BABY SHOWER & MORE

Baby Registry Essentials + Non-toxic Baby Product Faves

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.

With our two kids and a tight monthly budget, I’ve learned what our true baby essentials are. It has taken some trial and error and continuous research to figure out what products we truly cannot go without, I feel confident you will find something helpful in this article.

My non-toxic products journey began two years ago when I decided to find a good dish soap that was fragrance-free. With my long history of allergies and asthma I realized our go-to Ajax dish soap was bringing more sniffles and sinus headaches than anything else, primarily due to its heavy fragrance.

My journey unintentionally started with a simple Google search: “Most recommended fragrance-free dish soaps.” Unaware it was going to change my life forever. I was honestly just looking for a good soap that provided the most suds on a budget, but what I discovered was even more valuable.

During this search, I came across a blog article that to this day I have to thank for this transformative chapter in my life and my family’s life. A blog I wish I would’ve saved to send a simple “thank you” to the writer behind the post; because it was in that post that I was introduced to the reality of the ingredients in household products. The writer noted ingredients that were carcinogenic, hormone-disrupting, allergy provoking, and toxic. ‘Toxic? How can a household product be toxic?’ I thought as I read this at 11:30pm in dim lighting. Frozen and flabbergasted. Why would any company expose us, our children especially, to such harmful chemicals?

Although I did not know the answer to that question I did know one thing. It was something I learned in my organic chemistry labs in college actually, and that was that although chemical compounds are organic or naturally found in nature, they are in fact, quite harmful – especially without proper precaution.

There I was in the middle of a flashback to those dreadful 8am morning labs, covered in PPE from head to toe. I would have never imagined I’d still dealing be with hazardous and harmful chemicals in my own home. I couldn’t wrap my head around it, but I was ready to check.

I knelt down to open the cabinet underneath the sink, grabbed the infamous Ajax bottle and started to read the ingredients: “Sodium Laureth Sulfate,” “Benzisothiazolinone,” “Red Dye 40,” “Yellow 5” “Poloxamer 124” “Fragrance.” And that was just half of the list. Why does it not say “toxic to the human body after prolonged use?” For $1.25 that bottle of Ajax dish soap no longer seemed worth the price.

I share this part of my story, because it led me down a path of knowledge that helped me make more informed decisions for me and my family.

This baby registry essentials list also includes my ultimate favorite non-toxic baby products that I would genuinely recommend to a friend. Choosing cleaner and safer products for our children is not to follow any sort of trend or to feel we’re better than the other, but rather a right to set our child up for success in the space of health and overall wellness. With a lot of labels claiming they are the cleanest in the market, I went ahead and cross-checked these products myself. Not only to help you make more informed decisions for your children or for a loved one’s baby, but to safeguard the health of the next generation.

What makes this list different? It cuts down to the bare essentials for baby along with the cleanest products on the market. The non-toxic options do not just say “clean” on the label, but come from the most ethically sourced companies and contain truly clean ingredients. You may notice as you go through the majority of the cleanest products in the market will be found online. To keep this list realistic, I made sure to include budget-friendly alternatives to provide you with the most comfortable option for you and your family’s needs and budget.

Bums
  1. DIAPERS
    1. Huggies diapers (versus the Pampers brand). For some reason, Huggies just seems to be a family favorite. They prevent a lot less blowouts and fits oh so snuggly on your little one. Whenever I switch to Pampers I instantly regret it. Plus, the Pampers brand seems to have some sort of baby powder fragrance to it. It seems pleasant, but fragrance-free products are going to be the way to go to safeguard your baby’s health in the long run. Costco will often have a massive price cut on a giant box of 148 Newborn diapers for as low as $27. Compared to 144 diapers for $45 at Target. Buy it now at Costco. Buy it now at Walmart.
    2. Esembly Cotton Diapers. Okay, you may be saying “Um, this isn’t 1880…” but trust me, if you are looking for the cleanest diaper option, 100% organic cotton cloth diapers are the way to go. I personally have used this diaper brand with my two kids and love them. They don’t have any plastic on any part of the diaper that touches the baby’s skin. Get your Try-It Kit here!.
    3. Please note that there are many (and oh, so many) cotton diaper brands out there, however:
      1. Most of them are not organic cotton (super important due to heavy pesticide use on conventional cotton)
      2. I noticed when researching for the right cotton diapers for my babies that a lot of their “100% cotton” actually had some sort of plastic-absorbent material in the diaper lining for extra absorbency. Although this sounds fantastic, the less plastic around your babies sensitive skin, the better. Especially if it will be 24/7 on their skin. Make sure to always read the ingredients list for yourself rather than just the label.
    4. EveryLife Diapers. If you are not ready for cloth diapering (I know it can be intimidating), I recommend this brand for disposable diapers. EveryLife stays away from a number of toxic chemicals and harmful dyes. They are super, super soft and fantastic on absorbency. I honestly prefer these than any other diaper and my baby seems to love them as well. You will not regret it! Buy EveryLife Diapers now.
  2. BABY WIPES
    1. Huggies Natural Care Sensitive Fragrance Free Baby Wipes. Another great Costco find! Grab a big box of 16 packs of baby wipes for less than $20 (compared to Target’s 15 packs for $30). I like these because 1) they’re affordable and 2) the ingredients are not bad at all. These are my go-to baby wipes when we are on a tighter budget but still want to prioritize the health of our babies. Buy it now at Costco. Find them at Walmart. Highly recommend.
    2. Water Wipes. The Water Wipes brand (not the same as the Pampers Aqua wipes) are as clean as they get for moist wipes. With only 3 ingredients. Buy it now.
    3. Honest Dry Wipes. Disposable, 100% organic cotton dry wipes. All you have to do is spray some water to each disposable wipe, as needed, and voila! Then dispose as you normally would (: I find these to be most available on Amazon.
  3. RASH OINTMENT
    1. Triple Paste
    2. Luminance Rash Butter. 100% organic made with wildcrafted ingredients.
    3. Motherlove Organic Diaper Balm. Made with gentle herbs, extra virgin olive oil, and beeswax. Another one of my favorites.
    4. You could also heal the diaper rash naturally! Consider natural remedies or diet changes to help alleviate diaper rashes.
Body
  1. BODY WASH, SHAMPOO, AND CONDITIONER
    1. Cetaphil Baby with Calendula. As promised, here’s a budget-friendly option. When it comes to bathing, it is tough to find a conventional product that is truly clean for our little ones, but the Cetaphil Baby with Calendula is one of the better options. Full disclaimer, though: This is not the cleanest option out there but given its tremendous help with cradle cap, it has become a personal go-to when needed. Buy it now.
    2. Branch Basics. One of cleanest option in the market right now. Branch Basics sells their soap in concentrate form where you can prepare the desired solution as indicated in their refill bottles. For bathing purposes, they also have a new gel soap addition that can be used as body wash and shampoo. I personally use this brand for my 9-month-old and toddler’s baths.
    3. Luminance Skincare Baby Body Soap. An alternative to the Branch Basics brand, and a bit more affordable. I love all of their products for babies and unlike Branch Basics, Luminance Skincare products tend to last a long, long time (a little goes a long way). Which is awesome for our wallets. Highly recommend. Click here to check it out!
  2. BABY LOTIONS
    1. Luminance Baby Lotion Unscented. Again, I have not found anything cleaner than this when it comes to baby lotion. This is only organic and truly clean. I find this lotion to work great for my hands as well. I’ve noticed it will actually hydrate and repair my (super) dry skin. Try it today!
  3. LAUNDRY DETERGENT
    1. Dreft. The go-to brand for many families, including my own. Although it is not the cleanest option, this laundry detergent is readily available at all retail stores. Fortunately, Dreft now has a fragrance-free option, altough I’ve got to admit their signature baby scent gives me baby fever… truly, I include it here for convenience but I highly (highly) recommend Molly’s Suds Unscented Detergent for your baby instead. It is non-toxic and budget-friendly.
    2. Branch Basics Detergent. My go-to and #1 preference. I do alternate however, between the three detergents in this section. The detergent we end up using for some time depends on our budget for the month, availability, and urgency – leaving Dreft for true emergencies.
Bed & Sleep

Ah, sleep. A parent’s favorite. When it comes to bed sheets, pillow cases and blankets, 100% Organic Cotton is best for baby. Especially considering the heavy pesticide use on conventional cotton plants used for bedding nowadays. Please note, however, that although organic cotton is ideal, 100% non-organic cotton is certainly better than any polyester blend, by far! Finding 100% cotton kids’ bedding is actually a lot harder to find these days – given the majority of bedding is now polyester (a type of plastic). Feel free to take a look-see at the several options below to help with the search:

 Cozy woodland crib set available at Walmart for $45.49! This is a cute gender neutral option that works great for boys and girls – just add some cute white accent bows for the baby girls and voila!

Here is another great gender neutral option in a sage tone with soothing eucalyptus leaves. This sage 3-piece mini crib sheet set is currently available at Walmart for $46.99.

As a mom of two girls I could tell you this one is perfect for when they are so little and often so girly. You can never go wrong with pastels and flowers. Click here to check it out, it’s $50 off!

You can also never go wrong with some cute dinosaurs for your baby’s nursery. Right now this set is actually under $50 for a limited amount of time. Yes, please! Find these and more dino prints by clicking this link.

Did someone say jungle? This grey and dark green crib set is a 4-piece set, all organic cotton as well, and oh so soft! Click here for more info!

Wearable blankets

Wearable blankets are perfect for babies 0-24 months old and an absolute must. I did not know about them with my first, but have been using them religiously with my second baby. They are truly a life saver, especially during the colder months. Not to mention how much more comfortable I feel knowing that she’s warm and safe all night long. Truly an absolute favorite. I personally love Carter’s wearable blankets. Here are some options:

As you can see, these are some core essentials with some healthy, safe options for babies (and even toddlers!). I hope it is of use to you, your baby, or a loved one. Happy baby shopping!!

Feel free to leave a comment on your favorite baby brands for all of us to try!

See you in the next one,

Lili

Posted In: BABY SHOWER & MORE

Similar Posts