Eco-Friendly Summer Products for Moms

Summer is just around the corner and with that comes a time where you need to start looking into stocking up on some staple summer products as you begin the season heading outdoors more (think sunscreen, bug spray, swim diapers…) While it’s really easy for us to only focus on the price tag, I challenge you to also focus on looking into products that are more eco-friendly than other options and ultimately are better for your child and the environment.  And to be honest, you may be surprised to find out that you could save money or break even despite buying products that are more natural and chemical-free.

Sunscreen: Skin protection is so important but so is finding sunscreen that doesn’t contain harmful chemicals (or is a better alternative with less chemicals).  My go-to is Babyganics Sunscreen thought there are others out there that are good options.

Formulated without PABA, phthalates, parabens, fragrances or nano-particles – Formulated with plant-derived and certified organic ingredients. Non-allergenic and perfect for sensitive skin while also keeping the environment in mind. As an adult, I even use their stuff because I have super sensitive skin.

 

Wet Bag: Even if you don’t cloth diaper, a wet bag is an awesome investment! How many times do you grab a Wal-Mart bag to throw your wet swimsuits and towels in? Or beach toys, sunglasses, hats, etc…?? We use our wet bags to replace Wal-Mart bags and by doing so are reducing landfill waste! Plus, they are much cuter than Wal-Mart bag and so easy to grab and fill with what I need. Wet bags come in many patterns and sizes so there are a ton of fun options. I really like our Planet Wise wet bags and Thirsties wet bags. You really can’t go wrong with either. The price range is about $10-$20 depending on the size bag, brand, and design. Not bad at all considering the multiple ways to use these bags!

Natural Insect Repellant: Hot summer days often mean you may spend some days inside but the evenings outside as it cools down. Which often leads to….mosquito bites. No one likes bug bites! I have seen different recipes for homemade bug spray but I rarely have time to do it but that could be a wonderful option. A lot of the leading brands include the chemical DEET which is really great at deterring mosquitos but it isn’t very natural. My go-to has been Babyganics Natural Insect Repellent. It is DEET free, containing plant and essential oils. I don’t think it smells super pungent like other brands. My only complain about it is that it is oily. I haven’t had any issues with bug bites while using it though so it serves it’s purpose! They also carry Insect Repellent Wipes which I am actually really curious about and plan on trying this Summer.

 

Reusable Snack Bags & Food Pouches: I wish I had known about these this past summer! How many times do you load up your diaper bag or purse with Ziploc bags full of snacks  and sandwiches or run to the store and buy baby food/applesauce pouches?! If you are like me…ALL. THE. TIME. This can save so much money and provide less waste. These snack bags by Sage Spoonfuls are only $14.99 on Amazon!

A huge container of applesauce is under $2 around here and if I am buying reusable food pouches, over time I can actually be saving money.

Think about this too, if you want to make your own homemade applesauce or purees, you can and just fill these pouches. They are so convenient and if you make your own purees you know EXACTLY what is going inside of the pouch. No worries about aspartame, high fructose corn syrup, and the many other things we find in our everyday products. Also, do you remember the scare about finding moldy pouches? If you have reusable pouches you can be responsible for cleaning them and knowing for certain they are clean and ready for your little one before filling.

Sage Spoonfuls has a 3-pack for just $9.99! The really cool thing about theirs is that unlike other brands, theirs opens up  COMPLETELY from the side which means easy cleaning. I have some from another brand I have to pitch because it was impossible to get everything and clean them so mold developed.

Reusable Swim Diapers: With summer, comes vacation, swimming, splash pads, sprinklers, water tables and more. Even if you don’t cloth diaper, I highly encourage you to consider swim diapers. I cloth diaper and honestly will tell you that reusable swim diapers are a piece of cake and will save you money if you go with B.B. Littles Swim Diapers!

For a more detailed explanation on why I believe reusables are a better option you can check out a previous blog post I wrote here. But for now, I will try to do a quick summary.

Disposable swim diapers will cost about $10/pack. My daughter needed a new swim diaper after 1 hour of playing in a water table. If you are planning a vacation, this will cost you a lot of money and will also equal a lot of disposables in the landfill. After 1 hour, my daughter started chafing because of her disposable swim diapers. These are just a few things to consider.

 

Cloth Swim Diapers vary but my favorites are Beau and Belle Littles Swim Diapers due to sizing. All other swim diapers (reusable and disposables) are sized and the sizes are more limited. B.B. Littles Swim Diapers are made to fit children 8-36lbs which is unlike all other swim diapers out on the market. This means after you pay the initial cost of $18.99 (minus coupons/sales) per diaper, you will be covered until your kiddo is 36 lbs. Obviously, this varies per person but my child isn’t even 25 lbs and she is almost 2!!! We bought ours last year so we have already gotten 2 YEARS of use from ours.

 

 

To add on, we are expecting our second baby this summer so we will be using the same diapers from last year on two children breaking down the cost of these tremendously making it 110% worth it. We bought 4 so about a total of $80 if you round up. But when you think about getting 2 summers worth with 1 kid (and soon-to-be another) plus keeping in mind we will use these for him NEXT summer too, it’s soooo worth it. We are saving a ton of money and saving a ton of diapers from being thrown into the landfill.

 

With the reusable swim diapers, we have no skin irritations and I strongly believe it’s because the lack of chemicals that are otherwise found in disposables.

As you can see, there are SO many ways you can protect your family and the environment this summer!! These are just some of the brands I personally recommend but I hope this encourages you to take something like sunscreen and research what would be a better alternative. There are a lot of better options out there that won’t break the bank. I hope you have a WONDERFUL, green Summer!!

XOXO,

One Merry Mama