My Green Baby- Home Remedies

You might not know this, but baby wipes aren’t always as “pure” as they claim to be!
Next time you are looking to buy a pack of wipes, turn them over and read the ingredients on the bottom. Don’t be surprised to see a long list of chemicals.
It is in these chemicals that you could be wiping on to your baby at least 10 times a day without rinsing or drying.
Here is a simple recipe that worked for me followed by some other simple, natural recipes.

Easy baby wipes solution - 
• 2 cups water
• 1 tbsp of your favorite organic baby wash
• 1 tbsp carrier oil (your choice)
This is the basic recipe. There are many variation but they all seem to be about the same make-up with different ingredients. For example, you can exchange the baby soap with aloe vera gel if you wish. All you do is fill the above ingredients into a spray bottle.

Recipes for Diaper Rash Ointments 
• 1/2 cup sweet almond oil (you can also use olive oil
• 2-3 drops lavender oil
• 2-3 drops tea tree oil
• 4 Tablespoons water
Mix all the ingredients together well. Transfer to a jar or bottle to use for applying to baby to ease a red bottom or diaper rash. Be very careful not to double dip!

Calendula Ointment Recipe 
This recipe is a little more involved than the recipe above. It may take a little more effort to make but it will make a fantastic diaper rash ointments. The ingredients are 1/2 cup dried calendula, 8 oz. vegetable shortening, 1 tablespoon beeswax.
Melt the shortening and beeswax in a small pan and then add the calendula petals to the hot mixture. Let them steep in the mixture while it cools down. Transfer the ointment into a small jar.

Other Natural Diaper Rash Remedies and Prevention 
One great healing property that I really like to keep around the house is an aloe plant. I keep one in my kitchen. Bottom looks a little red? Just break off a bit of a leaf, open it up and apply the aloe. This is a super natural way to heal a baby's diaper rash.
I personally used unrefined organic Shea butter on my son every time I spotted a little redness and it worked like a charm!

Homemade Baby Teething Biscuits
These are great especially if you store them in the freezer for those especially difficult and painful days. And even better, these have almost no crumbs at all. No crumbs, no mess!
Hard Teething Biscuit Recipe
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup sugar (white or brown)
• 2 1/2 cups flour
Break the eggs into a bowl and stir them until they are creamy.
Add the sugar and continue stirring until blended.
Gradually add the flour to make a stiff dough.
Roll the dough out between two sheets of lightly floured wax paper to about 3/4" thickness.
Cut the dough and roll it into small snake shapes (about cigar sized) to form somewhat biscotti shaped baby teething biscuits.
Place the cookies on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Cover with wax paper or saran wrap and let stand in the fridge overnight (about 10-12 hours).
Bake at 325 degrees until browned and hard.
Makes about 12 durable and almost crumb free teething biscuits.

Home Teething Remedies Baby WashclothsSimply tie a baby washcloth into a knot. Holding the loose ends of washcloth dip the knot into freezing cold ice water. Squeeze a little of the excess water out and hand it to your baby. The loose ends should stay dry. Both for baby to hang onto, but also to help catch the drool. Yup, you know they drool buckets when they are teething.

Frozen Fruit in a Mesh Baby Feeder 
Using a mesh baby feeder to feed your baby opens up a world of new foods to try with your baby, and it also doubles as a great baby teething remedy. These feeders are sometimes called "safe feeders" because it gives you the opportunity to feed whole foods to your baby without the risk of them choking. It also gives them some good practice at chewing.
For a baby teething remedy simply fill the feeder with frozen fruit. You can even fill it with ice cubes.

Stay tuned for more natural remedies =)

All about baby- Baby Ingredients to Avoid!

I believe we are on the verge of another baby boom! To all my friends and beautiful woman who are ready to pop out their little angels, I have decided to dedicate this month to you and baby. In the next couple of posts I will be featuring, natural ways to treat those little bums to homemade organic baby food! But before that,  I thought it would be important to educate you first on the ingredients you will find in your everyday baby products. As harsh as this may sound, the truth about baby products is that they are often worse for human health then adult products.

Keep in mind baby skin is much thinner and more delicate than any adult's. As a result, it can absorb anything applied to it at a much faster rate.....

Usually, mystery ingredients preserve the shelf life and make the product smell and look more appealing;
Petrolatum/Mineral Oil/ and paraffin are byproducts of crude oil, because they are cheap to use, you will find these ingredients in a lot of baby products.

Baby oil is 100% mineral oil.
It locks in moisture, which in turn prevents your body from releasing unwanted toxins. Mineral oil can also block the body's absorption of essential vitamins and nutrients.

Instead you can use carrier oils like grape seed (for younger babies) and once you confirm your baby has no nut allergies you can upgrade to almond or jojoba oils which are more moisturizing and have a closer resemblance to sebum (the oil our bodies naturally produce) Rub oil into wet skin.

Parabens (methyl, propyl, butyl and ethyl).
As you may remember from my last post, these preservatives and antibacterials are used in shampoos, creams and baby lotions to extend product shelf life. Because they are petroleum-based they are known to  cause dermatitis and other allergic reactions.
Parabens are also thought to alter estrogen levels. A babies hormonal system in not yet mature, and hormone distributors can cause irreparable damage to the developing endocrine (glands that secrete certain substances or hormones directly into the blood or lymph) system.

Talc powder. 

Or in other words, Baby Powder! The Cancer Coalition states that talc is a toxic carcinogen that can cause ovarian and lung cancer with repeated exposure. It is also used in soaps, deodorants and in food processing. If you want to keep baby's bum dry, try opting to good ol' Corn Starch.....it works just as well if not better....trust me!

Phthalates
You will find this in most baby fragrances, shampoos, lotions and powders, but their true intention is to make plastic soft. They can seep out of plastics so why would anyone want them on their skin?
According to TIME.com, studies have been done on phthalates in urine from babies' diapers. They are toxic, carcinogenic and have been linked to infertility.

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) and Ammonium Lauryl Suflfate are foaming agents found in many shampoos and hair conditioners.
They can be disguised in labels as "comes from coconut" You can find these in other garage floor cleaners and engine de-greasers. They have been linked to eye injury as well as cell membrane and immune system damage.

Isopropyl alcohol SD 40.
This is drying, and strips the skin of natural acids, making the skin more vulnerable to bacteria, molds and viruses. SD 40 comes from propylene and may promote brown spots and premature aging of skin.

Glycol is used as a humectant.
It comes in several forms and is carcinogenic and mutagenic.

FD&C Color Pigments are synthetic colors made from coal tar.
They contain heavy metal salts that deposit toxins in the skin. Animal studies have shown them to be carcinogenic (causes cancer).

*Just a reminder, up to now companies are not required to list the ingredients of fragrances (because it can be a concoction of hundreds of chemicals) so the product could have them and not show up on the label. The fact is these scents are more appealing to mom than to babies, so manufacturing companies are in no hurry to remove these, simply because fragranced products sell better than unscented ones.

More ingredients to avoid:


Aerosol propellants
Diethanolamine (DEA, TEA)
Benzoates
1, 4-Dioxane (a known carcinogen)
DMDM hydantoin or MDM (a form of formaldehyde)
Flouride
Triclosan
Aluminum by-products
Nitrates, nitrosamins and sulfur compounds
Quaternium 15 (also a form of formaldehyde)
Toluene


I will follow this blog up with the brands that proved to be much safer as well as some homemade options for the make it yourself mommy =).....

Chemical Free Cleaning

Many chemicals used in cleaning products today can harm you and your children. Indoor air carries a high risk for personal exposure to toxic chemicals than outdoor air. Many of the chemicals in household cleaners and pesticides are not adequately tested. regulated or controlled. An estimated 2-5 million exposures to household poisons occur every year, and a significant number of them involve household cleaners. To limit your exposure, I have posted some natural "green" home remedies that are economical and eco-friendly.

All-purpose Cleaner/General Household Cleaner:
3 Tbs vinegar
1/2 tsp washing soda
1/2 tsp veg oil base liquid soap
2 cups of hot water
Mix these ingredients in a spray bottle or bucket. Apply and wipe clean.

Laundry
To hide the chemical smell, companies load dryer sheets full of chemical fragrances, which are potentially carcinogenic.
Dryer sheets are designed to stay on clothing for a long period of time and slowly release their chemicals throughout the day, which leads to prolonged exposure to toxic chemicals.
The toxins in dryer sheets and their chemical fragrances enter the body both through inhalation or are absorbed through the skin.
Some of the symptoms experienced from prolonged exposure to the chemicals in dryer sheets include headaches, nausea, vomiting , dizziness, central nervous system disorders, blood pressure reduction, fatigue, difficulty breathing, skin irritation, difficulty concentrating and remembering, cancer, irritation to skin, mucus membranes and respiratory tract, and liver damage.


Homemade Dryer Sheet
Take 10-15 4-inch square cloths and put 4-5 drops of essential oil base on each one. Put into an air tight container. Use as you would a normal dryer sheet. The air tight container will help hold the scent in the dryer sheets instead of just dissipating out into the room, leaving the dryer sheets less scented.

Mirror Cleaner
1 1/2 cups of vinegar
1 1/2 cups of water
8 drops citrus essential oil of choice (I personally don't add ess.oil, I have learned to love the smell of vinegar)

White vinegar is a great disinfectant. It can be used for disinfecting, deodorization, cutting grease, and wax build-up, removing mildew, and removing stains on carpets, counter tops, pots, pans, and coffee carafes. I use vinegar on almost EVERYTHING in my home!

These are a few of my favorites. If you have any questions on how to clean anything in your home (Bathroom, Kitchen, Laundry even homemade beauty care) just leave me a comment, I will be more then happy to provide you with a solution.....Happy Cleaning=))

Toxic Ingredients to Avoid

I will continue to add to this list of harmful chemicals currently used in skincare, hair care, make up and fragrances....learn to read labels, don't settle for half -natural products.


1. Imidazolidinyl Urea and Diazolidinyl Urea — These are the most commonly used preservatives after the parabens. They are well established as a primary cause of contact dermatitis (American Academy of Dermatology). Two trade names for these chemicals are Germall II and Germall 115. Neither of the Germall chemicals have a good antifungal, and must be combined with other preservatives. Germall 115 releases formaldehyde at just over 10°. These chemicals are toxic.


2. Methyl and Propyl and Butyl and Ethyl Paraben — Used as inhibitors of microbial growth and to extend shelf life of products. Widely used even though they are known to be toxic. Have caused many allergic reactions and skin rashes. Methyl paraben combines benzoic acid with the methyl group of chemicals. Highly toxic.

3. Petrolatum — I see this on lip products from time to time, which is humorous to me because they're usually advertised as protecting the lips from sunburn, chapping and so forth. Petrolatum is mineral oil jelly, and mineral oil causes a lot of problems when used on the skin photosensitivity (i.e., promotes sun damage), and it tends to interfere with the body's own natural moisturizing mechanism, leading to dry skin and chapping. You are being sold a product that creates the very conditions it claims to alleviate. Manufacturers use petrolatum because it is unbelievably cheap.

4. Propylene Glycol — Ideally this is a vegetable glycerin mixed with grain alcohol, both of which are natural. Usually it is a synthetic petrochemical mix used as a humectant. Has been known to cause allergic and toxic reactions.

5. PVP/VA Copolymer — A petroleum-derived chemical used in hairsprays, wavesets and other cosmetics. It can be considered toxic, since particles may contribute to foreign bodies in the lungs of sensitive persons.

6. Sodium Lauryl Sulfate — This synthetic substance is used in shampoos for its detergent and foam-building abilities. It causes eye irritations, skin rashes, hair loss, scalp scurf similar to dandruff, and allergic reactions. It is frequently disguised in pseudo-natural cosmetics with the parenthetic explanation "comes from coconut."

7. Stearalkonium Chloride — A chemical used in hair conditioners and creams. Causes allergic reactions. Stearalkonium chloride was developed by the fabric industry as a fabric softener, and is a lot cheaper and easier to use in hair conditioning formulas than proteins or herbals, which do help hair health. Toxic.

8. Synthetic Colors — The synthetic colors used to supposedly make a cosmetic "pretty" should be avoided at all costs, along with hair dyes. They will be labeled as FD&C or D&C, followed by a color and a number. Example: FD&C Red No. 6 / D&C Green No. 6. Synthetic colors are believed to be cancer-causing agents. If a cosmetic contains them, don't use it.

9. Synthetic Fragrances — The synthetic fragrances used in cosmetics can have as many as 200 ingredients. There is no way to know what the chemicals are, since on the label it will simply say "Fragrance." Some of the problems caused by these chemicals are headaches, dizziness, rash, hyperpigmentation, violent coughing, vomiting, skin irritation by a cosmetic that has the word "Fragrance" on the ingredients label.

10. Triethanolamine — Often used in cosmetics to adjust the pH, and used with many fatty acids to convert acid to salt (stearate), which then becomes the base for a cleanser. TEA causes allergic reactions including eye problems, dryness of hair and skin, and could be toxic if absorbed into the body over a long period of time.