It’s so important to use safe and toxin-free products when you have kids. Over 20 years ago, scientists discovered that children are much more sensitive to toxins in our environment. They’re developing so quickly and growing so fast, this is a time of major development for their little bodies. The environment and the products you use actually impact their bodies and their health more than adults.
While babies grow and develop, their hormone systems are more impacted by toxins. Plus little ones are often putting things in their mouths, or crawling on the ground and then putting their hands in their mouth. All of this adds up to potential exposure to toxins.
So what is safe? Well, first let’s chat about utensils, dishes, and bottles.
Safe and Non Toxic Products for Baby and Kids
Dishwear
Glass is safe and very eco-friendly. I know it can be scary to give a baby glass, but I want to challenge you to try glass. Of course, be careful with it. A mason jar, is a thicker glass and will be harder to break. Your kids will learn to be careful with glass. It is also nice because it is heavier and less likely to topple over. I remember when my girls were little I would put water or milk in their plastic cup -yes we used to use a lot of plastic and if I could I would go back and change that if I could, but at the time I didn’t know it wasn’t safe- and the plastic cup would topple over so easily. Of course you have to supervise and be careful!
Another option that isn’t as breakable is still safe is Corelle dishes. They are hard to break, toxin-free, and inexpensive. Another option is stainless steel bowls or wooden bowls that have suction cups on the bottom. All are safe and great. For bottles, silicon nipples, natural latex nipples with glass bottles are great options. In our house, we use stainless steel water bottles. Our girls love their Hydroflask’s and another great water bottle brand is Eco Vessel. For carrying snacks silicone bags work well and are safe.
Toys
Most toys are made of plastic and kids put everything in their mouths. It’s a great idea to crawl around on the floor to see you child’s perspective and you’ll see what they see and what draws their attention. Move stuff that you don’t want your kid grabbing. You’ll be surprised to see what is so enticing at their eye level. As far as toys go, I would choose wood toys. Or natural materials like plush toys in wool, linen, or cotton. I always like to support a local toy story and, at our local toy store, there are so many eco-friendly and toxin-free toys. Most local toy stores are a great place to start. Of course, avoid plastic as much as you can. You can check the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recall list for toys that have been recalled. A lot of toys get recalled because of lead. Can you believe that they can sell products that have lead in them, especially when they are marketed to kids? But thats the way it is. Products are sold in stores before being proven safe. We have to be vigilant consumers and do our best to protect our children.
Diapers
With babies and children often comes diapers. I am not on the “up and up” on safe diapering but if you visit my Facebook community Detox by Design Insiders I would be happy to share some safe diaper brands and even do more research for you and you could just post a question there.
I personally used cloth diapers and I loved them. Some people say “you’re crazy” but it’s not as hard as it sounds. My daughters potty trained early and quickly because they could feel when their diaper was wet. For my oldest, we used a diaper service, which of course made it a lot easier. And with my youngest we used a diaper service in the beginning but then they went out of business, so we ended up washing our own. My husband will disagree with me and tell you that he threw away a couple of really nasty diapers, but for the most part, washing the diapers was not that big of a deal. It was so economical and affordable. And I felt so much better about not putting diapers in the landfill. We did use disposable diapers when we were out and about, but for the most part, we used cloth diapers and it worked really well.
Cleaning and Laundry Products
As you may know, I have a subscription box service and I also sell products individually in my online shop. Everything in my store is safe for children. No fragrances, toxin-free, and I do a lot of research choosing the products that go in my boxes. Not only is it safe, the products work really well. My clients have given me rave reviews! You can start detoxing your cleaning and laundry routines by taking a look in my shop or subscribing to my box service.
Products for the body and hair
When it comes to products you put on your body, let’s start with the basics. Let’s say you go to Target, you’re walking down the aisle of baby products. There are so many products. There’s shampoo, lotions, diaper creams and many more with so many different uses. But the thing is, that’s just a company marketing to get you to buy more products. I don’t think you need a separate shampoo and body wash, its a cleanser. I personally would use the CRUNCHI gentle bar. It’s perfect for washing baby’s skin and hair because it’s so gentle and not scented at all. I would use that for shampoo and for body washing. That’s all you need. You just ned one bar soap, it’s so simple.
As far as moisturizing I would probably stick with a homemade body butter or something that you know has really clean ingredients. Here’s the recipe. I would omit the essential oils if using for a baby or little one. For diaper cream a great brand is Curasalve which is safe and uses organic ingredients. Overall, when we think about products for our babies or children we want to use as few toxins and fragrances as possible. Also remember to check the labels for fragrances. You probably need to also look out for essential oils and get something that has almost no scent at all, no added scents, and just the raw material scent. You can always ask me questions by DM’ing me on Instagram, Facebook, or you can join my Facebook group and ask in that group which is Detox by Design Insiders.
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