Category Archives: Natural Skincare

Natural Sunburn Relief

You feel terrible! Your child has been playing in the park (or at the beach, or in the pool) all day and even though he was wearing a hat and you slathered chemical free sunblock on him he still turned pink! Here are a few things you can do to make him (and you!) feel better:

Smear plain, organic whole milk yogurt on skin asap. It will cool the skin and reestablish pH balance to help it heal faster. Leave it on until it warms up, or as long as your child will allow it. Then rinse with room temperature water. Reapply as needed.
Add a few drops of lavender essential oil to room temperature coconut oil and liberally coat the sunburned skin. They will work in combination to soothe skin and speed healing.
And of course I can’t leave out Aloe Vera gel! You’ll get the best results from an actual leaf, so buy a plant at the beginning of the summer so you can break off a piece, open it up, and rub some gel on that little pink nose. No plant in sight? No worries. Just check the label on the bottle of Aloe you are buying- only buy 100% pure Aloe Vera gel. No added color, fragrance, preservatives, etc.

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Natural Products, Natural Skincare, Prevention, Products, Recommendations

A Day in the Sun

Holly 4 Comments

Those of us in the northern part of the country are rejoicing that the sun is shining on us again. It’s a good idea to let your baby get some direct sunlight on his or her skin for up to 5 minutes everyday so he can make (very important) vitamin D. After that, cover him up with light clothing and a sun hat for the best protection against sunburn. If you must use sun block, it is imperative that you use a chemical free brand. Research has shown that the nasty chemicals in most all conventional sunscreens turn into cancer causing substances when the sun is baking them into the skin. Seems counterproductive, no?

Avoid these ingredients: Oxybenzone, DMDM Hydantoin, Triethanolamine, dioxanes, parabens, PEGs, propelene glycol, synthetic fragrances and petroleum based ingredients. Instead choose a brand with titanium dioxide or zinc oxide, which act as physical barriers to the sun because they don’t penetrate the skin. Also check the labels for organic skin protecting ingredients. Look for these brands:

Badger Balm All Natural Sunscreen for Face and Body

Weleda Children’s Sunscreen

Burts Bees Chemical Free Sunscreen

Erbaviva Natural Children’s Sunscreen

California Baby Everyday/Year-Round Sunscreen

Please leave a comment with your sunscreen experiences or other recommendations.

Natural Skincare

Use Your Baby’s Lotion!

Holly 1 Comment

It is really important to use natural, organic, plant based skin care products while you’re pregnant, because your skin is drinking in everything you put on it and passing it to your unborn baby. To check the safety of your products go to the Cosmetic Database and find out if they contain any chemicals that cause birth defects or cancer, or disrupt hormones. It’s such an eye-opening search!

Of course when your baby is born, you’ll only want to use the purest products available to put on his new skin which is 5 times more sensitive than an adult’s. And remember- he’s absorbing everything you use! Most, if not all, conventional products contain toxic substances not safe for a baby’s precious new system-see previous post. It’s still important for you to use non-toxic soaps, bodywashes and lotions that won’t irritate her skin, or her strong sense of smell. My solution? Use your baby’s products on yourself! It takes the guesswork out of whether or not it is safe for baby, saves time at the store (and space in your bathroom!), and your skin will love you for it.

Natural Skincare