3 Ways to Keep Your Baby Safe from Toxic Chemicals
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We absolutely loved being invited along to The Fourth as a guest speaker to share our knowledge on reducing the chemicals around your little one and wellness in the home. It can be overwhelming with all the new information we’re given as a new Mama so just take on board what you can and when you have the time or energy see if you can make a few easy switches so it feel easeful not stress-y.
“I was at the Fourth the other morning, I’ve purchased Rascal nappies instead of Huggies. They are exactly the same price point except none of the nasties so that was a no-brainer too! I use flannels instead of baby wipes anyways and I hope to make the switch to re-usable nappies too! Thanks for sharing all the info.” - Emily.
We covered 3 main areas to think about with the littles ones which are touching their skin the most:
1. Nappies
I was shocked to find out most nappies are sprayed with a very toxic chemical - formaldehyde! Urghhh gross. 🤮 Rascal and Friends are formaldehyde free, so we choose them for disposables. Even better again are reusables, they are seriously rad for lil bums + our planet. If you have the time + energy or have been thinking about it give them a go! It’s surprisingly fun scrubbing them, very satisfying, less horrifying for your rubbing bin, and there’s so many funky patterns out there. I was scared to start but now love it! Just wash them first which brings me into number 2...
2. Wash EVERYTHING before putting on bubs
Clothes, bedding, play mats, blankets. 🧶Again our nasty friend formaldehyde is around plus toxic dyes etc. Wear clothes until they’re dirty rather than washing daily (esp pre solids), they’ll also last for longer. Avoid it completely by buying second hand or cranking the hand-me-downs! Also more planet-friendly.
3. Baby wipes.
I invite you to check out the ingredients listed on the back of your current pack. There’s heaps of shitty ingredients that you wouldn’t want touching your babes bum if you knew they weren’t safe! Phenoxyethanol, isopropyl myristate, basically any words that are super long and sound like they’re from a science lab- ARE! The water wipes are great as they use grape seed extract (sounds natural coz it is!). Many wipes are made with a synthetic cloth and plastics, which do not biodegrade, or chlorine bleached. So even better.... make your own- our recipe is on our blog OR if that seems to hard just use a water and a cloth or chop up an old sheet. Yes it really is that simple.
Even if you change just ONE thing it’ll make a world of difference and could stop 2, 4, maybe 10 chemicals from being around your babe and that makes a massive difference.
Pat yourself on the back for any changes you make! You’ve got this Mama, you’re doing amazing!