Top 5 Eco-Friendly Kid Product Swaps!

Hey, mamas, it’s time to get into some eco-friendly kid product swaps! I bet most of you are like me, just trying to do the best for your kiddos while also trying NOT to pull your hair out, break the bank, or have even more meltdowns. Well, good news, mama! I have some kid approved, eco-friendly product swaps that have gone over so well that my babes have hardly noticed the difference.

baby with cake — *?: Sweet Caroline Photographie*

Disclaimer: This post contains some affiliate links. This means that if you click on the links and purchase the items, I will receive a small affiliate commission at zero cost to you. All of the opinions on this post are my own.

1.Bamboo toothbrushes

I know there are some fancy toothbrushes out there. Some with bright, flashing lights and timers, or maybe it has your babes favorite pony or puppet. Yes, I get it, but all they do is get nasty and break. After which, you chuck it right along with the rest of the trash and subtly contribute to the mile high pile of garbage at your local dump.

Don’t feel bad, I’ve been there. And I won’t try to deceive you, most toothbrushes (even eco-friendly) are not 100% biodegradable. I’ve scoured the internet and local stores in search for a truly zero waste toothbrush and unless you want boar bristles in your mouth then there really isn’t another option that I’ve found at this point. I’ve made another post on some other great zero waste swaps that you should check out though!

Considering the dangers that come along with boar bristles, I had to make an executives decision for my babes and these are the brushes that we landed on. They’ve worked great, and they haven’t gotten moldy or had bristles falling out! A big win!

2. Gentle Kid’s Shampoo/Soap

I’m especially conscious of what goes on (and gets absorbed by) my kiddos. If you download the EWG app you can get an idea of where they stand on your product. EWG, or the environmental working group, is a non profit organization that rates products on a number/letter scale according to “cleanliness” level. They share relevant information about products including the products ingredients, and how those ingredients might affect you. There are a few kids shampoo products on there there were EWG approved, but we landed on this one. It smells nice, and it’s easy for me to get locally!

3.Plates/Silverware

Whenever I started going plastic-free, the place that I hit first was the kitchen. I noticed that SO much kid-ware is (understandably) plastic. I get that most people are not trying to get their plates broken which is why I only sort of recommend these plates.

First, they are some kind of actual unicorn and finding them has been an outrageous challenge, so naturally I felt compelled to dive in deep finding what I needed. Secondly, they’re glass, but they’re Corelle so chip-resistant at least. My youngest is 2 and uses this plate like a champ.

I would also recommend these as another option, but we’re C.F.L. (Corelle for Life). The second part of this recommendation is swapping out those plastic forks and spoons for these cute little stainless ones! I use to at least buy the recycled plasticware, but even those have since been donated. We’ve loved these and they’re great for all of my kiddos! They feel so big using them too!

3.Stainless Steel Cups

This swap hit us hard. Plastic was all consuming in our kid department, and the cups were no different. What’s worse is whenever I started really looking at their cups I suddenly noticed all this nicks and divots on their mouthpiece. EW. This means that my kids were scraping and essentially EATING micro plastics…and some not so micro. ?

We swapped to a few different styles of stainless cups. These are the one we use for the 2 year old, and these for the big kids. They both work great and have minimal plastic. It’s hard to find a zero plastic kids cup that’s not one-time use or glass.

4.Coconut oil

I’m SO sorry if some of you hate or can’t use coconut oil, but we have LOVED this swap! This is our lotion, lip moisturizer, cuticle cream, hair detangler/conditioner, flyaway manager, yada-yada. We love it! I don’t even buy lotion anymore. For us, this does the trick and we’re left feeling soft and smooth.

FYI: Most store bought products contain something called “fragrance”. It’s a friendly enough word, but what most don’t know is that there is no regulation as what that actually represents.

According to the E.W.G., “the word “fragrance” or “parfum” on the product label represents an undisclosed mixture of various scent chemicals…”. You should definitely head on over to their website to check out some of your favorite products and see how they rate. It’s not meant to freak you out, but being aware has made me become a more conscious consumer.

5. Cloth Diapers/Wipes

Awww, I’ve loved this swap. I’ve only used them on my third, but they been great for her. She constantly struggled with yeasty rashes that always sat on the edge of infection, and once we swapped those rashes pretty much vanished. Mind you, this was not a super cheap swap, but if it’s your first babe and you’re hoping to have more – DO IT. Honestly, even if you’re on your third like me you should still do it!

I can’t believe that I was so intimidated by these with my first two. I wanted to so badly, but I thought, “Can I even handle this?”.

“Yes, you totally can.”

That’s what I wish someone had told me. I love how they look and feel. Plus I feel better about their quality than that of disposables.

We chose this brand of pocket diapers, and we also opted to add a Thirsties insert for an extra layer for our heavy pee-er! I’m so glad that I decided to make the leap, and you should go for it too!

Mama, I hope that these have helped you. I know you want the best for your babe, but I know that it can be tough to be so “on” all the time. These products have given me a peace of mind, and even if you only take my words from this post, may you and your littles be blessed. They’re so lucky to have someone who cares so much for them and the integrity of their products. You’ve got this. <3

Adios!✌?