Jun

24

Review: Babo Botanicals Hair Care

Filed Under Product Reviews, Skin Care | 4 Comments

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    When I was working on the new edition of the SafeMama Skin Care Cheat Sheet for 2010 I came across several new brands that were worthy of the list.  One of those was Babo Botanicals.  They carry a full line of shampoo and skin care for babies and kids that is free of many of the ingredients we try to avoid such as parabens, phthalates, sulfates, 1,4 dioxane, formaldehyde, mineral oils, synthetic fragrances and dyes and propylene glycol.  What IS in Babo Botanicals is carefully selected plant and vegetable based ingredients and organic oils and extracts.

    Babo Botanicals sent me samples of their entire line (which I was really grateful for!) and I was really impressed with the presentation. These would make awesome shower gifts.  You can purchase gift sets and they come in cute little jute handle bags.

    Another thing I found cool is their Rosemary Tea Tree Lice Repel shampoo and leave-in conditioner.  I get questions all the time about handling lice naturally.  This is a great way to deal with lice problems (and perhaps to keep them from spreading if you have multiple children). It’s also clinically proven 95% effective which sounds pretty good.

    I really like how they provide “solutions” with their products, like their Clean Sport Shampoo for sun and swim or their Berry Primrose for tangly or unruly hair.  What’s great is these are all color safe for mom too.  I used them on my own chemically highlighted hair (I know but seriously? Come on) and had good results.

    The scents, I’ll admit are a tiny bit stronger than I’m used to with other natural brands but they get great feedback on all their products.  My personal favorite is the Berry Primrose!  I also packed the Clean Sport detangler in my beach bag for post-swim comb outs.

    What I really love is the care and consideration that goes into this line of products. Their entire line is made on a certified organic farm in New York. They do products in small batches to ensure the highest quality and it really shows in their delivery.  The products came to me wrapped up in colorful tissue in a jute bag.  I felt like I was opening a box of expensive candy rather than shampoo.  Very classy.  Babo Botanicals ingredients earned them a respectable spot on our Skin Care Cheat Sheet.

    Get It: You can order any of their products on their website Babobotanicals.com!

    Mar

    15

    SafeMama’s Safer Baby Skin Care Cheat Sheet

    Filed Under ** Cheat Sheets!, Product Safety, Skin Care | 1 Comment

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      Welcome to the next generation of the Safer Baby Skin Care Cheat Sheet! As we’ve grown and learned, we have become more aware of other ingredients, aside from parabens and phthalates, we wish to avoid. We also realize that there are different trains of thought (how many chemicals you’ll tolerate) and budgets to consider so we decided to simplify this list and split it up. For more detailed information on why we avoid certain ingredients please check our glossary. Below is a listing of brands we recommend. (Last Updated January 31, 2012)

      Notice: Please do not redistribute this list anywhere without our prior written consent. If you would like to share this information with your readers, please use the handy little button we created for doing just that and link back here. I  spent time away from my kids, pouring over ingredients lists, digging in the Skin Deep Database and learning about chemicals and processes. Please help me make that worth my time and energy by not copy/pasting my work on other websites, communities, forums or blogs without permission. Thank you!

      Want to know about skin care & beauty products? Check out LovelyMama for product reviews and recommendations.  Us Mommies need safe skin care too!

      BEST CHOICES: SafeMama’s Top Picks

      The following brands are, according to the latest ingredient information, mostly chemical free (or as close to chemical free as possible). They also rate well in the EWG Skin Deep Cosmetics database and are responsible companies. These are listed in alphabetical order for each rating group and not in a preferential manner. [Key: Brand Name, (Skin Deep rating range for baby items only, if available - Skin Deep ratings start at 0 being the best and goes up to 9 being the most hazardous)]

      BETTER CHOICES

      These are also really GREAT Choices: All baby care items are FREE of Parabens, Phthalates, PEG’s, Propylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Benzoate, Dimethicone, SLS and a bevy of other chemicals I won’t bother listing. Brands exhibit a very respectable ingredients list. (Note: In some brands cases they carry several products that are chemical free however have one or two items that were not.) I personally use many items from brands in this section.

      GOOD CHOICES

      Brands are Paraben, Phthalate, Propylene Glycol, PEG Free though had one or more products containing cocamidopropyl betaine, dimethicone, sodium benzoate, and/or phenoxyethanol. Some of these brands had traces of just one questionable ingredient and others had several, or contained more chemically processed ingredients than I was comfortable with. These are still far better choices than most mainstream baby products and would recommend them. You will need to investigate the products yourself and make a judgment call.

      Gluten Free Brands

      These brands are gluten free according to their informational materials, for those needing to avoid gluten in their skin care. (Not comprehensive)

      • 100% Pure Kids
      • California Baby
      • Earth Mama Angel Baby
      • Episencial
      • Nature’s Paradise Organics
      • TruKid Skin Care

      Basic Skin Care Tips:

      Read labels carefully. Beware of the basics -paraben, fragrance, PEG’s, and propylene glycol. Use our list as a guide.

      Shopping at a “natural” store doesn’t mean everything is paraben and phthalate free. Read labels, know how to decipher the ingredients by reading our glossary and don’t be fooled by the word “natural” or “organic” on the label. These words are not regulated the way food is… just because it says natural/organic doesn’t always mean it is.

      Be wary of the term “fragrance”. Synthetic fragrances are a phthalate culprit so if you can, try to use products with organic or natural essential oils only if you are unsure. Unscented products can also contain phthalates by using a fragrance masking agent.

      Use less products. This seems like a no-brainer but many people use way more than they need. Babies are born with the most perfect skin (usually) and it will never again be as perfect as it is when they’re babies.  Their skin is also sensitive and susceptible.  They don’t need to be slathered in lotions and powders. A little warm water and a washcloth is all they really need. When kids get older and grimier (like mine) a little soap and warm water does the trick and you can spot treat any dry skin problems or rashes.

      Make Your Own: Some Castille Soap and water goes a long way!

      Note: We support all the brands listed above regardless of what rating they have received.  We also realize everyone has their own standard of “greenness” and feel that there is a product to suit the needs of every child.  Experiment and mix and match until you find which brands work best for you, your family and your budget.  If there is a brand you think is missing from this list, please contact me and let me know and I would be happy to review it for inclusion.

      When my son was first born, I probably got sixty bottles of different types of Johnson’s Baby Wash. They had one for every day, one for calming, one for colds. It seemed like they had just about everything I needed. Not having any idea what a paraben or a phthalate was, it was my staple. Once I started doing research (you would think that I would have done this prior to having my baby, but then again, you wouldn’t think they would make a baby shampoo that was laden with chemicals. Fool me once…), I was horrified to learn that I was using something harmful on my son’s delicate skin. I stopped using it immediately and sought other alternatives. I will admit though, I became so used to the smell of the Johnson’s calming baby wash, that I kept a bottle, just for the tactile memory. Every now and then, I’ll give it a little sniff, and it transforms me back to those early days of his newborn baby head. Since then, I’ve done A LOT of research on baby shampoo, and have tried many brands. When my daughter was born, I even brought my own body wash to the hospital and refused to let them use what they had on hand (most likely Johnson’s). Between Kathy and I, I’m pretty confident that we’ve tried just about every brand that’s out there. We’ve pored over ingredients and compared lathering capabilities. And here’s what we’ve come up with.

      Aug

      10

      Review: Fresh Organics

      Filed Under Product Reviews | Comments Off

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        fobalmWe were lucky to get a preview of the new product called Fresh Organics for baby.   Fresh Organics has quite a line of products for adults, that are all natural.   And I’m always a sucker for a new baby product.

        The shampoo conditioner combo lathers nicely and has a very subtle smell to it, which I like.  A lot of natural products are still pretty pungent and I’ve noticed that my nose can’t handle strong smells anymore.  But this leaves a nice light scent on my little girl that I’ve come to grow fond of during one of the many billions of times I sniff her sweet smelling baby head during a day (seriously, if I could bottle that smell up, I’d wear it all the time).   The lotion also smells nice and light, spreads nicely without being greasy.

        The bubble bath, like many other natural and organic bubble baths doesn’t produce the mounds of bubbles I was used to as a kid, but this is one of the pitfalls of any natural bubble bath.  But it’s enough for my son, who doesn’t seem to mind, or know any different.   I do wish it came in a bigger container though, as it seems to go pretty fast.

        One of the good things about Fresh Organics is the price.  It’s not overly expensive and it works well for the price.  Can’t beat that during tough economic times.

        Get it: You can order any of the Fresh Organics products directly from Fresh Organics website.  They have products for Mamas and Daddys too!

        Mar

        13

        Dear SafeMama, The Two Days Late Edition (Inexpensive Shampoo)

        Filed Under Dear SafeMama, Skin Care | Comments Off

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          I’m relatively new to being “green” but I’m trying to make good choices for my 9 month old little girl.  Your site definitely helps!

          I’ve gone through your info about the safe baby care many, many times and the cosmetics database site trying to come up with a good, not insanely expensive brand of lotion and shampoo/body wash to try for her.  Many of them are just so expensive I don’t think my husband would ever go for it and it seems that most are similar.  Can you recommend some pocket friendly brands out of your list?  I’m leaning towards California Baby at this point.

          We get this question a lot.    And I get it.   We’re all trying to save a bit of money, but still do better things for our family.   I’m still a big believer in you get what you pay for.  Does that mean that I think you should go out and buy the most expensive shampoo/body wash/conditioner, for your baby?  No, absolutely not.   I think there are great products out there, of decent quality, that are both safe and inexpensive.    The skin care cheat sheet that we put out last year, was simply a list of things that were safer choices, with a wide range of pricing.    We’re working on a newer list with more information, but it’s a slow process with the two of us gestating (read:  we pretty much pass out right after our toddlers’ bedtime).

          We do have our favorites that we love and we’re pinching pennies too.   So here are our favorites:

          • Nature’s Baby Organics -  This is one of my favorite staples.   I buy the 16 ounce pump for both the shampoo and the conditioner and it lasts me a while.    The vanilla tangerine smells fabulous, and the conditioner is the only conditioner that I’ve found that doesn’t give my son bed head.     You can find the 16 ounce bottles much cheaper on Amazon.
          • TruKid – TruKid is a great inexpensive line that’s especially great for toddlers and children.   It’s safe for all ages, but the scents are more geared towards younger kids.  Their SPF is still my favorite for not only my son, but for us too.
          • Kiss My Face Kids – This is a great line that you can find in some grocery stores.  The added bonus is that it’s a shampoo and conditioner in one.   Kathy has had better luck with this than I have.  My son, unfortunately has inherited my fine, easily tangled hair, which doesn’t respond well to shampoo/conditioner combos.   But overall, it’s a great line, and it smells great.
          • Little Twig -  Little Twig is another great affordable line that we love.   We love the quality of this line, too. Plus they give you 30% off if you send back your empties.  That’s a big discount!

          As for California Baby, this is a great line, but a lot of people complain about it being a little pricey.  It can be expensive, but it’s readily available at nearly all Targets and Whole Foods stores.  I’ve also seen it in my local conventional grocery store (Giant if you’re in the eastern PA region), but again, some people find that the line to be too expensive.

          There’s also Burts Bees, which I didn’t list here because I have to say, it’s not my favorite.  It’s not a bad line, and it’s inexpensive and available everywhere, but I’ve had mixed results with it.   My son also ended up with a rash on his belly from the Baby Bee lotion, and I know of one other person who had the same problem.   That said, I know people who swear by it and it is a safer option.

          There’s been a lot of people who have voiced concern about availability.   Unfortunately, until safer skin care catches on, it’s going to be a little harder to find something that works for you.   And it’s going to be trial and error, just like it was for us.    If you’re lucky to have a local health foods store nearby, take advantage of that, and ask them if they would be willing to stock your favorite brand.   If you’re lucky, you have a Whole Foods nearby (although, I find beauty products at Whole Foods to be much more expensive, so I try not to buy them there).   Which leaves the internet.   Really, this is our prime mode of purchase these days.   Amazon, drugstore.com, diapers.com, or directly from the manufacturer.   Just like with anything else, shop around to find the best bang for your buck.    Chances are,  you’ll be paying around the same price with shipping, as you would by going out and spending money on gas to buy the product.

          Kathy Tip: Go to the company websites for some of these companies and sign up for their newsletters.  I’ve gotten TruKid and other brands for a discount this way including sunscreen for much much less… and sometimes for free shipping offers.

          May

          13

          Product Review: Nature’s Baby Organics

          Filed Under Product Safety, Skin Care | Comments Off

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            Nature's babyI know, you think I love everything.  But, I am usually moved to write a review when I am passionate about a product.  A few months ago I ordered some items from Nature’s Baby Organics to try out on my son.  I’ve always been a California Baby user, because I liked the line but also out of convenience… it’s easy to find.  But after starting our Safe Baby Care Cheat Sheets I quickly realized that there are a lot of great companies out there who’s goal is to provide us safe and organic products, without compromising quality.  One of those is Nature’s Baby Organics.  I forget where I came across them originally but after looking at their website I knew I had to give it a try. 

            Nature's Baby Shampoo Body Wash My biggest peeve with truely natural products is the abundance of lavender scents.  Lucky for me, I like lavender.  But sometimes, you are just over it.  Something, anything not lavender will do.  Willing to do anything to escape the ho-hum lavender scents I was surrounded with,  I purchased the Vanilla Tangerine Shampoo and Body Wash and the Leave in Conditioner and Detangler (we get some serious bed head in this house) and the company generously sent us a few extras to test out.  I have a wide array of items that we’ve tried from the Safe Baby Care Cheat Sheet in our bathroom, but I keep going back to the Vanilla Tangerine goodness.  I first tried the Shampoo & Body Wash and when it comes out of the bottle it looks little jelly-like, so at first I was skeptical about the performance. But it lathers well and smells sweet without being too overpowering.   It rinses clean and a relatively small amount goes a long way.   I decided to give the coordinating conditioner a try too… it seemed gentle enough and it touts “Leave In” as an option.  This conditioner seems to have erradicated the morning case of bedhead and makes his hair shiny and soft.  And did I mention he smells delicious?

            In my shipment I also recieved the Fragrance free Face and Body Lotion whic I quickly stole for myself.  Duh.  Many times, I’ve encountered “unscented” or “fragrance free” lotion and it smells like chemicals or smells weird.  Not this one!  It has a really subtle clean smell to it and once absorbed it doesn’t smell at all.  It has a creamy thick consistency but goes on thin enough to absorb fast so you aren’t waiting around to get dressed.  Personally, I hate the smell of the Burt’s Bees body lotions – they are too strong for me –  so I ditched them for this one.

            I got an array of other items they make including the Organic & Preservative Free Diaper Cream, which I like.  I have been a die hard California Baby Diaper Rash Cream person because that seems to work the best on my son, but what I like about Nature’s Baby is the lack of scent.  Sometimes I can’t stand the smell of diaper cream so this is a nice change.

            organic stickThey have a wide array of products that cover most of the baby care bases including a nice room spray, the PU All Purpose Room Deodorizer that is safe and long lasting… we all know the evil smell of the diaper pail can be a powerful force.  The Organic Soothing Stick was a nice solution to spot treating dry skin patches without needing to slather lotion all over the place, fits nicely in a diaper bag too.  I once used it as a make-shift lip balm.  And one of the more brilliant products is the Ah-Choo Chest Rub.  We haven’t had any colds yet but I love the idea of using this instead of the icky Vicks petroleum based chest rub. 

            Bottom Line:  This is a great product line and a responsible, kind company.  They promise their products to be USDA Certified Organic and free of parabens, phthalates, propylene glycol, sulfates (SLS), synthetic fragrances and DEA.  They are also signers of the Campaign For Safe Cosmetics and are animal cruetly free.  Nature’s Baby Organics is Safe Mama Approved!

            Apr

            11

            Baby Skin Care Products: A Quick Users Guide

            Filed Under paraben free, Phthalates Info, Product Safety, Skin Care | 7 Comments

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              One of the things that we’ve been frustrated with, here at SafeMama, was what seemed like a lack of safe baby skin care products. Hence, the second version of the Paraben and Phthalate Free Bath Care Cheat Sheet. As we were searching we realized that there actually are a lot of really great products out there, and so we compiled as many of them as we could find, and put them all in one central location for our readers to peruse. A few things to note:

              1. Not every single product that’s out there, is going to be on this list. We’ve found tons of stuff, and have turned over many stones, but I’m sure there are some out there that we’ve missed. That said, if you’re using a product that’s safe, and it isn’t on here, please email us or comment and we’ll research the product add it to the list.

              2. If your product isn’t on here, it may be because it didn’t meet the requirements for this spreadsheet. All of the products listed on here are free of parabens, sodium laureth sulfates (SLS), phthalates, 1,4 dioxanes, propylene glycol, and PEG’s. The who? The what? We’ve outlined briefly what these are and why you might not want them in your child’s skin care in the glossary.

              3. Safety Rating: In addition to that, we crossed refrenced these products with EWG’s Cosmetic Safety Database and added the score to each product on the sheet. Not every product, unfortunately, is in the CSD, however, that doesn’t mean that it’s a bad product, but you’ll have to decide for yourself whether or not you feel comfortable using it.

              4. Not all products that are manufactured by these companies have been listed. We kept this simply listed to baby skin care, and products that a person might use during pregnancy or breastfeeding, and we noted each product as such. Again, it’s not that the other products are bad, it’s just that, well, this is list already very long, and the website is called SafeMama after all.

              5. At the time of this publication, we hadn’t heard back from a couple of the companies. We’re pretty sure that California Baby is free of dioxanes, but because we hadn’t heard back from them after a few attempts at contact, we decided to put “unknown.” We’d rather be safe than sorry.

              We hope you’ll find this spreadsheet useful. We wanted to make sure that the Mamas (and the Daddys) know that there are lots of options out there for your little ones skin care needs. The link to this sheet will also be added to the sidebar. If you have any questions regarding these ingredients, please refer to our glossary.

              Once you’ve chosen safe bath products, make sure your bath toys are safe too.

              Mar

              21

              Product Review Series: Erba Organics

              Filed Under Product Reviews, Skin Care | 2 Comments

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                I ran across this line of baby care in the “natural” product aisle at my local Target. It’s safe to say I’ve got a ton of products but when I saw the red price reduction sticker on some Erba Organics Baby Shampoo and a bottle of body wash for $2.98 each as opposed to the usual price of $5.99 I snatched them up for research purposes.

                These little gems are Certified Organic and contain 77% organic ingredients, are paraben, sodium laureth sulfate, and phthalate free. I found that the shampoo suds up nicely but I am not overly impressed scent, or lack thereof, which is not necessarily a bad thing. Although compared to some other brands I have tried with similar traits, I was a little “eh” about it all. Had I not gotten the shampoo and body wash on sale I may have skipped it but it was a good deal. Although most baby shampoo is a combination of both shampoo and body wash.. these are sold separately. I am pretty sure that using the shampoo AS a body wash works just as well. It foams up well and washes clean.

                Overall, this is a nice product line, but I wasn’t totally enamored with it. It’s pluses are that it’s available in some Target stores (convenient) and comes in smaller sizes which are slightly more affordable. They have a full line available for baby and a line for Mommy too which is nice. And for those who are sick of the lavender smell, this is a good “unscented” option.

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