Baby Wash Suggestion Research

Posted on December 10, 2018 by

One of the pivotal moments for me in regards to learning about the products I use was when I became a mom. I had already switched out deodorant, toothpaste, and menstrual products, but still used many cleaning and personal care products that unknowingly had toxic ingredients. I had heard good things about Babyganics and so put baby wash on the registry list. Shortly after, I discovered Eco Friendly Made in USA blog and began really digging into the nitty gritty of personal care and household product ingredients. The biggest takeaway is do your research and remember that no one has your best interest at heart, not the government agencies and not the product companies. This all lead me to clearing out toxic products, including that Babyganics wash, and eventually joining as a Poofy Organics Guide. (I have not put my Poofy link in this list,  but it can be found in other posts and on my affiliate page.)

Today on Instagram, an account I follow asked for natural baby wash suggestions for another follower, to which I replied with Poofy, of course! But when the other suggestions started rolling in, I let them know that some of those products have less than ideal ingredients. I offered to do the research on all the suggestions and will gladly add to it if any of my readers have more suggestions, good and bad to put on the list. This is purely a review of the safety of the ingredients in the suggested products and not a commentary on any particular company.

Italics names contain concerning ingredients that I would recommend avoiding. Underlined names are questionable as indicated in the comments. Bold names are considered safe options, though not all are created equal or have organic ingredients. Please note that when an ingredient does not have any data about it, it is listed as a 1 in EWG.

  • Norwex Shower Gel (Couldn’t find a specific baby wash)
    • https://shopus.norwex.biz/en_US/customer/shop/product-detail/324392?categoryName=Body
    • Ingredients are not listed on the website and Norwex is not in the EWG database.
    • According to this site, http://reducingchemicals.blogspot.com/2016/02/whats-in-it-norwex-edition.html#ShowerGel , the ingredients are: (Made in Germany, Ingredient List Last Verified: February 2016) Ingredients: Aqua (Water), Coco-Glucoside, Sodium Coco-Sulfate, Lauryl Glucoside, Glyceryl Oleate, Glycerin, Inulin, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice*, Ananas Sativus (Pineapple) Fruit Extract*, Sorbitol, Betaine, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Glyceryl Caprylate, Citric Acid, Sodium PCA, Potassium Sorbate, Citrus Limon (Lemon) Peel Extract*, PCA Ethyl Cocoyl Arginate, Parum (Fragrance), Limonene. *Organic
    • Potassium Sorbate is a 3 for possible organ toxicity. Undisclosed fragrance is rated an 8 for irritation to skin/eyes/lung, organ toxicity, and ecotoxicology.
  • Dr Bronner’s Unscented Bar Soap
    • https://shop.drbronner.com/castile-bar-soap click on the light blue dot
    • Product not listed on EWG. Sodium Hydroxide listed as 3-4, Dr Bronner’s site states “None remains after saponifying oils into soap & glycerin.” All other ingredients rate 1 or 2.

 

  • Earth Mama Angel Baby Natural Non-Scents Baby Wash

 

  • ABC Arbonne Baby Care Hair and Body Wash
    • https://www.arbonne.com/Pws/homeoffice/store/AMUS/product/ABC-Arbonne-Baby-Care-Hair-Body-Wash-850,1306,225.aspx
    • Not listed in EWG. Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate is listed as a 3 for contamination and enhanced skin absorption concerns. Cocamidopropyl Betaine is listed as a 4 for ecotoxicology and concerns of allergic contact dermatitis. Polysorbate 20 is listed as a 3 for organ system toxicity. Phenoxyethanol is listed as a 4 for irritation of skin/eyes/lungs and organ toxicity. Potassium Sorbate is listed as a 3 for organ system toxicity. Sodium Benzoate is listed as a 3 for organ system toxicity.
  • Juniper Ridge Coastal Ridge Bar Soap (organic ingredients)
Advertisements
Posted in Linked Up, Parenting, poofy organics, pregnancy | Leave a comment

Curry

Posted on December 6, 2018 by

We didn’t get out of the house until after 3pm and had multiple stops to get through. Most days I have mastered the art of making sure we don’t do too many things in a row, packing snacks, keeping Wallace engaged, and making it home in time for dinner and bed on schedule. I only messed up the last bit tonight.

On our way home from Aldi, which was after thrift store and dropping off recycling, Wallace asked that I make curry for dinner. I did a mental scan of my cupboards and fridge and determined I could make that happen. He said he wanted crushed peanuts on top and my brain kicked into how to get everything done as quickly and seemlessly as possible.

I told him he would need to figure out how to crush the peanuts after he helped me put groceries away. I told him we would put them in a plastic bag and we brainstormed. He suggested a hammer and I said that might not be a good idea as it could harm the floor, table, or counter. I said what about putting on shoes and walking on the bag. He though that was funny. His next idea was perfect. He said rolling pin.

It didn’t roll like he wanted it to, but he came up with ways of rocking and leaning on it that crushed them well. I had to convince him to stop and put the bag out of reach as he wanted to experiment with more kitchen tools. I didn’t want us to end up with peanut butter in the bag!

This is how I make curry for him.

  1. Start the rice. I rinse it a few times and make it in a rice cooker.
  2. Chop onion (into large pieces so picky children can fling it onto their placemats easier) and sweet potato. Saute in pot with grapeseed oil for a few minutes while chopping broccoli.
  3. Add in a few dashes of cayenne, turmeric, ginger, basil, whatever suits your fancy, and stir. Add in one can of coconut milk and 2 Tbs of Thai Kitchen red curry paste, stir. I forgot to add in peanut butter, so do a few Tbs at this stage if you’d like peanut curry sauce. Let simmer for about 5 minutes.
  4. Add in the chopped broccoli, lots of broccoli, and stir it around a bit. Tofu can also be added at this stage. It will look like there is not enough sauce. Lower the heat and put the lid on so it steams the broccoli, stirring occasionally as you clean everything up.
  5. Put rice in bowls, top with curry, and don’t forget those crushed peanuts! Read a bedtime story while it cools. Enjoy.
Posted in homeschooling, Parenting, pictures, What We Eat | Leave a comment

Books Galore!

Posted on December 6, 2018 by

Growing up, my dad worked for Borders and my mom was a teacher. They are both first generation college graduates, but had siblings who also attended college. They are both avid readers and lovers of knowledge. I later worked for Borders and have always loved books. I used to read aloud to my pet frog or spend all weekend reading to see how many books I could go through.

I have always had a library card and remember when I had to practice my name in cursive in order to sign for it. Wallace got his library card this past year after learning how to write his first and last name, which he now enjoys doing on everything. He gets to pick out and check out books on his own, which is a huge privilege and responsibility!

I’ve always had books around for Wallace – board books, fiction , nonfiction, picture books, chapter books, eye spy, reference books – and have made a point to read to him nearly daily since he was a baby. He loves books too and it is one of my favorite parts of parenting to get to share these things with him. We snuggle up on the couch and enjoy books together throughout the day and especially at bedtime.

I have been reading chapter books to him since he was 3 and his comprehension of and love for stories has only grown. Some of our favorites are Magic Tree House, Mercy Watson, Paddington, Ralph S Mouse series, Pippi Longstocking, and the Wild Robot series. I haven’t always made time for my own resding, so sometimes these books are all I get and they have to be good.

Since my job is all about finding and selling books, we spend a lot of time at library book sales and thrift stores. We had an extensive library before, but it keeps growing exponentially! Our collection is made up of books from my childhood, books my mom had used as a teacher, new books for Wallace from book orders, and used or free books. Yesterday, I integrated the book sale finds from November into the various shelves, which took a lot of reorganizing. It still needs work and I would love to purge a few.

Chapter books

Easy reader, Christmas books, and favorite fiction books

Less often read fiction, eye spy and craft books, and non fiction sorted by subject

I can’t remember where I read it, but some studies showed that having just 40 picture books in the home increased graduation rates. Another article I read talked about how in some neighborhoods there is a huge shortage of books and sometimes is only one per every 30 families. That is baffling to me! There are great resources like the little free library and the Dolly Parton book mailing program that help to get books into the hands of kids who need them. At some thrift stores, kids books are only 10 to 25 cents. Clearly I have been thinking a lot about books in terms of disparity and privilege.

I’d love to include cute pictures of us reading together, but that requires someone else to be around. Here’s a cute Wallace picture for fun.

Posted in background, family, homeschooling, Parenting, pictures, Single Mother by Choice - SMC | Leave a comment

Protected: General Update

Posted on November 18, 2018 by

This content is password protected. To view it please enter your password below:

Posted in background, homeschooling, LGBTQ, Parenting, Single Mother by Choice - SMC

MicroBlog Monday: Things My Kid Dislikes

Posted on November 12, 2018 by
  • Any clothing item I suggest
  • Long car rides
  • Losing games
  • Feeling embarrassed
  • People misgendering him
  • Walking quietly or in a straight line
  • Wiping his own butt
  • Beans, which he used to like
  • Too hot bath water
  • Letting me sleep in or take a nap
  • Even slightly scary scenes in movies
  • When I sing along in the car
  • Having to turn off NPR when we get to a destination
  • Trying new foods
  • Throwing away little scraps of paper or any sort of project
  • Missing part of the conversation even if it has nothing to do with him
  • When people ask him what school he goes to

I am sure there are more, but this is a snap shot of life with Wallace at 5 1/2.

Posted in Microblog Monday, Parenting | 2 Comments

Protected: Silver linings?

Posted on October 21, 2018 by

This content is password protected. To view it please enter your password below:

Posted in background, family, LGBTQ, Parenting, Single Mother by Choice - SMC

Protected: Doing Things We Don’t Want To

Posted on October 16, 2018 by

This content is password protected. To view it please enter your password below:

Posted in family, LGBTQ, Parenting