Nontoxic (& aesthetic) bath-time essentials
Ahhh, baby bath time. Time to slow down the day, warm up the tub, & get those cute buns nice and clean for the best night’s sleep. Sometimes I like to treat our baby boy’s bath time like a spa - I play some relaxing music, get all the cozy towels ready… but let’s be honest. For babies, bath time is about the fun! Splashing water, catching bubbles, and playing with all the toys.
For my peace of mind, I’ve been collecting natural and nontoxic bath gear and toys to make bath time a safe space that we can look forward to each night. Pampering baby with quality organic cotton towels, fragrance-free soaps, and natural rubber toys are all things I can feel great about. I also have some organization tips to make clean up easy!
Towels
A great bath always ends with a cozy, absorbent towel. I’d like to add to that - a towel made of breathable, natural fibers. My absolute favorite hooded bath towels are by Natemia. They are super soft, oversized, and made of 100% GOTS certified organic cotton. They also wash up well and have stayed fluffy after many rounds in the dryer.
Another brand I’ve recently discovered (and am obsessed with) is Coyuchi. Their Air Weight® organic hooded towel set is certified by MADE SAFE and woven in India. I would say the only downside to Coyuchi is the price. Thankfully, there are plenty of great, affordable options as well.
Carter’s recently launched their Little Planet collection, and I am telling everyone I know about it. Tasteful neutrals, GOTS certified organic cotton, & well priced! They sell a 2-pack of organic cotton hooded towels for $19.95.
H&M also has an organic baby line called Conscious Choice and their animal hooded bath towels are adorable and only $14.99 each. I’ll link these options below, & please feel free to share any others you’ve found in the comments! Others to check out would be Mushie, Quince, & Burt’s Bees (although I found BB’s towels to be a little thin).
Soap
I’m so thankful companies are becoming more transparent about the ingredients that are in their products. We’ve been using The Honest Company’s lavender bubble bath and body wash since we brought baby home & love it! Reasonably priced, no artificial fragrances, suds well, and smells wonderful.
Most of THC’s products are EWG verified, which gives me added peace of mind. EWG (Environmental Working Group) is an environmental focused nonprofit dedicated to providing consumers insight into product ingredients, rating them on a 1-10 scale based on health & environmental impact.
Another soap brand that I love (& actually use for myself) is Earth Mama. Their castile baby soap also scores well with EWG and they have a variety of fresh scents to choose from. The only caveat is that castile soap isn’t tear-free so it requires some extra caution around the eyes.
Pipette is another brand that is EWG verified and I’ve heard countless great things about their products. This clean, nontoxic company works with biologists, pediatricians, and dermatologists to ensure the best formulas for baby. They’re also committed to sustainability for a healthier planet & healthier future.
Natural Non-Slip Bath Mat
This one was a little challenging to find, but eureka! I have found it. HEVEA is a Scandinavian company founded by Terese Hoffeldt. After becoming a mom, Terese (like us!) asked herself if she was doing the best for her baby. She saw the potential natural rubber has to offer and created a beautiful, sustainable response to plastic: hevea. We use their natural rubber non-slip bath mat and love it!
The Danish brand Liewood also offers a tasteful, bear-shaped bath mat made of natural rubber. The company’s goal is to create quality products that can be passed down generation to generation. Sustainability at its finest, and oh so cute!
Lastly, Bathsafe offers a more affordable, natural rubber option that is available on Amazon. Although I wasn’t able to find much information regarding the company online, they claim their mat is made of 100% natural rubber and it is an affordable $15.99.
Bath Toys
Yay, the fun part! There are so many cute natural rubber & silicone bath toys out there. I’ve already mentioned Liewood, and we have several of their bath toys. My favorites are the “laying down” animals - so sweet!
Tikiri is a Sri Lankan toy company who makes endearing & ethically-responsible natural rubber bath animals. We have the turtle and he has a little rattle inside that our son especially loves.
The Dearest Grey is a women owned brand who sells food-grade silicone stackable cups that would be perfect for bath time. I don’t know about your little ones, but our baby boy loves scooping & pouring water - it’s his favorite bath time activity!
Bath Organizer
When the polyester (water-resistant) toy holder we bought from Target began to fill our shower with a strong chemical smell, I knew it was time to start looking for a more natural option. Thankfully, Liewood offers a silicone storage basket that hangs over the edge of the tub. I’ve found it to be the perfect size for our baby’s toys, and it comes in several pretty, earth-toned options.
Although I’m usually against plastic, since there aren’t very many alternatives in this department - I think the Ubbi bath toy drying bin could also be a good option. It’s made of polypropylene which is considered one of the safest plastics & FDA approved for food contact (also, it’s PVC, BPA and phthalate free). If you know of any other good options, please let me know in the comments!
*Update 6/26/23: The popular brands Mushie and Lalo now offer silicone spout covers which make a great nontoxic option. We had been using Skip Hop’s Moby spout cover (pictured below) made of TPE, but we’ve recently switched to Mushie’s aesthetic, silicone option.
I’ve found that the most natural materials tend to be the least toxic, and a healthy choice for baby (& us)! So let’s fluff those organic cotton towels, fill the tub with naturally fragranced soap, and give our little ones a bath time that we can all feel great about.
More importantly, I pray that we will remember to invite Jesus into every corner of our home and ask His protection and peace over us & our families - during baby bath time, and always!
til next time,
Becks