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New All-Natural Daily Moisturizing Lotions
Incorporating body lotion into a child's skincare regimen requires a sensible approach tailored to their unique skin care needs. It's time to introduce the alluring world of scent to your child's lotion routine with our innovative Layering Lotions.
Nurturing Mindfulness One Bubble Bath at a Time + A Giveaway!
Parenting is a wild journey filled with moments of pure joy and amazement. But let's be real— it can also be hectic, overwhelming, and downright draining at times! If you've ever hidden in the bathroom for a breather, you know what we mean!
As parents, it’s essential for us to prioritize practices that allow us to not only enhance our own well-being but also foster a nurturing environment for our toddlers.When we become more self-aware and cultivate a deeper understanding of our thoughts and emotions, we can respond to our children with greater compassion and empathy. This results in children who are better equipped to navigate life's challenges with resilience and inner peace.
Aka—less meltdowns, for both of you!
Just like any skill, mastering mindfulness requires practice and support.
That's why we've teamed up with The Centered Parenting Project to offer valuable guidance and invaluable personalized tools to navigate the ups and downs of this wild parenting journey!
One winner will receive a spot in the upcoming The Centered Parenting Series that will empower you with tools and practical techniques to unlock a deeper connection with your child and enhance your parenting experience.
All entrants will receive a 10% discount code to participate in a 6-Week Centered Parenting Series that begins in September.
Ready to try a few mindful practices with your kids today?
Engaging in intentional and mindful activities alongside your kids helps convert time as a task, into an opportunity to tune in with yourself as a parent.
Here are 4 easy exercises you can practice alongside your little ones during bath time!
Tip 1: Engage your senses with aromatherapy! Mix our sweet, invigorating scents from our zesty Lemon gel with everyone's favorite, Vanilla Whip, for a refreshing aromatherapy experience to help promote bath time stress relief. As the delightful scents fill the air, take deep breaths together, inhaling the calming aromas. Encourage your toddler to notice the texture of the bubbles, the enticing scents, and the soothing sounds. Use this time to get really quiet, close your eyes together, embrace moments of stillness and try to discover if bubbles produce sounds! (Spoiler alert: They might not, but the silence can be priceless! 😄)
Tip 2: Stay present but remember littles have short attention spans! Use age as a guide to your expectation for attention: one minute for every year of age. Keep the activities in the bath simple and engaging to maintain their interest and focus.
Tip 3: Create a nurturing and loving environment 💗 Here's a wonderful practice to try during bath time!
Close your eyes with your little one and imagine the sun's warmth starting at the top of your head, flowing through each part of your body, reaching your fingertips and down to your toes. Take a moment to connect with your child and think of someone who loves you both. Visualize their face, and hear their voice in your mind. Notice where you feel that love in your bodies. Is it in your faces, your hearts, your hands? Let it fill you with happiness and recognize the power of your thoughts.
This mindful practice helps build a deeper connection with yourselves and the world, filling your hearts with joy and gratitude. It reminds your little ones that they can always turn inward for feelings of joy.
Tip 4: Play a breathing exercise for emotional regulation. Guide your toddler to take slow, deep breaths, emphasizing the expansion of the belly. This will really get them interested! And probably laughing!Encourage them to notice the breath entering and leaving the body and if they are able to keep rhythm try a simple box method of breathing.
Start by explaining to the child that "We're going to do a special breathing exercise to help us feel calm and relaxed."
Ask the child to place their hands on their belly and take a deep breath in through their nose, filling up their belly like a balloon. Encourage them to imagine inflating a balloon in their tummy.
After a deep belly breath, ask the child to exhale slowly through their mouth, emptying the air from their belly. They can pretend they're deflating the balloon, or
Next, ask the child to take a deep breath in through their nose again, but this time filling up their chest like a balloon. They can feel their chest rise as they take in the breath.
After the chest breath, instruct the child to exhale slowly through their mouth, letting the air out of their chest and allowing it to relax.
Now, guide the child to take another deep breath, starting with their chest and then continuing down to their belly. They can fill up both their chest and belly with air.
Finally, have the child exhale slowly, first releasing the air from their chest and then from their belly.
Repeat this sequence of breathing together: belly breath, chest breath, chest breath, belly breath. They can imagine a balloon inflating and deflating with each breath. This simple practice calms the nervous system and promotes emotional management skills, calmness, and balance for both of you and It’s also a fun way to embrace our bodies and laugh together!
Remember, mindfulness, like parenting, is a practice that evolves over time.
Be patient with yourself as you incorporate these tips into your routine, and if you feel inspired to capture and share your practice, tag us on social and mention this blog post for a free gift!
Sign up for a Free 90 Min. Mindfulness Session: HERE
Winner will be announced Tuesday, August 01, 2023 via email and social media.
Summer, Sunscreen & Safety
With the warmer summer weather officially here, chances are you have started slathering your little ones with sunscreens for those favorite seasonal activities such as frolicking at the beach, playing in the park and riding bikes. More sunshine means more sunscreen. Many parents utilize water resistant sunscreens to ensure their children are properly covered throughout these activities. Its important to understand that the way water resistant sunscreens are formulated makes them far more challenging to remove during bath time. We have some tips and tricks to help keep your little ones properly covered with sunscreen, and also how to properly remove sunscreen at the end of the day.
First, if your child is under 6 months old you, it is not recommended to use sunscreen on their skin. The FDA mandates that sunscreen labels state that sunscreen is only safe for babies over 6 months old. This is likely due to the fact that the infants skin barrier is not fully formed and the benefits of sunscreen do not outweigh the risks of use. That said, the American Academy of Pediatrics have stated that if adequate clothing and shade is not available, parents can apply a minimal amount of sunscreen with at least SPF 15 to small areas for babies under 6 months old.
SPF is a calculation of the amount of time your skins natural protection against the sun will be multiplied by when using the product. For example, SPF 15 will give you 15x more protection. SPF 30 gives you 30x more protection. SPF 50 gives you 50x more protection. The statistical difference between 30 and 50 is quite small, so this is why SPF 30 is the most recommended option. SPF 30 protects against 97% of the sun’s rays while SPF 30 increases only to 98%.
It is also important to use a sunscreen that has both UVA and UVB coverage. UVA rays are long-wave, ever present when the sun shines and account for 95% of the UV radiation that reaches the Earth’s surface. UVA rays are responsible for skin aging (wrinkles, spots) and have been linked to skin cancer. UVA rays can penetrate glass so that means that UVA protection is necessary even when you are in the car or sitting next to a window. Check out this photo of a truckdriver that only had the left side of this face exposed while driving throughout the years and the damage is clear.
https://www.huffpost.com/archive/ca/entry/bill-mcelligott-delivery-truck-driver-has-severe-sun-damage-on_n_1573546
UVB rays are short-wave and are at their peak between 10am and 4pm between April and October. Though, they are always there – even on cloudy off-season days. These are the rays that are responsible for sunburn and largely to blame for skin cancer.
Sometimes it can be hard to convince children that they need sunscreen for these outdoor activities. If your little ones don’t love to apply sunscreen or don’t believe they need it you can show them this video – its powerful!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9BqrSAHbTc
To get full protection, you should use about one ounce (two tablespoons) to apply evenly over exposed areas and reapply every two hours, or right after being in the water.
Sunscreens that have water-resistant claims are formulated with an ingredient that formulators call binding agents – they help adhere product to skin, creating a stronger bond. They are used for the sole purpose of ensuring that sunscreen will literally stick to the skin, even when swimming, sweating or being in a jacuzzi. In order for a sunscreen to achieve a waterproof claim it must undergo extensive special testing. Basically, subjects (human volunteers), apply sunscreen and they then submerge themselves in a hot tub or jacuzzi, then get out and allow the skin to air dry. They repeat this several times and the skin is tested throughout – if it does not achieve the SPF claim, it will not get a water resistant claim. This is why sunscreen fixatives are an important ingredient utilized to ensure that this test can be passed.
Most parents will use water resistant sunscreens on our children. And, while we have to reapply and be aware of proper coverage, we also should be aware that some of these sunscreens work so effectively and bond so well, that they can be challenging to wash off. Simply sitting in still bath water will not remove water resistant sunscreen. (Remember the jacuzzi test above?) It is important to use a washcloth or a pouf to wash all the areas where sunscreen was applied thoroughly.
There are risks associated with leaving sunscreen on the skin before bed time. Sunscreen can be irritating to the skin so the longer you have it on, the risk of irritation increases. It can also clog pores and lead to breakouts, unless you are using a face sunscreen that has a non-comedogenic claim. Sunscreen Actives are oils and need to be washed off, unless you prefer your white sheets turn yellow.
It can be challenging for kids to understand the importance of doing a thorough job of washing off sunscreen. Little ones definitely require supervision and a little help to ensure proper removal of sunscreen during bath time.
Wondering which sunscreens we love? Here are two we really like as they are mineral based, have both UVA/UVB protection, are water resistant and have great aesthetics!
https://mdsolarsciences.com/products/kidcreme-spf-50
https://supergoop.com/products/sunnyscreen-100-mineral-lotion
Splash into a Creatively Clean Summer: Tips for Safe Scented Suds and Outdoor Water Play
Let's Create a Safe and Scented Summer Splash Zone with Three Simple Steps!
What is Sodium Laurylglucosides Hydroxypropylsulfonate?
Sometimes, there are natural ingredients we use that are a mouthful to pronounce, sound “foreign” to the ear, and aren’t easily identifiable to most consumers. As someone who has spent the last 25 years of my life working with ingredients in the personal care space, I’m going to tell you all about Sodium Laurylglucosides Hydroxypropylsulfonate (SLH) and why it is literally THE BEST gentle cleansing agent out there! After reading this blog, I think you will understand why this 44-lettered ingredient is in virtually all of our washes.
Nourishing Infant Skin with Beta-Glucan + Sun Protection with Briar Baby Bonnets
Unlock the Secrets of Summer Sun Safety + Dabble & Dollop x Briar Baby Giveaway!
Bath Time for Stress Relief
Childhood stress is a growing concern, with academic pressure, social dynamics, overscheduling, media influence, and the COVID-19 pandemic contributing factors. Taking a warm bath provides physical and emotional relaxation, soothes muscles, and creates a tranquil environment. Bath time promotes self-care, sensory experience, and stress relief for children.
Vanilla Aromatherapy (for Kids)!
Vanilla Whip, our popular product, appeals to kids due to the sweet scent of vanilla. Its aroma evokes positive associations with desserts, induces relaxation, uplifts mood, aids sleep, and promotes emotional well-being. Harvested from vanilla orchids, the curing process releases the rich aromatic components of vanilla.
Alas, a Conditioner that Actually Detangles!
Frustrated by the lack of effective children's conditioners, we developed the Cherry on Top Conditioner using the powerful detangler Behentrimonium Methosulfate (BTMS). BTMS is a safe and gentle ingredient with excellent detangling, moisturizing, and emulsifying properties. The conditioner's pleasant cherry scent enhances the sensory experience, making it a favorite among children and adults alike.