“Congratulations mother,” chimed the nurse, as she handed the new mama a tote bag full of free products. “These gifts from the hospital are to help you get started on your new journey.  Baby powder, baby oil, baby shampoo, powdered milk and more.”

70-80 years ago, a new mom would leave the hospital toting her newborn and her gift bag of conveniences: Johnson and Johnson, Carnation, Proctor and Gamble, Shell 

Good marketing for sure. But the actual product might not have been the most ideal for baby’s new skin, as we have since discovered.

Johnson and Johnson baby shampoo contained formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane These carcinogens have since been removed.

Baby powder was crushed talc, often contaminated with asbestos.  Baby was dusted with talc daily, breathing in the dust particles. The duster was also contaminated.

Baby oil was and still often is the controversial mineral oil.  

In Sally Epstein’s 2013 (American Way in the 50’s) article: ‘Bringing Baby Home’, she recounts her mother’s experience at the hospital where she was ‘treated like a queen’ and then she surmises her first few minutes after birth. 

“In fact, at the tender age of three minutes, I was baptized in a soothing petroleum product. I could look forward to a cornucopia of baby lotions, potions and potables that came from petroleum. These, their producer Shell oil confidently promised, would start your baby on his way to the 57,805 gallons of oil, they reckoned he’d use in a lifetime. (Lots of it from Shell they hoped.)”

That’s a lot of potential oil to be used in one’s lifetime. While life may have been presumed easier in some ways for the new mama, I am sure she must have also felt overwhelmed. All she had been taught  from the matriarchs in her life was now ‘not the way’. The doctors had all kinds of new techniques and new products. So much better for her and the baby she was told. Some were. Some were not.

Today’s mamas have learned a lot over the last several decades.

Instead of the mineral oil, commercial creams, lotions:

Say no to ‘mineral oil.’ If baby needs a moisturizer, pure carrier oils are the best way to go. Earth to Body makes a blend of sunflower, jojoba, evening primrose, gentle and pure called Baby Love Organic Oil. We also offer pure emu oil or argan oil. If, for example, you remember the first cold creams, did you know that they contained borax?  

Instead of baby shampoo/soap

A newborn does NOT need to be doused in soaps, shampoos. Warm water and lots of love is suffice and within the first month, do add a gentle soap. This means a true soap, like our baby castile.  As the baby gets older a couple of teaspoons of organic apple cider vinegar in the bath water, on occasion, makes a natural detox. Your great grandma knew that.

Instead of talc /powder

Earth to Body’s Baby neem salve is an effective remarkable diaper area soother. For more serious issues, the clay neem powder applied directly to the area shows immediate results and yes, Baby will smile. 

Instead of fragranced air /room fresheners

Synthetic fragrances not good. Our gentle lavender rose spray is nourishing and calming an can be sprayed on the diaper area as well as on the bedsheets and in the air. 

Altogether for Baby we have a package including the four special products: Organic Baby Package

Many believe that the baby products sold are better, purer, cleaner, safer.  Makes sense to think that. They should be. But sadly, not so. Like always, we have to be on top of things. Like today’s smart mama and papa. There are some good companies out there who believe in the truly natural. And baby is excited about that.

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