Our easy peasy cloth nappy setup

It's Plastic Free July! That calls for a post to inspire others to use cloth nappies! 
I am overdue to share my postpartum care tips and my hospital bag list but since the great initiative of Plastic Free July, I will start with this.

We are trying to do all things baby as sustainable as possible and I was always sure that I wanted to use cloth diapers.
A few months in and I am LOVING our setup. It's easy peasy. I am not even kidding.
Below you find some tricks and products that make the whole thing a breeze.

Cloth Nappy Benefits
Besides that its great for the environment (simply do a bit of research on how much waste disposable nappies create!) cloth diapering saves you heaps of money and looks way cuter. I love looking at Faye's little bum covered in bulky but colourful nappies. It's a total win-win.
It's also very gentle on babies skin and causes less diaper rash.

Is cloth diapering a lot of work?
Nope! It's not! All you need is a good setup. I was a little bit scared beforehand questioning if I am just taking on one too many things with baby, work, blog etc. but I find it surprisingly easy.
Also, I am really not someone that is great with housework. I couldn't live without a dishwasher and Dave does the majority of our cleaning. What I am trying to say is, if I can do it anyone can :) Even though we are living in an apartment and have no drier it's still easy to do.

Cloth Diapering for Beginners Guide
Three months in I am by no means an expert but we have found a system that works brilliantly for us. If you want to attain expert status and look into all the different options of cloth nappies there is a great overview here. If you are afterwards confused, don't despair. Just decide for something that gets good overall reviews and go for it. That's what I have done. After quite some complicated research we settled for a whole set of Bumgenius Original 5.0 nappies.
They are one size fits all, which is a HUGE plus for me, as I didn't
want to work out sizes of an ever growing baby. This set will last us until Faye is toilet trained. YAY!
I am not claiming they are the best, as I can't compare them to others but they work really well for us. No fuzz, no leaks or spills and easy to use. There are probably lots of lovely more local companies or some that are all organic etc. So please comment, if you are using a different brand that you love. You will need a set of about 24 if you want to wash every other day.
You don't need to wash every day but I also won't recommend leaving the dirty nappies any longer. :) For obvious reasons...

Our Setup:
We use a simple pedal bin, lined with a washable & waterproof cloth liner. Places that sell cloth nappies usually sell accessories like this. We have 2 bin liners, as one would usually go in the wash. The nappies get thrown in here as they are for now. I separate the insert and the nappy cover, so I won't have to touch the dirty nappy again when washing.
(once Faye eats solids we will need to empty her poo into the toilet and use a sprayer which we have installed at our toilet)
Our change table is a chest of drawers that we will be able to keep for Faye's clothes. It's a beautiful piece of furniture and it won't go to waste once we no longer need a change table.
We use a toxin-free & organic change table mat from Pottery Barn Kids.
And a Diaper Caddy which also came with a wipeable change mat thingy, which we always use under Fayes Bum, so we won't need to wash the change mat cover all the time.

UPDATE: OUR BELOVED EDIBLE BUBBA PRODUCTS HAVE BEEN DISCONTINUED BUT EDIBLE BEAUTY STILL DOES THE BOTTOM CREME. Find it here:
Edible Beauty Mum & Bub Coco Barrier Cream (no rashes ever!!!)
The caddy contains Faye's whole line of bath products by Edible Bubba, that I keep raving about, bum cleanser, nail scissors and all sorts of bits and pieces.
In the top drawer of change table we store all our nappies and inserts. The other top drawer contains two Tupperware like containers with our washable wipes! We use Cheeky Wipes. Read more about them below:

Washable Baby Wipes:
Midwives and doctors recommended staying away from conventional baby wipes as they contain too many nasty chemicals. While there are some toxin-free, natural alternatives they will still end up as waste and will also end up costing a small fortune.
To keep things super convenient we got a clever system of reusable wipes.
Cheeky Wipes not only come with storage containers for clean and dirty wipes but also with essential oils to keep them fresh and little travel bags for use on the go. Soooo good.
They also do a better job in cleaning than regular wipes!
Basically, you fill the containers with water and a couple of drops of the oil, chuck in the wipes and let them soak up the liquid. The dirty wipes container has a mesh lining with a drawstring, so you won't have to touch the dirty wipes again when washing them. You just throw the whole mesh bag with your dirty nappies into the washing machine.
Another beautiful little washable thing to have on hand are reusable Flannelette Cloths.
Soft enough to wipe little faces, wipe up spit and all sorts of stuff. We got some cute looking ones pictured above.
To keep Faye's skin protected, clean and soft as a babies bottom should be we are using:


The Worlds Best Bum Cleanser (as far as I know)
The French know a thing or two about skincare! Inspired by a traditional French Olive Oil mixture two Bondi based Mums (who are French!) started up their own business, Petit Kiddo, selling the worlds best bum cleanser. It's like a cream cleaner for babies bottom, which doesn't require water or rinse off. It protects the skin with a natural barrier, preventing nappy rash. I use it with a cheeky wipe, damp or dry. It's really good stuff and gets those little rolls clean!

Do the nappies come out clean? What about laundry detergent?
Yes, they do. We wash them at 60degrees on the Baby Care cycle of our washing machine.
This cycle has a prewash and rinse included. We use Rockin Green laundry powder. It's vegan, toxin-free and au naturale, while being powerful enough to get the stink and stains out.
We then hang them out in the sun, which also bleaches the inserts. If you own a dryer you can use that. On rainy days we hang up inside on a rack. Our inserts are microfibre and dry pretty quickly.

What do I do if I travel?

Day trips:
If we leave the house for the day we are all set, bringing a wetbag for the dirty nappies along.
They are cute looking, waterproof and washable bags to store any dirty nappies or wet clothes in. We bring along Cheeky Wipes in their little travel pouches and we are all good to go. We always bring our favourite natural & organic hand sanitizer by Divine. (pictured above)

Long Trips:
That's where you have to decide. You can either bring your collection with you if you can wash on your trip or do what most cloth diaper families do these days: use eco disposables for the time being. The best that I have found are Bambo Nature, they are the most absorbent and also the cleanest brand with the best eco credentials. These puppies are toxin-free and really work. We are happy using these on holidays together with organic wipes or water wipes.

Do you need a ginormous nappy bag?
Yep, all new parents do. Cloth diapering or not you happen to carry a lot of stuff with you in the early days. We love our vegan unisex nappy backpack. Backpacks are so much easier. Especially if you are carrying a baby as well. We have gotten lot's of compliments on our Honest Co City Backpack

Konjac Sponges THE Alternative To Scrub, Brush & Co

I have just discovered the benefits of cleansing with a natural Konjac Sponge.
Something so small and simple can actually make such a big positive impact on the skin.

 It wasn't until WYLD send me some of their beautifully packaged and organic sponges that I used one on my own skin.

My own experience cleansing with a Konjac Sponge

Winter really kicked in this week and between the cold air in the early mornings when I took Dalston for his walks and the dry warm air streaming from our heaters to keep our place toasty for baby Faye my skin really suffered. It showed up redness, dryness and flakiness and small areas of congestion.
I immediately exfoliated my skin and repeatedly used nourishing leave-on masks, which has been helpful but it's not a good idea to use a scrub on a daily basis.
I needed something more gentle and that's where the Konjac Sponge came in. I used one with Pink Clay, mainly because I liked the colour, but also because its suitable for sensitive skin.
This was a godsend, especially during this week that I am home alone with bub & pup. Which gave me little time for my own skincare and grooming...
This was SO easy to use and just felt beautiful. Very soft and somewhat silky. I used it without cleanser as I wasn't wearing heavy makeup it cleaned my skin very well, but it also seemed to buff the dry flaky areas and cleansed away impurities around my nose.

What is a Konjac Sponge?
Konjac or Elephant Yam is a plant native to Asia. While the potato-like root is eaten, it has also traditionally been used to create these little sponges.
Wyld sponges are pure and don't contain any . Often Charcoal or pink clay are added for their skincare benefits. Wyld uses natural activated bamboo charcoal to draw out excess oil, zap bacteria and detoxify, this is great for oily and combination skin. The other option is infused with French Pink Clay to cleanse and nourish skin while drawing out excess oil for a rosy glow, suitable for all skins including the most sensitive.

Benefits of cleansing with a Konjac Sponge
It increases circulation, exfoliates and cleanses pores.
It's packed with natural vitamins & minerals.
It is completely natural, non-toxic and eco-friendly especially compared to conventional exfoliant scrubs which contain microbeads. (microbeads are an environmental hazard polluting water and endangering marine life)
Suitable for daily use and all skin types.

How To Use a Konjac Sponge
Easy Peasy: You just wet it with water and use circular motions to cleanse your face.
It can be used purely with water or with your favourite cleanser. A sponge should be replaced every 1-2 months.

Have you tried Konjac Sponges before?

Why I Threw Out Thousands Of Dollars Worth Of Makeup

Have I lost my mind? No, I have done some research and learned some shocking truths about the ingredients in makeup & cosmetics a few years back!

Yes, this is not a recent event, as many of you know: I am a natural, organic & cruelty-free makeup artist, owning a huge selection of only the best green beauty brands from across the globe and love working with these beautiful products. Supporting boutique businesses with quality cosmetics has been so rewarding. But it's not always been this way. (see picture above, my kit many years ago)

I know first hand how the so-called "high-end", "luxury" brands use their marketing and packaging to make you believe you are buying something good!

I too had a professional makeup kit boasting with Chanel, Nars, MAC, Dior, Laura Mercier, Stila, Make Up Forever etc... but not only DO THEY ALL TEST ON ANIMALS!!!! The ingredients are also very cheap and nasty, nothing luxurious is found inside those formulas once you do your homework!

So into the bin, it all went. Thousands of dollars of makeup & cosmetics. Well, to be totally honest I did pass a lot of it on to other artists, who are still happy to use these conventional products.
As it wouldn't really be green to just throw them out...

I thought it was important to mention that I do know all these products too well myself and have worked with them for many years in my career. It was a conscious choice to get rid of them and to find products that perform, yet are truly luxurious! Products that actually are benefitting your skin, as well as the environment and also don't harm any animals. It wasn't the easiest journey to find replacements for all the trusted products I used to own, but time, lot's of trial and error and determination got me there!

Are you ready to change to healthier, better makeup?

If you are curious and want to make the change to healthier & better beauty products, follow my steps & tips on How To Become A Green Queen here! (Of course, you don't need to throw everything out at once...)

And please feel free to comment and engage and ask for advice! I am more than happy to help :)
I thought of working on a little blog post series about my best natural beauty swaps if you are interested...?!
 

The green beauty journey - Become A Green Queen

(updated version, originally published on 29th of August 2015)

Do you want to live a greener life? Not sure how and where to start? Do you feel overwhelmed and confused about certifications and green washing? Maybe it's just me, but that's how I felt many times. You can do it, and baby steps are the answer! Be kind and patient with yourself, while doing your own research and learning more. I have listed some tips I found useful when I made the transition to green beauty, this will make it a breeze to change, trust me!

I feel living a green lifestyle is a journey. There are always ways to improve, learn more and change for the better. It's important not to judge people for their choices and to just try and your best with the knowledge you have. I think it can be daunting at first and many feel it's either all or nothing when it comes to sustainable lifestyles, personally, I feel the opposite is true. Every little step makes a difference and if you can't commit to changing everything up all at once and quitting everything cold turkey that's absolutely fine. I have been vegetarian all my life and have been experimenting with a vegan diet from my early twenties. I then went what is called Parisian Vegan. Sounds fancy, huh? It basically means to avoid animal products at home, yet when I am going out to a restaurant or with friends I do go for vegetarian options, which may contain dairy or eggs. Now my husband is Parisian Vegan but I am 100% vegan and have never felt better! When I was living in NYC I found it a lot easier to eat out and find delicious vegan options than in Sydney. In Sydney it can even be a challenge just being vegetarian, depending on where you go.
But now that I have lived here almost five years a lot has improved and the movement is growing and growing and growing! So yes, I am not perfect I have stumbled and gone back and forth in the beginning. But finally my professional makeup kit and personal beauty routine is: clean, luxurious, cruelty-free and organic! (and so is my diet!)

Today I wanted to share with you how to detox your beauty bag and find new holy grail products that are better for you and the environment.

Step By Step
Don't feel like you have to throw away everything you own, just because you have finally learned how to decode the ingredient list, of your favourite beauty products. Replace products as you use them up. Replace products that you use daily and on wide areas of your face/body (body lotion/moisturiser/foundation) first, while small products that you only use on special occasion (bright lip colour, eyeliner etc.) can wait a little longer. This way you won't break the bank either.

Samples are your best friend In all my years as a professional makeup artist I have learned one thing for sure: Everyone's skin is different. What works wonders for one, does not suit another. You will always have to try products for yourself. Especially when it comes to changing your skincare and foundation, it's a good idea to get samples before you buy. Most companies are happy to provide samples either free or for a small fee. You can save yourself a lot of $$$ and hassle by sampling.

Research Research Research It can still be helpful to read reviews online (but keep in mind everyone is different, so even raving reviews don't mean that you will love the product!) You can get a general idea of the strengths and weaknesses of a product and also read through the ingredients. Try to only research one product group at a time, to not get overwhelmed. It can also help to shop at stores that have already done a lot of the leg work for you. If you buy your cosmetics in a health food store instead of a supermarket, chances are you find toxin-free beauty more easily. There also many great online stores that have selected products that are safe and truly natural. Many cities have exclusive green beauty stores as well.

Don't give up Just because you have tried a natural product and it has not worked for you, or you even got an allergic reaction or had any other bad experience: DO NOT GIVE UP ON IT ALL TOGETHER. I am under no illusion that there are many natural beauty products out there, that are simply not great. This is the same for conventional products. It sometimes takes some time to find the perfect product that you love to the moon and back. I had to try several natural deodorants and had many bad experiences before I found "the one". The same goes for finding the right foundation. There are many incredible products out there and it's worth looking for them!
Watch my video on my favourite body products including deodorant here.

Beware of Greenwashing Last but not least: There is also a lot of "greenwashing" going on. This means that many companies try to market their products to be natural or organic and use misleading terms to make you think, their products are natural when really they are not at all. There is a great list of companies using this practice over here at the Green Beauty Team Blog.

Share & Treat Your Feet Besides all your effort you ended up with a new beautiful product that just isn't right for you? If you did buy a product that you did not like, do not throw it away! Unless you have an allergic reaction you can still use most products for a different purpose. I regularly use up face products on my body. If a face cream or oil is too rich for me, I use it on my hands/feet or hair. A real treat! A shampoo or body wash that you don't like might work well as hand wash or you could use it to clean your makeup brushes? Have a think: Is there anyone else that would like it? My man keeps using up products that don't work for me, as his skin is not as sensitive as mine. You might have a friend or relative that loves the product.

Video: My favourite Hair & Body Products

Hey guys, I made a little Video:
 

One thing upfront:

This is in no way a sponsored post. All products mentioned are my own favourites that I keep buying again and again. I get asked A LOT about what I am using and while I know that what works for me might not necessarily be your cup of tea, I am happy to share my thoughts and recommend the things that I genuinely love to use myself.

I hope you enjoy...

I have been meaning to record videos for ages, but then this wonderful pregnancy popped along and changed lots of plans. Also, it does feel a little funny, talking to the camera all by myself, trying not to make a total fool of myself. Ah well.
My pregnancy brain also made me forget to use my external mic, so the sound isn't as good. Same with my posture...(don't get me started, but I am close to 37 weeks pregnant after all...)
Let me know what you think!