Non-toxic skin care products for baby

After learning about toxic chemicals and what they can do to us I came up with a new rule in our home:  since skin is the biggest organ in our bodies and it absorbs everything, then I will not put on my skin something that contains toxins.   This is especially true when it comes to my baby.

The first thing I did after I decided we would be living a life with less chemicals was to check all of my baby’s products. The Environmental Working Group has an exclusive “babies and moms” section so I recommend you check what you currently use and if it doesn’t have a good rating, replace it for something better.

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Body wash

Before I started this journey I was using Burt’s Bees Baby Bee for my daughter.  Even though this brand didn’t get a bad ratings on Skin Deep® Cosmetics Database, I was not comfortable using it because it is now owned by Clorox. I just can’t trust Clorox to make baby products when all of their other products have such bad ratings.

I found Earth Mama Angel Baby Shampoo & Body Wash.

This product is great! It has a ‘one’  rating (which is great) in the database and it’s made with natural organic ingredients.  It’s what I use on both of my daughters.

I want to add that I don’t bathe my daughter on a daily basis unless she gets dirty or has been sweating.  Contrary to popular belief, babies don’t need a bath every day, their body oils are good for them.   However, when I do bathe her several days in a row I don’t use soap every time.  The times when I don’t use her body wash, I just rub her with her natural bath sponge.

Shampoo and Conditioner

When my babies were little I just used the body wash on their heads but once they got more hair (around one year old) I started using Beautycounter’s kid shampoo and hair conditioner.

I’ve found it’s cheaper just to get the entire set and all the products in it are safe for kids and have a great rating with the Environemntal Working Group. It’s actually the only brand I use on both of my kids.

Diaper ointment

No one likes a diaper rash and I needed something natural and that would actually get rid of the rash fast so I developed my own recipe and it works wonderful. However, there are times I prefer using something I can buy due to lack of time or because I’m traveling.

My go-to diaper ointments that work, are natural and organic are: Earth Mama Angel Baby Bottom Balm, Motherlove Organic Diaper Rash, Badger Baby Balm and Badger Baby Diaper Cream.

Body Lotion:

Babies don’t really need body lotion but I do like to use it on my baby’s body every now and then, especially in the dry months of winter and after bathing in a chlorine filled swimming pool (which I try to avoid).  When it comes to baby’s skin I’m really picky about what I put on it so I use my homemade body lotion or Earth Mama baby lotion.

Sunscreen:

I’m not a fan of the overuse of sunscreen and I honestly try to avoid them as much as possible. Vitamin D is very important for optimal functioning of our bodies so I make sure my babies get enough sun exposure (about 10-15mins a day). However, there are days when we’re out a lot and the sun is intense. During those days I do my best to use clothing and hats that protect them from the sun but when that’s not enough I use sunscreen.

There are only 2 sunscreens I’ve used and loved: Badger Baby Sunscreen (and their face stick) and Goddess Garden baby sunscreen (or get it in a stick). You can also find other non-toxic brands in the EWG site.

Baby wipes:

Wipes are one of the products I use the most – at home and when we’re out. I use them to clean the diaper area but also their hands and face when they get really messy. Having a brand that’s truly non-toxic was a priority and that’s when I found Water Wipes. They are amazing and truly non-toxic! Plus you can get them through Amazon subscribe and save and get 15% off.

DIY Baby Recipes

You can also make your own products for baby and this way you know exactly what ingredients are being used in each product.

Find all the DIY recipes here.

Coconut oil as a all-in-one solution

As most crunchy moms I absolutely love coconut oil and use it on pretty much everything – it works great and there’s no prep required.  I use Nutiva Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil. You can use any brand as long as it’s 100% Organic Unrefined Cold-pressed coconut oil.

I use coconut oil for her diaper area, rashes, body lotion and sometimes even as a light sunscreen.  I even used it on my baby’s neck. I have chubby babies and their neck area would get red and dirty, no mater how much I cleaned them.  This is when I decided to use coconut oil and it worked like a charm. The redness went away in a few hours and it stopped getting dirty.

Coconut oil has a natural SPF of 8.  While I wouldn’t use this instead of sunscreen I have applied it on my baby’s face when she’s wearing a hat just to have that little extra protection. I have only used coconut oil this way when we’re not under direct sun exposure for prolonged times.

Babies don’t really need a whole lot of skin care products so try to use the bare minimum to avoid unnecessary toxic exposure. And any time you want to buy a new baby body product check baby section at Skin Deep® Cosmetics Database. I downloaded their app on my phone so I can easily scan products when I’m at the store.

What skin care products do you use on your baby?