DAY 5: INFANTS
When it comes to having babies there is a lot of information thrown around and a lot of product suggestions too. Many brands sell many things making many claims and usually at an increased cost. There is often a-lot of unnecessary ingredients in those products and just because it says ‘baby’ on it doesn’t even necessarily mean it’s safe.
I remember seeing Heppy’s newborn skin and feeling such a responsibility to treat it well, and govern well what passed into it! It felt so pure and untainted- so that’s what I committed to do; to do my research to make sure I could look after it, and in turn teach her how to too.
It’s a long one, I hope you’re ready!
Moisturiser:
Since Heppy was a baby we have covered her in coconut oil. Coconut oil possesses antimicrobial properties that can help treat acne and protect the skin from harmful bacteria.
I absolutely love that this can be applied over the whole entire body including hair and more than that I love how I can leave Heppy to rub this on herself, and good job because she eats this stuff by the handful!
Coconut oil has SO many uses, and helping babies with sore gums is another one to add to the repertoire.
This is our favourite brand of coconut oil or we buy this one in bulk which is huge and amazing value for money but comes in plastic which is the downside.
Body wash and hair:
We don’t choose to use anything in the bath generally with Heppy. This may seem boring, but it works best for her skin and keeps it so smooth and squishy and unaffected. She does however LOVE soap and wants to go nuts washing herself with it, so occasionally we will use an oatmeal soap i’ve made or Dr Bronners’s fragrance free soap in the bath. I absolutely adore this brand- We will wash Heppy’s hair about once a week (if that) with this too.
Yes there are times I want to buy her bath bombs or see her sitting in a glitter bath lathering her self in a foamy strawberry scented body wash purely because I know it would bring her so much joy and I do wonder if i’m being mean, but I know it’s just not worth it.
Eczema:
Heppy has had a breakout of eczema and bad skin rashes a few times. The first time was from using Childs Farm bubble bath whilst we were visiting my parent’s house. There is a big sign across the front of the bottle that says ‘suitable for sensitive skin, people who suffer from eczema and dermatologist approved’ which made me think that it couldn’t be so bad. We barely put any in the bath but her skin broke out all over the following day in a red spotty rash and when I typed in the product to ‘Think Dirty’ app, a great app that searches a bank of products to give them a rating out of 10 (the higher on the scale the ‘dirtier’ they are), the particular Child’s farm product I used came out as a 8 because of the level of fragrance in it. Another notable time was when I switched washing detergent to try a new eco brand called SMOL. Again, I assumed it would be fine for her skin because of their other promises as a company but her whole skin broke out in an awful hives looking rash! My point is, it’s not enough now for me to assume something will work for us, I need to research the ingredients and find out exactly what is in the products. It makes it tricky that the way the ingredients are listed are all highly technical but this is a great website you can use to decode the INCI names.
I’ve found a few things that have worked great on her skin to clear up the eczema. One is, Neals Yard Stellaria Cream— a cream containing chickweed. Chickweed is a folk remedy known for many things but specifically wounds, rashes, burns and eczema. I love the ethics of Neal’s yard and they have a great natural remedy collection. Also a big fan of a drop of lavender with lots of coconut oil for rashes. Again, make sure you know where your essential oils are sourced from!
Toothpaste:
For Hephzibah we are currently using this toothpaste. It’s not my ideal due to the packaging, but it works for now and I love the ingredients.
We used this toothpaste from Green People, when she got her first few teeth, and it’s our favourite so far because it’s far less sweet than any of the others.
We have used this toothpaste before but find that it’s highly sugary because of the presence of xylitol and she just wants to eat it rather than brush her teeth.
We have bought this toothbrush on repeat since she was a newborn and it’s perfect for her little hands to hold. We have tried a few other but the bristles have been too large. It’s compostable which we love. Another brand I know to be good is the humble co.
Nappy cream:
For very light nappy rash we use coconut oil, for heavier nappy rash I use this homemade nappy cream. Recipe found via: Natural Tasty Chef
All Natural Homemade Cloth Diaper Rash Cream
Ingredients
1/3 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup Shea butter (Thought to be able to treat many skin conditions including itching, sunburns, eczema, skin allergies, insect bites, frost bite)
2 Tablespoons beeswax pellets (Beeswax carries anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial properties that are essential in fighting chapped skin and bacterial infections. beeswax helps form a protective wall by sealing moisture in out skin without smothering and clogging up pores- especially good for winter months!)
2 Tablespoons vitamin E oil
2 - 3 drops Young Living Lavender Essential Oil
Instructions
Put a bowl ontop of a pan of hot water on the hob and heat the coconut oil, Shea butter and beeswax pellets over medium-low heat until fully melted. Remove from the heat and let cool for about 5 minutes before whisking in the Vitamin E oil and Lavender Essential Oil. Let cool to room temperature.
To speed up the cooling process, place in the fridge for about 30 - 60 minutes. Finally, beat to create a whipped texture. Store in an airtight glass jar.
This cream is thick. This recipe makes the perfect amount for a small mason jar.
INJURIES
Plasters
We currently use these plasters but find them WAY too sticky, and even hurt for me to pull them off my skin. I have heard great reviews about these plasters from the brand ‘Patch’.
Cuts/ Bruises/ stings
Lavender is the best! We’d use the above nappy cream recipe, or heavily dilute a drop of lavender oil with a carrier oil such as coconut or almond. The Stellaria cream is also a good choice or calendula cream, but make sure to apply sparingly, and read instructions well.
SUNCREAM
Our first summer with Hephzibah we spent our sweet time slathering thick white mineral suncream over her body and by the time I’d coated her, the sun had gone in. Okay, a bit dramatic but seriously. She would end up so sticky, pale as a ghost and more than that I didn’t even know if she was sun protected! I’d done a lot of research and parted with a lot of cash to buy this suncream from Badger- who I love as a company, and while she never got burnt it was too much of a faff.
I have recently read an article about a mum who had to rush her child to hospital because she was so sick, with altered behaviour. The only thing they could draw it back to was an increased use of suncream because they had just moved to the Florida area and they were applying multiple times in the day. The suncream itself looked harmless- labelled as organic and for kids, but the ingredients list said otherwise and it had fragrances and other chemicals know to alter DNA and cause havoc.
This is a real story!
This year I purchased this suncream from La Roche-Posay- even though way beyond our budget it’s a dream to put on as it’s a spray and I’m happy with what’s inside of it. I’m still on the hunt for something less expensive and ideally in better packaging.
toileting:
We started potty training on Heppy’s second birthday- you can read more of that over here as well as the ethical underwear companies that we used for Heppy’s first set of underwear.
Potty
Eco potty by Naty- You can read a full review over here. It was the only plastic free potty I could find in the UK. We decided to buy one new rather than find a second hand one thinking about it lasting throughout all our potential kids. It’s a great potty, but definitely not easily transportable- it is bulky and hard to pick up!
Reusable Nappies:
These were our favourites below. Our journey to cloth nappying was so rocky because I bought my first set second hand and Heppy leaked in them continually and i thought it was something wrong with me or the technique. Turns out because they were second hand almost all the elastic had gone in them…doh! So make sure if you’re buying second hand they’re good ones! I have managed to get some great second hand ones since…double checking the elastic is still functioning great! If I was buying again, i’d be sure to buy organic ones as now that’s of more importance to me- i’m not sure that any of the brands listed below are.
I highly recommend the Nappy Lady and filling in this questionnaire online if you’re new to cloth nappying! It massively helped us find the right cloth nappies for us!
Nappies:
Wipes:
essential oils
Essential oils have been a key player in Heppy’s life since she was born. I’ve wanted to teach her their power, and help her to understand before we jump to calpol there are other options, and empower her in that!
We love to diffuse essential oils. When I first joined Young Living 8 or so years ago, I bought a starter kit and in there was a diffuser we’ve been using ever since.
The key players for us to diffuse are lavender for sleep and peace, gentle baby (Young Living blend) calming and soothing, and Raven (Young Living blend) for when she’s had croup.
We have a set of homemade rollers for different situations too such as a roller with clove in for when she was teething to rub along her jaw, a roller for colds that we’d roll across her chest. These are all heavily diluted.
I also love the brand Neu Oil, and we have their roller BABY REST.
Clothing
Hephzibah’s wardrobe is 85% second hand and 15% new. By going mainly second hand it means we can save for key items that we need that are new.
The 85% of second hand clothes are made up mainly of clothes handed down, ebay, made by Grannie, fb marketplace or instagram second hand sites.
Below are some of our favourite clothing brands that we have either bought from new, or have had second hand clothes from these brands on ebay.
I will cover this more on a few days when I go into more depth about my own clothing, but when I am buying clothes I am looking to know they are ideally made with organic cotton and ethically made.
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Sleepy doe - A British sleepwear brand specialising in small, organic sleep collections for women and children. All products are ecologically sourced on GOTS certified organic cotton and all manufacturing methods are sustainable and ethical.
Poudre organic- Everything in the collection is organic and made in Portugal, ethically made from super soft organic cotton. The collectionsare based around a super simple palette of earthy colours.
Joha- All of Joha’s products carry the Eu Flower label guaranteeing no harmful chemicals and pollution in the process. I love Joha for snuggly basics!
Jamie Kay- Each piece is designed in New Zealand and every garment is crafted by a team in India & China who they have gotten to know and all the cotton is GOTS certified. Garments are coloured with Oeko certified dyes.
Nellie Quats- Nellie Quats specialises in beautiful girl's clothing and accessories from ages 3 months to 10 years. Everything they produce is designed and made in London.
Malpli- I was recently gifted some clothes for this incredible company, and can honestly say they are absolutely beautiful. Their commitment to sustainability and ethics at every stage of their supply chain is so inspiring even down to their buttons that are biodegradable and made in Portugal.
The Simple Folk- Made by mothers the owners wanted to create a more sustainable way for their kids. I absolutely love their story, the clothing they produce and everything they are about! Eg. their factory in portugal runs entirely on renewable energy and uses well water?! I’m a big fan.
Our Happy Club- A personal plug. During my first pregnancy with Heppy I soon realised that toxic free, natural and good looking baby products weren't readily available. I decided as a challenge to myself I would make some and see if they sold, and they did! So here is my collection of handmade products, with hopefully more on the way soon!- this is one of the aprons to the right that is in stock on the shop!
Some of our favourite websites and stores:
Mamaowl, Wool and cream, Bapipur, Junior Edition
Wow, it’s a long one. That’s all for today! What are your go to products for your babies or kids? I’d love to know!
See you tomorrow where we will be looking at my clean makeup favourites!
If you missed yesterday’s post you can find it here.
ps. Please note that most of the links to amazon are amazon affiliate links where at no additional cost to you I will earn a small commission if you decide to make a purchase after clicking through the link. I recommend these products because they are helpful and useful not in order to get you to spend money unless you feel you need them or they will help you on your journey!
pps. ‘Non-toxic’ is a claim in itself without regulation. When I use it, I am referring to products that don’t include ingredients linked to toxic responses (like hormone disruption, cancer, etc.) in humans.