Baby: Calendula Stater Kit from Weleda

As a new mom, it seems like everyday brings a new and interesting crisis to solve. Add in the hormones and it's no wonder why we're all stressed out, baby-toting basketcases!

One of the ways I've found that truly helps ease the potential meltdowns of the day is good preparation. That means, before you leave the house, make sure you have planned for the worst and then added a few levels to that. For example, imagine what you'd need if your precious sweetpea decides to blow out a diaper while simultaneously pulling an exorcism a la split pea soup moment AND just when you thought it couldn't get any worse, they're stricken with a faucet for a nose -- oh, and all of this happens on an airplane, camping, or some other place where you are completely limited to stock on hand for cleanup and treatment. What to do?

No worries! Why? Because you are SUPER MOM to the rescue, you're prepared, and you've got this in the bag. You whip out your handy dandy calendula baby starter kit from your diaper bag (or purse - it's small enough) and go to work. Within minutes, you have the baby all cleaned up and you're back in business. Now, let's just go back and I'll point out that this is not a hypothetical situation -- that's right, folks, and that little kit up there was my saving grace.

The Baby Starter Kit by Weleda ($13 US) contains travel sized samples of their calendula baby line of products: baby cream, lotion, body wash/shampoo, diaper care, & calendula oil. Calendula extract is known as one of the most healing plants for the skin and using these products helps your baby's skin (and yours) heal. My favorite in this kit is the calendula oil...just one drop on a cotton swab applied to the raw, chapped, and chafed skin on the upper lip from a runny nose has healed very sore skin within a day!

I must give honorable mention to their calendula diaper care cream which cleared up a nasty diaper rash within 2 days...that was pretty amazing too! Another awesome product that I keep on hand, though it is not included in this baby starter kit, is their children's tooth gel ($7 US). It has a yummy mint flavor that freshens breath and is really good at getting rid of "stinky milk mouth" - a condition that far too many mornings are ruined by. Just a pea-sized amount of this fluoride-free gel on their fingertip or toothbrush, cleans their teeth and breath anywhere/anytime.

I'd also like to mention something pretty neat I just came across, for all you other parents out there who are always googling for info to help your kids. Weleda recently created a website just for parents and caregivers, an entire community where you can find natural parenting tips and advice! To check it out, click here!

Great products, helpful online community, check this company out!

Visit Weleda

Oral Care: Weleda Tooth Gel

Milk breath no more...

Description: Newly forming teeth and gums get soothing care from this tooth gel. It’s a gently effective gel specifically formulated to give the kindest treatment to your little one’s pearly white baby teeth. Natural silica gently cleanses while the soothing properties of Biodynamic® and organic calendula flower extract pacify tender gums. Developed in cooperation with European dentists, this fluoride-free formula thoroughly cleans your child’s entire mouth and is safe to swallow. The mild flavors of spearmint and organic fennel help encourage your child’s good dental hygiene to last a lifetime. Clean, white baby teeth, naturally soothed gums and fresh, minty breath—that’s something for both of you to smile about.

Ingredients: Glycerin, Water (Aqua), Silica, Algin, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Foeniculum Vulgare (Fennel) Oil, Mentha Viridis (Spearmint) Leaf Oil, Esculin, Limonene

EWG RATING:  (1-3) Conflicted rating: read details below 

Price: $7 US

This toothpaste has become a favorite in our household. It not only cleans the children's teeth, but it is a great fluoride-free alternative for adults with sensitivities as well. The flavor is minty yet mild. The texture is smooth, as this is a gel, not paste as most people are used to. It effectively cleans and polishes teeth, freshening breath, and making those pearly whites smile big! 


I would like to address the EWG rating given to this product, as all ingredients rate as very safe except one, limonene. Due to this single ingredient rating, the product's overall rating is increased from 1 to 3 (safe to moderately safe). Due to the automated nature of the EWG ingredient database, this particular product is unfairly rated. 


Limonene is a natural chemical found in citrus essentials oils such as lemon and orange (within the rind/skin. It is what gives them their heavy citrus scent. This ingredient is only present in this product in the tiniest amount in this product found within the essential oils, as evidenced by not only the ingredient list (the higher the quantity of an ingredient, the sooner on the list it appears), but also in that this product does not have any citrus scent whatsoever. To address this issue, I would like to point out the following:

Limonene is a naturally occurring component of the organic essential oils in the formula. It is not required to be listed, as it is not an added ingredient; however, it is listed only to comply with European labeling regulations.

Please realize that EWG provides great information for those looking for a generalized recommendation for products, however, there are many instances in which further research into the particular products and origin of the ingredients reveals a safer rating than EWG's automated database lists. While it is always better to be safe than sorry, this is one product in which a flawed rating by an automated system misleads consumers and it's important to point out that this should not be a concern for this particular product. With this said, here is a link to the EWG report for this product: Click here to read EWG report

SHOP WELEDA

Oral Care: Toothpastes & Mouthwash from Dr. Sharp Dentistry

Have you ever wondered why there is a warning label on the back of your toothpaste? Or why your mouthwash leaves your mouth burning? You shouldn't need to memorize the number for poison control to simply clean your teeth!  Dr. Sharp offers you and your family natural products that are non-toxic (read: no warning labels needed) and are actually effective!

"Now more than ever we should be mindful of the potential damage fluoride can do to our children’s health. In a report published by Time Magazine in October 2005, 1 in every 3 American children were known to suffer from some form of dental fluorosis, a white or brown mottling of the teeth."

As a victim of fluoride poisoning as a child from unassumingly consuming toothpaste and fluoridated water on a daily basis, I had always wanted to find out just exactly what went wrong with my teeth. As I started on my quest to discover the cause of my dental fluorosis, I had no idea the knowledge I would find would change my life forever. Nor did I realize how difficult it would make finding something as simple as toothpaste!

Over the years, I have had over 26 fillings, due to no fault of my own. You see, fluoride causes pitting in healthy enamel, allowing for cavities to form quickly and reach the deepest layers of the tooth much more rapidly. I have always had excellent dental care, both professionally and at home. Every time I would go to the dentist, and I went quite often, they would ask what in the world I was eating/drinking to cause so many cavities. I was puzzled. My diet consists of fairly healthy fare, especially compared to the average western diet. They would always ask if I drank a lot of soda or juice, but the truth is, I can't stand soda and I only have maybe 3-4 cups of juice annually (I much rather prefer to get fiber with my fruit, not just sugar). It turns out, my condition is all owed to fluoride! To read more on the history of fluoride and the massive deception, I recommend checking out this book or searching "fluoride deception" on youtube for interviews and videos exposing the truth. Each person can decide what they want for themself, but at the end of the day, you must ask yourself: if there is even a possibility of poisoning, why chance it if you can avoid it? (And no one is arguing whether there is a risk or not, hence the warning label on your toothpaste!)

So what's so special about Dr. Sharp's dental products? Well, for starters, they're:
* Rated safe by EWG database (links below)
* Vegan
* Cruelty-free: not tested on animals
* Sustainably produced ingredients
* BPA-free
* Paraben-free
* SLS-free
* Alcohol-free
* Contain no artificial dyes or flavors
* Fluoride-free
* And come in recyclable packaging printed with soy ink!

I just happened to receive these samples a week before my regular dental checkup. Being postpartum with estrogen levels mimicking menopause, due to breastfeeding, my gums were a wreck - bleeding off and on, receding, just not happy campers. My teeth were starting to develop sensitive spots and I really was thinking that for being as young as I am, this was pretty ridiculous. My mouth has had thousands and thousands of dollars worth of care over the years, and no, I don't have anything cosmetic or root canals, etc. just upkeep (though admittedly excessive due to the fluoride damage).

This will sound like an informercial, but I'm being completely honest, after a week of using the Dr. Sharp green tea toothpaste (for sensitive teeth) and mouthwash, my gums were no longer bleeding and my teeth were no longer as sensitive. I went for my checkup and my dentist commented on how very little plaque I had built up on my teeth. She asked what products I had been using, I told her, and she was amazed. Between the dentist and hygienist, I must have received 5-6 compliments over and over again on my teeth. On top of that, she was surprised my gums did not bleed at all during the probing, considering this is extremely common postpartum. I'm sold. I've been using Weleda's salt toothpaste for quite a long time now, but I'll be switching to Dr. Sharp for my personal at-home use due to the results I have experienced so far.

Our children LOVE the strawberry cream toothpaste as well! In fact, they want to brush their teeth ALL DAY LONG now...but we'll save that discussion for another time - LOL!


Kids Toothpaste - Strawberry Cream
EWG Safety Rating: green/low hazard (2)


Whitening Toothpaste - Green Tea
EWG Safety Rating: green/low hazard (2)


Whitening Toothpaste - Fresh Mint
EWG Safety Rating: green/low hazard (2)

Mouthwash - Fresh Mint
EWG Safety Rating: green/low hazard (1)

Price:
Toothpaste - $11.95 US each 

Mouthwash - $12.95 US

SALE: See website for all current discounts!

Dr. Sharp Dentistry Website

Hair: Blood of the Dragon Styling Gel by Morrocco Method Int'l

"It is no longer necessary to sacrifice style 

in order to avoid harmful chemicals!"

Description:  Vegan. Raw. Cruelty-free. Made from wild-crafted, organic ingredients, this styling gel conditions and encourages hair growth. Versatile, easy to use on wet or dry hair of all types from fine, thin hair to coarse, unmanageable hair. 6 oz


Ingredients:  Aloe Vera, Blood of the Dragon herbal blend, kelp, nori, kombu, fucus, yucca, cactus, volcanic ash with herbs and spices, vegetable glycerin, xanthan gum, orange seed, sweet orange oil, lemon oil, willow bark, potassium sorbate, ashberry. Bottled according to the moon cycles used by ancient farmers. All ingredients are organic, raw, wild-crafted, and vegan.


Price:  $15 US

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Blood of the Dragon Styling Gel by Morrocco Method Int'l is truly a versatile product. It's not just for styling your hair, you can also use it to:
1. Soften rough cuticles!
2. Spread over your front teeth for an extra shiny smile in portraits (celebrity secret)!
3. Heal split ends!
4. Encourage hair growth!
5. Soothe a sunburn!
6. Detangle wet hair!
7. Enhance natural waves and curls!
8. Control bushy eyebrows!
9. Tame your facial hair!
10. Prevent frizz in humidity!


Our reviewer first noted the delicious citrus scent, pleasant but not overwhelming, just fresh! Upon first touch, he noted it spread easily and was of the perfect consistency, not too thick and gooey like so many other gels on the market. Then came another comment about the very yummy scent again...just a reminder, this is a fragrance-free product so the only scent you smell is that of the natural herbs used, the scent is simply a delightful side effect. The gel holds just as well, if not better, than any other gel the reviewer has ever tried (and trust us, this is a very "gelly" man) - moving Morrocco Method Int'l into first place amongst all other competitors in our reviewer's long list lineup of hair styling products! It lasted through the day and into the evening, our reviewer was very pleased with the performance of this product. But before the review testing was over and done with, there was just one last comment...."have I told you how goooooood this gel smells?" ha! ha! Yes, yes, you have! Thank you!

Morrocco Method Int'l Website