Itty Bitty Greenie

eco-fabulous finds for kids

Posts Tagged ‘Little Innoscents’

Eco, organic and natural does not = boring…

eco rainbow bright

When I started my search for eco products for children — long before Itty Bitty Greenie was born — I was overwhelmed by the selection of “natural” coloured organic onesies and plain wooden toys. Sure they were pure and beautiful, but having looked forward to the time when I could buy things for my own children, I craved a little more colour and fun. After all, making eco choices shouldn’t have to be boring, right?

I’ve always found rainbows cheerful and inspiring, so I guess it’s no surprise that colourful items figure prominently in our collection of eco-fabulous finds. Here are some of my faves:

1) Plan Toys Baby Car $24.95

2) Hess Spielzeug Elephant Rattle $15.95

3) Playable Art Balls $49.95

4) Beeswax Honey Sticks (box of 12 colours) $14.95

5) Hess Spielzeug Heart Rattle $15.95

6) Frugi Rainbow Organic Babygrow $29.95

7) Rainbow Rattle and Teething toy $14.95

8) Teddy Bear Rattle and Grasping Toy $16.95

9) Little Innoscents Certified Organic Skincare for children – gift set $19.95

10) Tots Bots EasyFit modern cloth nappy – Rainbow Spot print $32.95

11) Plan Toys Oval Xylophone $39.95

12) Frugi Rainbow Spot Organic Babygrow $24.95

 

By Donna MacMullin

Creative Communications, Graphic Design, Communications, Blogging, Copywriting, Content Management

Gifts for the Itty Bitty Baby

Gift guide for Itty Bitty Babies

Baby’s first Christmas is such a special time, and we all know new parents are often in need of not just cute clothes but baby essentials like skin care, baby bottles, swaddle blankets and pacifiers too. Why not give them something that’s not only useful, but all-natural, organic and safe too?

Here’s our eco-fabulous gift guide for those Itty Bitty Babies in your life.

1) Ringley all-natural maple wood and organic cotton teething ring (RRP $19.95)

2) Aden + Anais organic muslin wraps in four styles: Bloom, Safari, Sky and Snuggle Bug. Each one comes with a matching organic muslin bag (RRP $39.95)

3) Natursutten all-natural rubber pacifiers are BPA free, Phthalate free and PVC free (RRP $9.95)

4) Green to Grow baby bottles (and nipples) are toxin free and eco-friendly (RRP $19.95-22.95)

5) Little Wings Organic cotton dress with fairy pattern, designed in Australia (RRP $54.95)

6) Little Wings Organic Cotton bloomers with frill, designed in Australia (RRP $24.95)

7) Organic cotton and lace baby dress, made from 100% organic Egyptian Cotton (RRP $44.95)

8)  Plan Toys Baby Car, made from eco-friendly and chemical-free wood (RRP $22.95)

9) Dandelion Organic Cotton baby toys: Crinkle Bear ; Squeaker Duck and Rattling Frog (RRP $16.95 each)

10) Little Innoscents certified organic bath products and skin care (RRP $10.99- $19.99)

 

By Donna MacMullin

Creative Communications, Graphic Design, Communications, Blogging, Copywriting, Content Management

Kitchen-table tycoons

Little Innoscents

“Mumpreneurs” are fast becoming a force to be reckoned with in the business world and I couldn’t be happier for one fellow mother and business owner whom I have worked with over the past year and who was recently given a prestigious business award.

Antonette Golikidis, founder of Little Innoscents organic skincare for children was named “AusMumpreneur of the Year” at the 2010 AusMumpreneur awards in Brisbane this month.

Antonette started her brand of organic skincare in her own kitchen and said she soon had friends and neighbours trying her products and the business grew from there. And now, “to be distinguished with some amazing like-minded women in business who stay true to their values of family, business and success is an inspiration,” she says.

The finalists were also featured on the TODAY program, and here is a clip from the show.

Check out the eco-fabulous Little Innoscents range of 100% certified organic skincare that is made in Australia and we are proud to carry at Itty Bitty Greenie. The hair & body wash is my favourite!

 

By Donna MacMullin

Creative Communications, Graphic Design, Communications, Blogging, Copywriting, Content Management

What’s going on?

littleinnoscents

If you think of the huge transition newborns face when going from the protective environment of the womb to the outside world, skin care is one of those delicate matters every parent should consider. Newborn skin is immediately challenged with exposure to germs, changing temperatures and irritating substances – and those small, developing bodies are less capable of fending off chemical assaults.

Of course we all have the best of intentions when caring for our baby’s skin, but here are a few good reasons to take a closer look at the ingredient list on your skincare:

> The surface area of a child’s skin relative to body weight is greater than adults, and infant skin is considerably thinner than adult skin. That means anything that is absorbed by the skin of a baby is a lot more potent. After a review of 23 studies of early life exposures to cancer-causing chemicals, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency concluded that carcinogens are typically 10 times more potent for babies than for adults, and some chemicals are up to 65 times more powerful.
> A child’s developing organ systems are more vulnerable to damage from chemical exposures, and children are less able than adults to detoxify and excrete chemicals.
> Children have more years of life in which to develop disease triggered by early exposure to chemicals, and research suggests exposures to industrial chemicals may prime children for adult disease, just as a few severe sunburns during childhood doubles the likelihood of developing malignant melanoma later in life.
> There are more than 10,000 ingredients being used in the skin care industry, and 89% of these have not been tested for toxic or carcinogenic chemicals.

Awareness of chemicals in skincare is certainly increasing and more parents are trying to choose wisely, but in the meantime the number of so-called “natural” products on store shelves has multiplied dramatically. These days, buying baby’s bathtime bubbles isn’t so straightforward, but here are a couple of ways to keep it simple.

First, read labels carefully. Just because a product claims to have “natural” ingredients doesn’t mean ALL of its contents are derived from organic sources or are paraben and phthalate free. Knowing how to decipher ingredients can be a bit tricky, but some key toxic ingredients to look out for are: parabens, phthalates, sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS), petroleum derivatives, diethanalomine (DEA), mineral oil, artificial fragrances and colours.

For a more comprehensive list of ingredients and their potentially toxic affects, read Skin Deep’s safety guide to children’s personal care products, which identifies 20 common ingredients of concern. The Skin Deep website also has a good database if you want to look up the safety rating for baby products.

Second, bear in mind that whatever you put ON your child’s skin, is also going IN. Most people use far more product than is necessary and children don’t need to be slathered in suds, lotions and powders. A little warm water and mild cleanser at bathtime, then a small amount of moisturizer (or spot treating) does the trick.

While we’re on the subject, here are some of my tried and true favourite products I use regularly to keep my baby’s very sensitive and eczema-prone skin healthy:

taslie-skincare2
Taslie Skin Care
Not only are these products super cute and organic, the packaging is completely biodegradable (pictured right). I LOVE supporting companies that embrace a green ethos in everything they do. To purchase items from the Taslie skin care range, please click here to visit Itty Bitty Greenie’s retail site.

Little Innoscents

This Australian brand of certified organic skincare (pictured above) was developed by a health care and aromatherapy specialist. I love the the sweet orange, lavender and spearmint combination in the body wash – it’s so refreshing. The gentle vapour rub balm is also a must-have, to soothe any congestion from cold & flu. Check out the entire range here.

Buds Cherished Organics
Buds was formulated in Australia, and uses unique organic ingredients sourced from 100% organic farms all over the world. The formulas are preservative-free and certified by ECOCERT, one of the world’s most highly regarded certifying boards. Visit Itty Bitty Greenie’s retail site for more details on the Buds range of skincare.