Bathing Gear Deep Dive

Bathtub
Recommended: Stokke Flexi Bath* with Newborn Support*
We used a more traditional, plastic baby bathtub with Miss F, and from a functionality perspective it worked great. But the more I researched, the less comfortable I was with using warm water in plastic. We also ran into the issue of storage for the tub—since ours was rigid, storing it was cumbersome and took up a lot of room. In my opinion, the Stokke Flexi Bath is a better choice for several reasons. First, Stokke is a European brand that is committed to producing safe, non-toxic products. It guarantees that the tub is free from harmful substances, and they use a form of plastic that is very heat-resistant. The Flexi Bath also has a heat-sensitive plug that changes color in warm water, reminding parents to check the temperature. Beyond safety, my favorite feature that it folds up extremely compactly for both storage and travel (trying to wash off a wriggling baby in a hotel shower is no small feat!).

Towels
Recommended: Burt’s Bees Baby Hooded Towels
While any 100% cotton towels will work well for your new little one, we wanted an organic option to guarantee that no icky chemicals would be getting on our baby’s clean skin. Hoods are also particularly helpful for small infants as they lose a lot of heat through their heads. Of course, we also wanted something soft. Burt’s Bees towels check all of these requirements at a reasonable price point, and we were very happy using them with Miss F.

Washcloths
Recommended: Burt’s Bees Baby Washcloths
As with the towels, Burt’s Bees offers infant wash cloths that are organic, soft, and effective. We also found them to be the perfect size to maneuver into all the little creases of Miss F’s infant body.

Bath safety and comfort
Recommended: Skip Hop Moby Baby Bath Essential Set
This set checks a lot of “nice-to-haves” for bathtime. The elbow and knee pads save parents a lot of discomfort (we still use ours!), the spout cover protects little heads and backs as babies grow and become more mobile, and the rinse cup makes rinsing heads a little easier. While you could easily use things laying around your house for similar features (towels for padding, pool noodle for spout cover, cup for rinsing), the Moby set’s items are so easy to use that the purchase was worth it for us.

Bath mat
Recommended: Hevea Natural Rubber Bath Mat*
While a bath mat is optional and won’t be needed until your little one is too big for the infant bath, it can provide a nice safety feature in a slippery tub. Most traditional plastic mats are filled with chemicals that we wouldn’t want our babies sitting on, so looking for one made of natural rubber is key. We haven’t personally tried one as Miss F’s bathtub has a textured, no-slip bottom, but the Heavea Natural Rubber one would be a great option.

Shampoo and soap
Recommended: Pipette (unscented)
Other good options: Honest Company Sensitive*, Babo Botanicals Sensitive Baby 2-in-1
There are a lot of non-toxic baby shampoo and soap options, but to be honest we haven’t found one that we absolutely love. While we are very happy with the ingredients and cleaning ability of both Pipette and Babo Botanicals, both seem to be very drying. While we have not tried Honest yet, I would feel very comfortable using it.

Detangler
Recommended: Honest Company Conditioning Detangler
This detangler is very gentle and makes combing tangles out of sensitive heads a lot easier. It also leaves hair feeling very soft and healthy. We have been using it on Miss F for quite a while, but it is scented so I wouldn’t use it on a small baby (you likely won’t need to use it until your child has a lot of hair anyway!). The scent is from essential oils that I personally am comfortable with, but babies are so sensitive that I tend to avoid any scents until they are a little older.

Lotion
Recommended: Baby Botanicals Sensitive Baby Daily Hydra Lotion or Tubby Todd All Over Ointment
Other good options: Pipette*
We have used both the Babo and the Tubby Todd lotions for a long time on Miss F and Miss E. In fact, Tubby Todd was the only lotion that cleared up some scaly, eczema-like patches Miss-F had for her first six months of life (after starting the Tubby Todd they were gone within a few days!). Pipette is another great clean brand, but we personally have not tried it. Another option is to rub a drop of pure jojoba oil into dry patches; jojoba oil matches our skin’s natural oils and is a natural, effective moisturizer that we often use on Miss F’s cheeks.

Bath toys
Recommended: Hevea and CaaOcho* natural latex rubber toys, Fat Brain Toys silicone pipSquigz*
Full disclosure: we were gifted more traditional, “toxic” plastic bath toys that Miss F has used from birth and loved. If we were starting from scratch I’d purchase more natural options, but she has such limited contact with the toys that it’s an area we chose to not stress about. Some features to focus on when buying your own toys are materials and construction. Natural latex rubber and silicone are great natural options for materials (provided your baby isn’t one of the very few that has a latex allergy). For construction, it is wise to make sure toys are “sealed” (i.e. have no small holes); it’s impossible to get all the water out of any toys with small holes, whether they’re for spraying or just part of the design, and they can quickly become a breeding ground for bacteria and mold.