VEGAN FAMILY GUIDE

Bath bars- baby and children's washing products for sensitive skin. Many of these are also organic and plastic-free or refillable: Bath bars/ bubble bath/ shampoo/ conditioner: Veo*, Ethical Superstore*, Bower Collective*, Boots*, Ocado*, Oxfam Shop* , Boots* (with bath fizzers) Balm/ oil/ massage lotion: Ethical Superstore*, Boots* Hair rinsing jug: Kiddies Kingdom* (also goggles and flannel) Hooded towel: Ethical Superstore*, Kidly*, Etsy*, Yes Bebe* Comb: Boots* 🙄 Most of the baby and parent products I bought at the local wholefood shop turned out to contain beeswax (cera alba) or sheep's wool (lanolin), and were therefore not vegan. I made this website to help you avoid the same mistakes. 😐Products are not necessary at first. Baby did not eat food or have hair to get it in, and a very new Baby's skin is too sensitive for baths. Our initial bath attempt resulted in tears, and we put it off for a bit longer. 🙂 The problem was that we had followed the advice to bathe the baby in the evening, which was their unimpressed time of day. We learnt that it is best to constantly adapt routines around Baby's feedback, rather than what a book says. Once it became possible to wash my hair together with Baby in the bath, they started to play with my shampoo, and we then washed it from time to time if they are in a good mood. Our skin is absorbent, and especially a baby's. It takes in what we put on it. This is why I prefer natural products; ones which could perhaps be eaten with just a small stomach upset. Our baby was born with very dry skin. Half the midwives told us we must put oil on them, and half told us we certainly must not. Contradictory medical advice was to become a theme of early parenthood. Perhaps it depends on the type of oil. I was lucky to be given an organic massage oil, which made Baby coo.

Nail clippers: Express Chemist*

Vegan friendly diapers: Pants nappy Grovia My Choice (I bought this at about 6 months and used it for baby toilet training- see below): The Nappy Lady*, eBay* Vouchers*, Quick drying at The Nappy Lady* Local nappy libraries, The Nappy Lady* library (check if vegan) Reusable Nappies: Rock Chocs*, Rainbow Life*, Ethical Superstore*, Kit & Kin*, Frugi* Nappy soak/ wash: Ethical Superstore* Disposable Nappies: Veo*, The Cheeky Panda*, Ethical Superstore*, Mum & You*, Kit & Kin*, Boots* Hot water bottle to warm the mat 🙄Some nappies and wipes contain wool, so look out. Even eco disposable nappies go in the general waste, not the council's compost bin. 🙂Grovia pants could be pulled up and down without undoing tabs, which made it easier for baby to stand. I still used poppers when there was a mess. Read more about baby toilet training, which save nappies.

Potties, toilet seats and steps: Potette Plus: Boots*, Kiddies Kingdom* Seats and potties: Boots*, Kiddies Kingdom*, Yes Bebe* Portable mat: Kiddies Kingdom* Public toilet 'radar' key: Boots* 😐 My child never got into the habit of sitting on the potty I bought, since we started off holding them over a bucket, and then moved straight to a toilet seat. They liked to be the same. If my flat was larger, and the toilet was far away, I would have encouraged potty use. 🙂The collapsible 'Potette Plus' toilet seat (which doubles as a potty with silicon middle) was very handy. The public toilet key can be used in places where the changing table is locked in an accessible toilet with no staff to open it. Accessible toilets are also large enough to wheel a buggy into. I sometimes used the buggy as a changing table too. Read more about baby toilet training and at nursery.

Remedies to sooth nappy rash or 'gurgle' rash: Bum balm/ oil/ lotion/ salve: Veo*, Ethical Superstore*, Boots* 🙄 Some balms contain bee's wax (cerea alba) or sheep's wool (lanoline). 😐 When Baby was little we smothered them in nappy cream, and changed them frequently to avoid rashes. However, since we started early potty training, we didn't use it for a long time. 🙂 Avoid purchasing nappy cream by avoiding nappies: Read how we started toilet training from age two months. You can also do without: potties, changing tables, changing mats and nappy bags.

More natural hand sanitisers: Hand sanitiser: Veo*, Rainbow Life*, Ethical Superstore*, Abel & Cole*

More natural, ocean and bee friendly sun products for all the family: Sun cream/ sunscreen: Veo*, Veo*, Ethical Superstore*, Abel & Cole*, Ocado*, Boots* 😐 Check for oxybenzone and octinoxate​ if you are concerned about coral reefs. Sometimes natural sun creams look like white paint. I found it helps to mix them with moisturiser when rubbing in.

Vegan toothpaste: Toothpaste: Ethical Superstore* Toothbrush: Veo*, Truthbrush*, Bower Collective* Ethical Superstore* 🙂 My child is enthusiastic about Kingfisher strawberry and brought it to nursery for show and tell.

Greenish cleansing wipes: Reusable Wipes: Friendly Turtle*, &Keep* Disposable Wipes: Veo*, The Cheeky Panda*, Ethical Superstore*, Mum & You*, Kit & Kin*, Ocado*, Boots*

These are some of the types of things we tried, but are not qualified to recommend: Essential oil (baby smiled at the sight of the bottle): Klip Shop*, London Grocery* ​Teething granules: The Naked Pharmacy*, Ocado​* Thuja, Ledum and Children's ABC. Nasal aspirator/ snot pooter: Express Chemist* Frozen milk: Kiddies Kingdom* . Some people love these for teething. My child initially ate the wrong end, and I wasn't sure if it was better than a piece of cucumber.

Crash helmet: Kiddies Kingdom*. We used this for a short time until the baby learnt to fall on their bum instead of their head. First aid kit: Boots* Plasters: House kit: Kiddies Kingdom*, Preloved*

Vegan children's food supplements: Vitamins: Veg1*, Vegums*, Veo*, Get Nourished*, The Naked Pharmacy*, Dr. Vegan*, Ethical Superstore* (including Veg1), Express Chemist*, Boots*, Ocado​* 😐 Baby did not like baby vitamins. The ones from the health visitor were not vegan, but the vegan ones were no better. 🙂 However, they are now a little too fond of Vegums gummy bears, and like to build towers with the packaging. I've heard some children like the vegan Floradix. My child liked it at first and then got bored.