Natural Baby Care

Have you ever wondered how you can incorporate natural baby care into parenting? We always want to give our children the best. As a new mom you may be looking for ways to reduce chemicals that you are using around your house and baby.  I recently had a newborn session with Alicia. She has made pure living her lifestyle and now raises her boys the same way.  I thought she would be a wonderful resource to give us more information about making our own environment cleaner and healthier. Meet Alicia and the boys who are most important to her.

Meet Our Guest Blogger

Hey guys! I recently had a newborn session with Shannon and I am honored that she asked me to be her first guest blog post! I am Alicia. I live in Hendersonville where Shannon’s studio is located. I am first and foremost a mother to two beautiful boys. I also own a local organic body product company called Apothepurity. My products are available in 11 stores and counting throughout middle Tennessee and beyond. I was asked to post about simple ways you can incorporate living a pure, clean lifestyle as a new mom. My boys were not the beginning of my journey for me, but seeing them encourages me every day to continue to spread the word about a natural lifestyle. First, I will tell you a little about what started this journey for me and then move on to a few easy ways to live pure!

My journey started at age 22, long before I became a mother, while living on the island of Oahu in 2011. I learned so much about sustainability, clean living, and caring for the Earth. When I returned to Tennesse, I had trouble finding truly pure products. I found that many companies were cutting corners whether it be sub par ingredients, plastic packaging, or only partial organic ingredients. These same companies were also often charging astronomical prices in the name organic. I wanted to create a truly good, philanthropic company that didn’t cut any of those corners and was still affordable to the average consumer. I went to school for aesthetics in my early twenties and had no idea at the time how I would use that knowledge. Fast forward to 2016, after much work and trial and error, I finally started Apothepurity. Our mission is not only to provide people with pure products but also to convince people to live a more natural lifestyle for a healthier you and planet too.

Motherhood brings about many changes. It often inspires us to re-evaluate our own lifestyle. It inspires us to research everything from what bottles are best to what products are safest for baby. Often enough, we decide it’s time to clean up our routine….but where to start? It can be overwhelming. In this blog post, I will highlight a few tips and resources for starting a clean living journey.

WHY DOES IT MATTER

Your skin is your largest organ. That is why it’s so important to protect it. The majority of what you put on your skin is absorbed in seconds and much of it makes it into your blood stream. Remember, your skin eats it too!

My first bit of advice if to keep it simple. Read ingredient lists. If you can’t pronounce an ingredient, or the list is a mile long, it’s pretty safe to assume there are some nasties lurking in there. A few ingredients I always look out for:

Parabens
SLS
Fragrance
Phthalates
Triclosan
Synthetic Colors
Formaldehyde
Toluene
Propylene Glycol

Without going into too much detail, these harsh chemicals are known to cause severe allergic reactions, skin irritation, respiratory damage, can disrupt the endocrine system, cause birth defects, can increase your risk for certain types of cancers, and so much more!

I am a huge fan of the Environmental Working Group. You can visit their website to search for ingredients or common products and see their rating. It breaks down what is toxic about the product by ingredients and is SO informative. They also have a free app you can download to make the search easier!

SWITCH SLOWLY

Most of us simply do not have the means to toss (hopefully recycle!) every product in our house when we decide to make the change. I personally started replacing my items one by one as I ran out my old conventional products the over the course of a year. It doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Making the switch one by one will prevent you from going crazy AND is less shocking to your body. A few easy switches to make that are readily available:

-Hand Soap/Body + Baby Wash + Dish Soap

-Pour 1/4 cup liquid castile soap (We love Dr Bronners unscented) in an old foaming hand soap dispenser (This is for an 8 ounce container!)
-Fill the rest with distilled water
-Optional: Add essential oils (properly diluted!) of your choice for scent + added cleaning properties. Lemon is a great choice for hand and dish soap. Lavender or Frankinsense are great choices for body wash!
Note: Dr. Bronners is very concentrated. It is important to dilute prior to use on skin. It can be very drying!

-Baby Oil/Lotion

A single oil works perfectly for baby! Jojoba oil is our favorite, but olive and coconut oil are great too! A little goes a long way!

-All Purpose Cleaner

Combine equal parts:
Distilled White Vinegar
Distilled Water
Optional: A few drops Tea Tree Essential Oil

Add all ingredients to a spray bottle. This cleaner works well for countertops, floors, sinks, etc.

-Shower + Bath Cleaner

Fill a spray bottle with cheap vodka and voila! It cuts through soap scum like nobody’s business.

-Body Products

Visit us my site Apothepurity to shop my products! We make everything from body butter to hand sanitizer. Customers rave about our natural deodorant! Clink the FIND US link to try our products in person. Follow us on social media to stay up to date on our blogs, events, and promos! Use code: SPP20 for 20% off of your online purchase with us.

Natural Baby Care

AVOID WHAT YOU CAN

There are many harsh chemicals out there that cannot be avoided. However, it’s always a good idea to avoid what you can, especially with a tiny human in tow. You don’t have to go crazy, just be mindful! Our babies deserve it.

We hope that you will make the switch to safer products to create a healthier, better environment for you and your precious little ones!

Love,

Alicia

Thanks, Alicia, for sharing ways to include natural baby care and clean living into our lifestyle. I hope you guys find this information valuable! Here are a few more favorites of Alicia’s newest little guy.

Are you expecting a baby and interested in posed newborn photos? We”d love to hear from you. Shannon Payne Photography specializes in newborn photography. One of Nashville”s top newborn photographers, Shannon has trained with some of the best photographers in the world in order to great the best newborn experience for your family. It is best to get on our calendar during your 2nd trimester. Email us today to book your session.