3 Little Plums

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Low -Tox Summer Essentials

Wether you are staying close to home or traveling near or far, we can all use a low-tox family summer edit…. one less thing to worry about when making your summer plans!

Sunscreen: 

In our home, during summer (when the sun is extra strong)   months we don’t use sunscreen early morning (before 930am) nor late afternoon (after 5pm) to try to benefit from the sun’s natural, and essential, Vitamin D (during other times of the year its more like before 10 am and after 3pm). 

While we always try to seek shade and use protective clothing, sometimes long days at camp, the beach, playing sports etc all call for some sunscreen .  These are my approved low-tox picks because they are 

  • mineral not chemical sunscreens

  • free of fragrance, Oxybenzone – and Avobenzone  (both endocrince disruptors that also harm underwater reefs

  • free of benzene a carcinogen

  • non nano Titanium Dioxide

  • broad spectrum for UVA and UVB

Lotion:

Badger SPF 40 Baby Reef Safe Natural Mineral Sunscreen Cream with Clear Zinc Oxide

Badger Reef Safe Sunscreen, SPF 40 Sport Mineral Sunscreen,

Earth Mama: Baby Mineral Sunscreen Lotion SPF 40

Spray: 

Babo Botanicals Sheer Zinc Continuous Spray Sunscreen, Fragrance Free SPF 30

Stick

Badger Sunscreen stick https://amzn.to/3VsdHtu

California baby

Mama/ face:

True Botanicals

Solara Suncare Brightening Sunscreen Serum

Water Bottle:  

Toddlers and older Kids

Kleen Kanteen TK wide bottle with cap (internal straw is stainless steel!) 

older kids and adults

Kleen Kanteen 16 oz TK wide bottle with cap (internal straw is stainless steel… slightly larger version ) 

For longer days out/ sports where extra hydration is needed

Eco Vessel BOSS 63 oz stainless steel bottle

Bathing suits

Recently my friends at Pure Earth Collection created the first bathing suits made from organic cotton… and they are gorgeous !  They are my new first pick

Pure Earth Collection organic bathing suits for girls and boys

Runner ups:   Since all other bathing suits are made of synthetic materials like nylon and polyester try to source one that is Oeko Tex certified, as that will assure they are tested for a long list of chemicals including BPA 

Lison Paris bright colored and oeko tex certified 

Carpe Summer NYC: bright colors and oeko tex certified

Rash guards

Look for Oeko Tex certification/ fabrics since all will be made of synthetic fabrics.  closely weaved cotton can help protect from sun rays too as an alternative

Baines: 

Polarn O Pyret

Hanna Andersson

Swim Diaper

The convenience of disposable swim diapers cant be ignored but I also find twin diapers the easiest way to dip your toes into the  more sustainable (and def lower tax) world of reusable clothes diapers.

Some to consider:

Pure Earth Collection 

  • Outer fabric: 98% organic cotton, 2% lycra blend for a flexible fit that maintains its shape. The lycra used is free from Pfas and BPA

  • Inner fabric: 100% organic cotton terry towel for for eco-conscious comfort against delicate skin while keeping any accidents contained

Grovia

 Inner: 88% Polyester 12% Cotton, Outer: 100% Water Resistant Polyester TPU (exclusive of trim).

Healthybaby:  Made of Oeko Tex certified polyester

water shoes

Concerns: PFAS and PVC are the most common materials that make a shoe water resistant. I am particularly concerned with PFAS and highly suggest avoiding!

Keen water shoes: When my boys were younger we always used KEEN since they have been PFAS free for some years now. These are sturdy, slip resistant and waterproof (ie great for splash pad to all terrain!)

Travel gear (car seat, travel stroller, travel bed, travel crib) 

Car seat:

Avoid: - PFAS & flame retardants

WayB:  ultimate travel car seat for toddlerhood on. folds compactly, weighs very little

Britax Emblem convertible car seat:  we ended up getting this as our second car seat (for my husband’s car) mostly because it is PFAS free and one of the lighter PFAS free car seats on the market for infants and babies (WayB is for slightly older toddlers)

Britax Car seat Travel bag:  to protect your Britax

Travel stroller, 

Avoid PFAS, PVC accessories, flame retardant (most don’t contain but make sure and ask) 

Bugaboo Butterfly: PFAS free and fits in the overhead bin of the airplane.   best travel stroller ever (and we use it on a daily basis too!) 

Buy on Maisonette or Amazon:

Travel bed, 

Avoid:  flame retardants, PVC, phthalates, PFAS, if possible polyester

Pure Earth Collection

  • Inner core comprises 100% natural kapok, completely free from harmful plastics

  • Outer covers crafted from 100% organic cotton with safe, non-toxic dyes

  • Fire retardants-free for added safety and peace of mind

  • folds up to a little chair

  • please note: a bit large to travel with in an airplane…… but lighter than a toxin filler aeromattress

Organic Cotton Sleeping bags

This lightweight sleeping bag is perfect for summer sleepovers at grandma’s,  airbnbs or friends

  • Constructed with a 100% organic cotton outer fabric and lining (GOTS certified)

  • And filled with 100% organic bamboo wadding.

Wool Sleeping bag, customizable

While pricey, this is a handmade, all-natural wool sleeping bag. Regulates temperature unlike any other material to keep you cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Wicks away body moisture for sweat–free nights.

only adult sized sleeping bag made entirely of natural materials ( also customizable for children) Completely chemical-free, with no off-gassing and zero VOCs. Hypoallergenic, suitable for people with chemical sensitivities, including MCS. Naturally dust mite and mildew resistant, anti-microbial, anti-bacterial and flame-resistant.

Travel crib 

Avoid: flame retardants, PVC, phthalates, PFAS if possible polyester

Guava Lotus Travel Crib with Lightweight Backpack Design

Low tox and you can carry it in a backpack. We had the older version of this and still use it 3 kids and 14 years later and COUNTLESS trips later too!!!

Baby Bjorn travel Crib:  Oeko Tex certified

Water

When you prefer not to have to look for glass water bottles (preferred to plastic to avoid plastic chemicals and/or micro plastics) one alternative it to travel with a water filtration system.  There are a couple of options you can consider:

Addresses fluoride, chlorine, lead, PFAS, arsenic & is Independently tested by third-party labs to remove up to 99.99% of 365+ contaminants

- Longer stay, house rental, etc. Aqua tru Carafe reverse osmosis system (6/2024:  currently on sale $120 off with this link )

Luggage

The Concern: Hard suitcases tend to be made with polycarbonate plastic, which means there is a high likelihood that bisphenol is  being used. Since there are no regulations requiring testing for these items, we don’t really know what specific Bisphenols,  nor what levels could be present.

Suitcases made with fabric will likely contain PFAS chemicals

The inside of many suitcases today contain antimicrobial coatings, which contain endocrine disruptors similar to triclosan (triclosan is probably not used but similar substitute chemicals are likely being used).

There are no regulations on these products so very few companies, if any, are transparent

If you are using your suitcase to get from A to point B, and then you make it a habit of unpacking your clothes and not leaving it in the suitcase. I am not too concerned. ( Full disclosure: this is what I do)

If you use packing cubes, that is another layer of protection for your clothes

If you want a  lower-tox alternative, your best bet are aluminum suitcases. These however, tend to be quite pricey.

Riwona

Pro: aluminum and no antimicrobial interior

Con: extremely pricey 

Away

Pro: aluminum and no antimicrobial interior

Con: Pricey

QUINCE: shell is likely polycarbonate and thus could contain bisphenols but  Customer Service has said that they do not use antimicrobials nor PFAS

Packing Cubes

If you are concerned about antimicrobials inside your suitcases - or just want to be organized !!) packing cubes are the way to go ( i LOVE packing cubes when packing for multiple family members!!)

Organic cotton packing cubes- these are the only organic ones I know of. You can use code “ 3LITTLEPLUMS” for 10% off their website!

If those are not in your budget, you can always use cotton draw string baggies.  Many sustainable companies that ship online today place their clothing in organic cotton or conventional cotton baggies, drawstring bags. I actually have quite the collection! These can be reused, and you can always place socks in there, underwear, baby clothes, etc. .

MISC- things I get asked about

Portable black out curtains

This is a hard one because it’s hard to know what size windows you’re going to be dealing with. Here are some options.

1. You can always place a crib inside a large closet or bathroom

2. Pure Earth Collection has a portable Organic blackout curtain. We actually use it in our nursery, but have traveled with it in the past.

Camping  Tents

The Concern:  flame retardants are beginning to be faced out (North Face and other larger retailers are facing them out of tents) but PFAS are still a problem

The Tent Lab sells PFAS and FR free tents ( “  known across the industry as being durable, easy to set up, and all-around reliable. Plus, Cecot-Scherer’s products are entirely PFC-free”)

Marmot:   Some of their tents, specifically Limelight, Tungsten (https://amzn.to/3xkj1XK) , Catalyst, Fortress, Torreya, Halo, and Limestone tents no longer use PFAS, instead rely on a polyurethane-based coating to keep the rain out.

Beach items

My Amazon Shop has many non traditional toys we use for sand play that are more sustainable than traditional plasti toys, including some wooden scoops , silicone buckets etc

Wet Bags

Lewis is home:  organic cotton on the outside, waterproof insert. I have a few of these and use them so so much.

KIDS HEADSETS/ earphones

EMF Radiation-Free Air Tube Kids Headphones

RF energy coming from the phone could travel up the wires of a headset. But with the hollow "air tube," that energy is stopped, dead in its tracks, where the wire meets the tube. These headsets are made for kids ages 3-10+

Hope this is helpful! Safe travels and happy summer!

Want more?

Low-Tox bug repellent guide

Misc Low-Tox Travel Essentials (toddler activities, hiking backpack, travelling while pumping/nursing, lighter but still safe baby bottles etc)