Natural Nursery Blog

Just like cloth nappies, switching to reusable baby wipes can save you a lot of money, especially the early months.

Reusable baby wipes are just as easy to use as flushable baby wipes. You can use water to clean your baby’s bottom or make your own natural cleaning solution. Once your baby’s nappy is changed, you can pop the wipes in your laundry. They are made especially to wash and dry easily.

If you decide to make your own baby wipes, the first thing will be to choose a suitable fabric.

The fabric should be ultra soft so that it doesn’t irritate your baby’s skin. It should let the baby’s poo slide of the fabric easily and wash and dry easily. You may find it convenient to use several types of fabric for your baby wipes. An ultra soft micro fleece for example will clean your baby’s bottom easily after a messy nappy. A soft flannel or cotton jersey will allow you to dry the skin afterwards.

Your baby’s skin is delicate, avoid rubbing the skin to dry it. It is best to pat it gently. You can test that your baby wipes are soft enough by using them to clean your face for example. Save even more money by using them instead of make up remover cotton pads.

Cut your fabric in squares or rectangles. Roughly the size of your hands is a convenient size. Fleece will not fray so you don’t need to hem it. Jersey, flannel and cotton baby wipes will be more durable if you overlock or hem them. Depending on the fabric, using pricking shears will also stop them from fraying.

Double-sided baby wipes are made with a different fabric on each side: a fleece side to wipe your baby’s bottom and a cotton side to clean it your baby’s skin.

You will find that you can use reusable baby wipes everywhere around the house, to clean kitchen counters, wipe finger marks off the walls, clean the dining table, and even dust surfaces…

When it comes to nappy changing time, only the softest baby care products can be used. Any rough cloth or harsh chemicals would make your baby uncomfortable. A baby’s skin is so delicate.

Beaming Baby wipes offer a natural and organic alternative to standard baby wipes.

The Beaming Baby wipes are by far our best selling baby wipes. They are flushable, hypoallergenic and soft. The Beaming Baby wipes are 100% biodegradable and chlorine free with contain over 95% organic ingredients. The certified organic plant ingredients are grown without using chemical fertilisers or pesticides. They have achieved the highest possible grade during Consultant dermatologist repeat patch tests: 100% zero sensitivity. They are also free from alcohol, parabens and SLS. The company only uses Soil Association approved preservatives to keep your purchase in pristine condition. The convenient pop-up pack allows you to pick up the baby wipes easily while keeping the moisture in.

The Beaming Baby wipes are made with organic aloe vera, which has natural hydrating properties and natural orange blossom to gently nourish sensitive skin. The wipes material is made from wood pulp from sustainable forests.

It is not surprising that they beat the big boys to the industry’s most prestigious award. They won the Mother & Baby Award for Best Skincare Product 2008/9.

The Beaming Baby wipes are just suitable for bottoms, they are perfect for faces and fingers too! For babies, toddlers and their parents too!

Choose baby wipes that are kind to your baby’s skin and gentler for the environment

More and more parents are turning to organic baby products for their children. Whether you’re buying organic baby shampoo, body wash or baby lotion, you want to make sure that no nasty chemicals are slipped into the formulation and absorbed by your child’s body.

Harsh chemicals irritate the skin and combined with Sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS), they are absorbed into our bodies and can harm the nervous system. By choosing organic baby products, you are guaranteed products that use only pure, natural and organic ingredients.

At Natural Nursery, you will find three ranges of organic baby products:

• Weleda has been a pioneer for natural skin care and body care for years. Founded in 1921, Weleda choose only the highest quality ingredients. Their ingredients are either found in nature (honey, sodium chloride) or grown according to strict organic and biodynamic standards.  Biodynamic agriculture involves growing plants to the highest organic standards without chemical pesticides or sprays. It takes into account not just the seasons but also the rhythms of the planets. Over 300 species are grown at the Weleda herb gardens in Derbyshire. You will find in Weleda natural baby products, extracts of organic lavender, sweet almond oil, calendula, wild pansy… Weleda products are so delicately crafted, they can be used by everyone in the family from babies to grown ups.
• Earth Friendly Kids new range of organic baby products is just as delightful. Gently scented with extract of organic lavender or mandarine, they are perfectly bubbly. No nasty parabens, SLS or synthetic colour or fragrance.  Just gentle, rich foam to leave your baby’s skin feeling soft, smooth, and ready for bed. Earth Friendly Kids products start at just £2.99.
• Green Baby’s range of organic baby products is another best seller and for good reasons too. Wherever possible the ingredients are organic, and many of the Green Baby organic baby skincare range is now Soil Association certified.Your children will enjoy the organic shampoo and its delightful combination of essential oils of lavender and chamomile that has been specially created for their soft skin. It leaves skin feeling soft and nourished and smelling sweet.

Choosing natural baby products for the family used to be a luxury but over the last few years, companies have been developing their range to offer parent true choices.

There are some excellent value organic baby care options, for organic shampoo in particular. Organic shampoo uses pure, natural and certified organic ingredients.

Why buy organic shampoo?

• It is gentle on the skin
• It is gentle on the hair
• Gentle on the environment: ingredients are either naturally occurring in nature, like sodium chloride and honey, or grown according to strict organic standards.
• Gentle on your nose: natural baby products are very delicately scented as to not interfere your baby’s natural sense of smell.
• It can be used by the whole family, for baby, children and grown-ups alike
• It is suitable for people with sensitive skins or skin conditions. If you are not sure whether a particular product is suitable for your skin condition, check with your health practitioner.
• Organic baby care products contain no nasty chemicals like Sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS) Sodium laureth sulphate (SLES), artificial fragrances, parabens, phthalates, ethyl alcohol, GMO’s and artificial foaming agents. The chemicals not only irritate your skin, they are absorbed by your body. The SLS acts as a penetration enhancer, increasing the amount of toxic chemicals absorbed.
• Organic products tend to be concentrated, so you only need to use a little of shampoo.
• Wherever possible, organic shampoo uses recycled and recyclable packaging.
• Not tested on animals
• Most organic shampoo is suitable for vegetarians and some are suitable for vegans.

When it comes to organic baby care, you can’t go wrong with choosing Weleda for your family. The company has stood the test of time: founded in 1921, it came in the UK in 1925. Their mission is to produce natural body care based on anthroposophic and homeopathic medicines.

They are committed to producing the highest quality organic baby care products naturally, ethically, safely, without animal experimentation and without damaging the environment.

Weleda use only raw materials from the natural world, naturally occurring minerals like sodium chloride or honey and precious plant ingredients grown organically. Weleda are also pioneers in biodynamic farms.

Biodynamic agriculture involves growing plants to the highest organic standards without chemical pesticides or sprays. It takes into account not just the seasons but also the rhythms of the planets. As all the Weleda products, the organic baby care range is suitable for vegetarians and many for vegans.

The number of awards Weleda has received is a testimony to the quality of their products.

TIPS, a website set up to publish evidence-based information about breastfeeding, skincare, cord care and other midwifery-related subjects has awarded the Best of the Best award to many of Weleda organic baby care products:

• The new Calendula Shampoo & Bodywash won Best of the Best Baby Wash.
• Calendula Cream Bath won Best of the Best Baby Bath.
• The Calendula Nappy Change Cream won Best Budget Nappy Cream
• The Calendula Lotion also won Best Budget Baby Lotion
• The Calendula Oil won Best Budget Baby Oil
• Children’s Tooth Gel has won a highly respected Editor’s Choice award

It proves that choosing organic baby care does not have to be expensive. There are excellent budget options, like the Earth Friendly Kids range.

The Weleda organic baby care range has also been awarded Best Skincare Range Mother & Baby Awards. With more than 3,000 testers involved, the Mother & Baby Awards are hugely competitive. For Weleda to win this prestigious accolade give parents the reassurance that Weleda is an excellent choice for their baby and indeed for the whole family.

Washing the Wonderoos reusable nappies is super easy.

1. Remove the Wonderoos and put it to one side. Clean your baby and put a fresh nappy on.

2. If the reusable nappy is soiled, hold it (waterproof side up) over the toilet and stretch the fleece. Most of the solids will drop into the toilet. If need be, hold the nappy by one corner tightly and flush the toilet to remove the rest of the solids.

3. Shake the insert out of the reusable nappy and into your nappy bucket. Then drop in the nappy too. (If you wish, you can give them a quick rinse beforehand.)

4. On wash day, rinse the nappies in your machine to remove soiling and urine. Wash and rinse using a 40C cycle. Using half the recommended amount of non-biological detergent is sufficient.

5. Hang your Wonderoos reusable nappies outside or inside in a warm place. They will be dry in a few hours. You can tumble dry Wonderoos on a low heat setting. To ensure your nappies last as long as possible, avoid tumble drying on a regular basis. Avoid drying your nappies directly on the radiator.

6. Ready! Store your clean Wonderoos nappies ready-stuffed with a fresh insert so that they are ready to use.

That’s all! Washing your Wonderoos nappies in 6 easy steps.

A few more tips:

• Only use non-biological washing powder. Make sure it doesn’t contain chlorine bleach.

• Washing your reusable nappies at 40C is sufficient. If your baby has diarrhoea or nappy rash, wash them at 60C to ensure all bacteria are killed off.

• You can wash your Wonderoos set at any height setting to save time, no need to undo all the poppers.

• Don’t use fabric softener, it leaves residue on the fabric which will affect your nappy’s absorbency.

• Wash your reusable nappies at least once before using. Hemp boosters should be washed at least 3 times before using. It will take up to 8 washes and possibly one tumble dry for them to reach their maximum absorbency.

At Natural Nursery, we choose carefully the products we select for you and your baby.

We work closely with our suppliers to make sure that our natural baby products contain no nasty chemicals, no SLS and no paraben in particular.

Here is an email we received this morning from a customer about her order.

Thank you for sending my order so quickly. It arrived very well packaged, the items well wrapped so nothing was damaged in transport. I like that you reuse packaging (it came in good condition so I’ll be able to reuse it again!)

“Thank you very much for the Earth Friendly Baby natural baby products. They are absolutely lovely. I chose the minty lavender organic bubblebath and the natural baby shampoo. The scent is delicate, not too strong. Since the bubblebath doesn’t contain SLS, I thought it wouldn’t create much bubble foam in the bath but it did. The kids love it, there is enough bubble to hide under, or to make pretend Santa’s beards. The trick is to pour the bubblebath right under the stream of water. Then I topped up the bath with the shower head. It stirred the water and created lots of bubble. My kids love bubbles! The only thing you have to watch is that it’s easy to use too much, the bottle opening is quite big. Only a 3 or 4 tablespoons were enough for our big bathtub.

I liked that the natural baby shampoo doubles up as bodywash. It’s one less thing to worry about in the bath when you have to keep a constant eye on the children, help them and try to stay dry all at the same time! The children can learn to shampoo themselves and wash themselves, a very independent step towards autonomy.

At £2.99, it’s a very good price. I’m very impressed and will be ordering more in your natural baby products sale. Thanks a lot.”

As a new mother, washing your baby’s hair can feel a bit daunting. Some babies don’t like being naked. It involves holding them with one hand, and you might be worried about shampoo stinging their eyes.

Here are a few tips to make washing your baby’s hair easier.

• Choose baby natural shampoo. Baby natural shampoo should be paraben free and SLS free. It will soft on your baby’s skin and won’t sting her eyes should a little bit of lather get in.

• If you’re unsure, you can ask your midwife to show you how to wash your baby’s hair.

• Make sure you have everything handy (baby natural shampoo, flannels, towel, warm water, baby thermometer) and that the room is warm and cosy.

• It is just as easy to bathe a newborn in the sink or a baby bath. Cradle your baby into your arm, supporting her firmly. With the other hand, wet your baby’s hair with a soft flannel and gently rub a little bit of baby natural shampoo on the scalp. Be very gentle but there’s no need to avoid the soft spots. Use another clean flannel to rinse her hair. Rub her scalp gently to make sure there is no lather appearing.

• Once she’s dry, use a soft-bristled brush to brush your baby’s hair.

Remember, you don’t have to wash your child’s hair every day. Most health professionals agree that two to three times a week is sufficient.

Next week, we’ll look at tips for washing toddlers’ hair.

organic baby shampoo

Children can get nervous about bath time at times. It doesn’t have to be that way, bath time shouldn’t be a chore for mum or a tense moment for baby. It can be a relaxing moment for everyone, full of giggle and laughter.

Here are our top 10 tips to make bath time fun for babies and toddlers.

1. Bath time is an ideal moment for fathers to bond with their children. Why not leave it up to daddy?
2. Warm up the bathroom. Especially in winter, make sure the room feels nice and cosy.
3. Check the water temperature and stir it to even out the temperature. Ensure that you have everything you need within reach so you never have to leave your child. Babies can drown in very little water.
4. Bath toys! Choose bath toys that can easily be cleaned and preferably from natural material. Bath toys don’t have to be purposely bought. An empty bottle of organic baby shampoo, a plastic hammer or bowl can be lots of fun. When the bath is over, put the toys away in a plastic bucket or net to keep the bathroom tidy and easily to clean.
5. Start teaching your children to undress themselves. Autonomy is learnt one step at a time. As a game, you can also name each item as you remove it. For toddler, you can play how quickly can you get undressed?
6. It’s never too early to teach children to pop dirty clothes in the laundry basket (keep those handy), the old basketball hoop trick works every time!
7. Bubbles! Lots of bubbles! Not the SLS nasty kind of bubbles. Paraben free bubbles. Soft organic baby bubble bath.
8. Make it a game to wet your child’s hair. A gentle organic baby shampoo won’t sting his eyes. You can use an empty organic baby shampoo bottle to rinse his hair.
9. Dry baby quickly so he doesn’t get cold. For babies, we love a hooded towel as you can wrap them up quickly. For toddlers, bath robes and ponchos are ideal.
10. If your baby enjoys it, a gentle baby massage with olive oil or organic baby care cream is a lovely way to end a relaxing routine.

Remember, babies don’t need to have a bath every day. Many health professionals advise 2 to 4 times a week being enough and avoids drying their delicate skin.

natural baby shampoo

Your baby’s skin is extremely delicate so choosing the softest natural baby shampoo is essential to make bath time fun and enjoyable.

The natural baby shampoo should be gentle on the skin and on the eyes should it come into contact with them. It should not contain any soap which would dry the skin and be free from nasty chemicals including sodium lauryl sulfate or paraben.

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) is the foaming agent in many body care products like shampoo, toothpaste and detergents. Many studies have now shown that Sodium Lauryl Sulfate has a degenerative effect on the cell membranes because it denatures protein. Even low level concentration may penetrate the skin. Concentrations as low as 0.5% could cause irritation.¹ This means that even tiny amounts could have a lasting effect on the child. Other studies have indicated that Sodium Lauryl Sulfate enters and maintains residual levels in the heart, the liver, the lungs and the brain from skin contact. Yet SLS is still found in body care products, including those for babies, because it’s cheap. Paraben is another chemical to avoid as studies have shown its risks include premature skin aging, an increase in oestrogens which affect the male and female reproductive organs and breast cancer.

At Natural Nursery, we’ve selected some gentle organic baby care products, free from SLS and Paraben, made from natural ingredients. They will be suitable for the sensitive skin of babies and even adults. Remember, you only need to use a tiny dot of natural baby shampoo.

Our children seem to be particularly fond of the Weleda natural baby shampoo, with organic calendula. Natural baby shampoo used to be expensive but Earth Friendly Baby range of organic baby care products offer fantastic value for money at £3.99

They are all specially made for baby’s sensitive skin but many parents will also enjoy using them for themselves.

¹JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN COLLEGE OF TOXICOLOGY Volume 2. Number 7, 1983