Why Buy Organic for Your Kids? We Asked the Experts!

Have you ever asked yourself, “Is this product safe for my baby?” Or how about scoured both aisle and internet—reading review after review—to find the best baby products you can buy that don’t contain harmful ingredients. We’re right there with you. We went straight to the source to find out why it’s so important to buy all natural, organic products for your Minis and our friends at Earth Mama Organics laid it all out for us.

Earth Mama was founded by Melinda Olson, a nurse, mother, and herbalist. Well, first she was a nurse, then she was a mother, and then, she followed her curiosity about the healing power of medicinal herbs. As a nurse, she had seen what traditional medicine could do, but what about plant medicine? Because as humans, we have the opportunity to live long and healthy lives, as long as we avoid harming ourselves—and the earth—in the process. Why not heal and support our bodies with what nature has readily available,  what’s been in use for thousands of years? And furthermore, why not start with taking care of the most vulnerable members of our population: pregnant women, newborns and babies?

This fierce, protective mother’s instinct is at the heart of Earth Mama Organics. The brand’s line of baby care products is carefully and thoughtfully formulated with love and grounded in ancient herbal knowledge and wisdom of the earth. Each product the brand produces is as safe and organic as possible— which is why their line of baby products is trusted by doctors, midwives, neonatal intensive care units, lactation consultants and mamas worldwide!

If an ingredient is available organic, you use it! Why is that so important in baby products?

We want to clarify something. Some people think the word organic is a marketing term, instead of a verifiable claim. On that note, we spend a lot of time proving the veracity of our ingredient lists, because transparency is important to us.

But, why organic? Because babies and newborns—and while we’re at it, pregnant mothers —are the most at-risk and vulnerable members of our population. They’re experiencing rapid and dynamic growth and development at the molecular, cellular, organ and systemic levels. When products are organic, those potentially harmful chemicals are not allowed to be used. We have a saying at Earth Mama: Much of what goes on, goes in— and that’s why we work very hard to make sure our ingredients are as safe and effective as possible. Because we know that every single person who uses our products has a real baby, just like ours. Its’ a sobering fact we never forget.

What should moms be on the lookout for when choosing products to use on their baby’s skin? IE. ingredients?

If there’s anything we wish to impart to mothers, it is this: learn how to read ingredient labels. It’s as important with skin care products as it is with food or household cleaning products.

So, read the label, and make sure the ingredients are organic and approved by the following organizations if possible: USDA National Organic Program, NSF/ANSI 305 (the globally-recognized organic standard for personal care), and the Non-GMO Project Verified. At Earth Mama, we place great value on transparency, which is why we go to great lengths to have our products verified by a third party. In our case, Oregon Tilth makes sure our products meet not only the above organization’s standards, but ours as well.

Keep an eye out for marketing buzzwords, like “gentle”, “hypoallergenic,” “pure” and “natural.” These words are empty and mean little, unless they’re verifiable by a third party certifier. If it reads like a sneaky politician trying to get out of answering a question, it shouldn’t pass your sniff test. For instance, “made using organic farming methods” is unverifiable, and isn’t the same as USDA Certified Organic.

Also, look for generic terms. It’s always best to avoid anything that lists plain old “fragrance” on the label. Around here, we call it the “F” word. Since fragrance is considered a trade secret, it can be listed as an ingredient without disclosing a dozen or more chemical components. It could be anything.

Some things are more innocent sounding than others, so if you don’t know, be sure to look it up in the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep Database.


Click here to shop Earth Mama Organics’ baby line, including all of the products you use daily for baby from baby lotion and baby oil to their highly-recommended organic diaper balm!

Photography: Courtesy of Earth Mama Organics