Giving your baby the best head start possible in life when it comes to health is incredibly important. Every day we put new diapers on our babies unaware of what harmful chemicals we could be exposing them to. Will this affect them later on in life? Well, discovering alternatives to conventional diapers is the first step to avoiding this issue, which is why you should find out if bamboo diapers are safe for your baby.
So, are bamboo diapers safe for your baby? Bamboo diapers are safe for your baby because bamboo is one of the most eco-friendly plants in the world that doesn’t require harmful chemicals to be added, such as polypropylene, phthalates, chlorine, polyethylene, or dye. Bamboo is 100% biodegradable, antibacterial, and antifungal.
We put diapers on our babies every single day, which is good enough reason to think about how safe some of these products really are. Unfortunately, this isn’t always clear when purchasing products nowadays, so it’s up to us to find out what’s really going on. That’s exactly why I want to dive into detail on how bamboo diapers are safe for your baby.
How Safe Are Bamboo Diapers for Your Baby?
We put diapers on our babies for 2-3 years which results in us going through probably 1,000s of diapers in our baby’s lifetime. With that much exposure to your baby’s skin, it’s important to be aware of the potential issue about the material of the product your diapers are made out of.
One of the best alternatives to potentially harmful fabrics and materials such as plastic and cotton is bamboo. This miracle plant is known to have numerous benefits to our environment and body, which is why it’s become an incredibly popular material to use for making diapers. The question shouldn’t be “are bamboo diapers safe for my baby?”, but instead “why are bamboo diapers better than conventional diapers?”
Several chemicals that show up with more conventional diapers that virtually never show up in bamboo diapers include:
- Polypropylene
- Phthalate
- Chlorine (dioxins)
- Polyethylene
- Dye
Now, some of these chemicals may seem foreign and some familiar, but what’s important to note is that they can cause harm to your baby (and us!) and diaper companies often don’t mention these as ingredients to their diapers. When I found that out, I got pretty worried and a little upset, which led me to investigate what these chemicals really are.
While not known to be high in toxins, polypropylene is a plastic material made from petroleum that is commonly found in food containers. The unfortunate aspect of polypropylene is that it’s known to leak chemicals as they age, including harmful ammonium biocide and oleamide. Thankfully, bamboo diapers often don’t include it, which is good for your baby’s skin and overall health.
The use of phthalates is very common nowadays due to the use of lotions and fragrances in many household products. While lotions and fragrances can give off the impression of cleanliness, phthalates are known to contain 1,4-dioxane which has been shown to potentially be a human carcinogen that can penetrate the skin with ease. By getting your baby fragrance- and lotion-free bamboo diapers, your baby will be much safer.
Conventional diapers are often made from a combination of cotton and wood pulp, which requires heavy use of chemicals to treat them such as chlorine. However, chlorine used in this way is known to produce dioxins that have been proven to cause cancer in humans when exposed to them. There’s really no reason why anyone shouldn’t be actively moving away from cotton-based products to bamboo products, especially those products our babies use on a daily basis.
Most diapers contain a commonly known chemical called polyethylene, which usually takes the form of a solid plastic resin and is non-toxic. However, when it comes to diapers they can take the form of liquid or vapor during the manufacturing process. When inhaled or exposed to the skin over time, this can result in toxic exposure to the chemical and cause an allergic reaction. Bamboo diapers don’t use polyethylene, so your baby is in the clear if they’re using them.
Having colorful diapers can be a lot of fun, but the inclusion of dye in your baby’s diaper means exposing them to a petroleum-based material that’s known to contain heavy metals. The problem with this is that dyes can cause skin rashes and allergic reactions even if your baby never had problems with dyes before. It’s always a good idea to avoid dyes on your baby’s diaper. Thankfully, more eco-friendly diaper brands avoid dyes altogether.
At this point, it’s more than clear that bamboo diapers are safe for babies and, more importantly, that conventional diapers are actually rather unsafe. By getting your baby the products that keep them safe every day, you’re ensuring that they live a long and healthy life free from unnecessary health defects that could have been avoided.
The Not-So-Good About Bamboo Baby Diapers
Not everything about bamboo diapers is 100% rainbows and sunshine. While bamboo diapers are safe for your baby, there are certainly good and bad aspects of strapping them on your baby. Having a better understanding of what bamboo diapers are all about should give you an idea of what you really want for your baby.
To start, let’s run through some of the bad points about bamboo baby diapers, which include:
- Generally more expensive.
- Stains are more stubborn.
- Some bamboo processing procedures are not necessarily eco-friendly.
- Can contain a blend of not-so eco-friendly materials.
There’s no question that bamboo diapers for babies are more expensive than your standard conventional diaper brands. They’re much more focused on quality and eco-friendly production, which doesn’t bode well for those on a budget. However, most bamboo diaper brands try hard to keep the price reasonable for parents, which is one of the reasons I get bamboo baby diapers.
When you clean cotton, it’s generally pretty easy to get out stains or at least spread them out so they’re not as noticeable. One of the downsides to bamboo is that a stain can be absorbed rather easily and stay there for a long time. Stubborn stains are definitely a negative when it comes to bamboo diapers, but only if they’re not disposable.
Buying bamboo products isn’t just about helping our families live a life free from harmful toxins and chemicals, but also being more environmentally friendly. When converting bamboo into fabric, there does require the use of chemicals if producing what’s known as “bamboo rayon”. However, far more sustainable methods have been produced resulting in bamboo lyocell, which is the best way to go when buying bamboo fabrics.
Be sure to buy bamboo baby diapers that include no other not-so eco-friendly materials, especially cotton and plastic resins, which are commonly found together. The issue with having a blend of these materials is that the number of pesticides and other chemicals used to produce them pretty much negates the purpose of going with bamboo baby diapers in the first place. As long as you read the ingredients, you should be fine.
Safe Bamboo Diapers for Your Baby
Over the years, I’ve come to appreciate the quality products and care that more modern eco-friendly brands provide when it comes to all kinds of products, especially baby products. Being able to choose safe, eco-friendly products is really incredible because it allows us to give our babies and children the best products so they can develop properly without interference from toxic, unnatural materials.
Bambo Nature Eco-Friendly Baby Diapers for Sensitive Skin
Out of all the bamboo diaper brands I’ve tried on my babies, it’s been very difficult to beat the Bambo Nature Eco-Friendly Baby Diapers for Sensitive Skin (link to read reviews on Amazon). These are some of the best diapers you can buy since they’re both eco-friendly and highly effective.
These bamboo baby diapers by Bambo Nature have exceptional levels of absorption and retention, which means your baby will stay drier faster. Not only that, but they’re certified to be 100% non-toxic due to not having any of those nasty chemicals found in more conventional diapers. On top of that, they’re extremely breathable so your baby will feel happy and comfortable.
Andy Pandy Eco-Friendly Premium Bamboo Disposable Diapers
While a bit more on the pricey side, the Eco-Friendly Premium Bamboo Disposable Diapers by Andy Pandy (link to read reviews on Amazon) are likely to top quality bamboo diapers on the market. They’ve become extremely popular and have been welcomed with open arms to the community.
These premium bamboo diapers by Andy Pandy are 100% free of any chlorine, phthalates, latex, PVC, TBT, alcohol, and any other harsh chemicals you can find in conventional baby diapers. They’re also odor resistant while having one of the best reputations for keeping babies dry and comfortable. If you’re looking for the best quality bamboo diapers for your baby, you need to check them out.
