Organic(?) Mum - advice needed!

[quootiepie]

Hiya - I have just been reading a thread about washing in plain water for first 4 weeks (something which I did) but then afterwards I was using Johnsons shampoo and softwash, also ive been using sensetive wipes. I presumed they were all ok, but alot of you seem to think they are very chemically (??) etc. I was just wondering what alternatives there are out there that would be better for baby. Im totally clueless - any advice would be great!

Most toiletries have got undesirables in them - mostly sodium laurel sulphate, which is quite a harsh industrial foaming agent, and paraben preservatives, which mimic oestrogen in the body and are really not a good idea to be adding to the chemical cocktail we're exposed to every day.

Here's a couple of websites where you can buy better alternatives:

Spirit of Nature

Green Baby

but the greenest alternative for wipes is to use home made fabric ones and wash them yourself

Oh plus lots of info and research here from the Women's Environmental Network.

are home made fabric wipes not

..flannels?

Natracare do organic biodegradable babywipes and Organic Babies do bath products. Haven't got time to do links at the moment.

Flannels are great

homemade ones cut from a piece of flannel, or fleece, or terry towelling, are even cheaper

i use cut up pieces of fleece as wipes

(i also use mini bits cut up instead of cotton wool for cleansing etc)

1 fleece throw for about £3 makes LOADS of wipes, and if you are using real nappies also nappy liners.

The dry so much quicker than flannels.... almost instantly and can be washed at any temperature with any thing!

Most boost stores not do organic baby stuff!

Halo's and Horns avaliable from tesco are much less chemically and more natural as well and smell really yummy!

Thanks... doesnt wiping with flannels cause soreness? I couldnt imagine wiping "down there" with one...

Gentle wiping is fine. Cut-up old T-shirts are good too.

I use flannels from IKEA and it's been fine.

As for toiletries, DD1 is very sensitive to sodium laryl sulphate, as I am. It gives her a rash.

So we use products for a local herbalist shop called Napier's. They made an SLS free soap and an amazing starflower cream for infants and children.

We use Organic Children shampoo and BizNiz leave in conditioner.

I didn't use anything but plain water on either girl until they were about 6 months and started putting things in their mouths a lot and eating and getting dirty.

I use the flannels as baby wipes, that is!

My ds2 is 4.9 and still only bathes in water as anything soapy gives him dry patches.

TT, could he be allergic to SLS? That's what happened to DD1.

I use organic liquid castille soap for a lot of things. I buy it in big 5 litre containers from CW Botanicals It is very mild and unlike commercially made soaps retains the glycerine (moisturising) that results during soapmaking that often big manufacturers remove manufacture to sell as a buy product. I've got refillable soap dispensers and this keeps me going for ages and ages so over time it works out very economical. If I feel in the mood I chuck some tea tree in for an anti-bacterial soap for the kitchen (I always use it unscented on the children at bathtime).

It can also be used for hair as well which I often do. For a change I use one of the shampoo bars from here and use apple cider vinegar as a final rinse to replace conditioner. If I use creams on the children I use one of the ones from the same place as they are chemical free.

expat, even sls free things are a problem. I think he's just a sensitive soul

Kittypickle, that's really interesting.

aw, ticky! maybe he and DD1 will meet someday . she is a sensitive soul, too.

thanks for the link, kitty! my mum's been hauling over 1 gallon jugs of Dr. Bronner's peppermint liquid castille soap when she comes across.

they refill the jugs and i brought two w/me when i moved so i could send one to her and bring across when she comes.

i used to make my own soap, but space is an issue here - i used to dry it in my basement.

My baby is six weeks and just washed in water and we use cheeky wipes reusable wipes with warm water for changing/washing. Never had any soreness apart from when we were away for the weekend and used water wipes. Back to cheeky wipes and cleared up 👌 They are also far better at getting rid of poo than wet wipes.

I used water wipes when out and about and cotton wool and water at home. I don’t use any products in the bath as my 9 month doesn’t really have any hair to wash.