy consumption and landfill space.
Natural Clothing and Toys
Little hands and feet need to keep warm and busy—best to accomplish both with clothes and toys made with natural, organic and recycled materials. These products may cost a little more, but the payoff comes in knowing you’ve made a safe, healthy choice for your baby and the planet.
Delight babies and kids of all ages with toys made of natural materials, sustainable woods, recycled plastic and other eco-friendly materials. Choose baby clothes, blankets and stuffed toys made with natural materials, especially organic cotton. Conventional cotton crops use more pesticides than any other crop, about 10% of all pesticides used in the world each year. Synthetic clothing is manmade and may contain flame retardants and fibers made with questionable chemicals.