A nappy from New Zealand has hit the supermarket shelves and mums are raving about it.
A nappy from New Zealand has hit the supermarket shelves and mums are raving about it.
Finding a nappy that is safe from leaks and poo explosions, is affordable and comfy for your little one can be hard and a lot of trial and error is involved.
Popular Aussie baby brand, Huggies, is a favourite of many families but it has come under fire in recent weeks after hundreds of parents claimed its nappies were faulty and their babies were left with nasty rashes.
A Facebook group with more than 2000 parents lobbied Huggies to recall its Ultra Dry product after problems allegedly started occurring when the company made a redesign.
Huggies insisted nothing had changed with the quality of the nappy, only the cartoon design on the exterior is different.
Despite the reassurances hundreds of mums and dads are vowing never to use the iconic brand again, and it's made a lot of them rethink what type of materials they are putting on their baby's bums.
Huggies has been hit with some criticism. Source: Facebook.
In an online poll of 350 parents, 317 said they are ditching Huggies for a new brand.
In a separate poll of 135 parents asking if they are looking at non-toxic options, with no suggested brands, almost half said they had switched to 'no nasties' nappy Rascal and Friends. Others are now using supermarket brands while a handful have switched to cloth.
There are also countless threads on the page with parents raving about Rascal and Friends, a new nappy that only hit Aussie shelves three months ago.
One mum said she started using the brand and loves; “the length, they feel much thicker... They also hold a lot more liquid at night”.
Another said she, “switched my two girls to Rascal and Friends, amazing nappies and amazing customer service also very affordable.”
A new convert wrote, “changed to Rascal and Friends, love the quality, love the price. Now my baby is happy and so is my pocket!”
Rascal and Friends is a common theme on threads, and polls in a mums Facebook group. Source: Facebook.
The Kiwi brand was launched by Louise Stainthorpe and her brother Grant Taylor in July 2016, the same day her fourth son was born.
She wanted to make her own nappies after struggling to find affordable, chemical-free options.
“We have a focus on no nasties in our nappies,” she told Kidspot. “No chlorine, no latex, no fragrance and lotions, no formaldehyde, water-based inks, cruelty-free and vegan, allergy-tested and Dermatest Certified.”
Rascal and Friends only started selling in Australia via Coles (for $14 a pack) in October, but is growing in popularity fast. It will be sold in 25 countries by June.
It is also the first nappy brand globally to receive Glyphosate Free Certification from BioChecked for an apparel and personal hygiene product – which means it doesn’t contain the world's most used pesticide.
Mums have discovered, and started raving about, Rascal and Friends. Source: Instagram.
Other non-toxic brands parents have switched to are Ecoriginals and tooshies, which are not only good for bub, but gentle on the environment.
Parents Lachlan and Lisa Laing launched Ecoriginals in 2014 to offer an authentic eco nappy solution with a very high percentage of plant-based materials (with 100 per cent compostable packaging), and the first 100 per cent natural and compostable baby wipe.
"Most nappy brands in Australia can contain up to 70 per cent plastic derived from oil and nasty chemicals- potentially harmful for our children: nappy rash, asthma and even male infertility," she said.
"A baby's skin is five times thinner than adults leaving them more open to absorbing these toxins into their little bodies."
Ecoriginals nappies are free from odour blockers, dioxins, phthalates, lotions and fragrances and the wipes are 98 per cent water-based and free from the same chemicals.
Ecoriginals offers a subscription service for parents. Source: Ecoriginals.
Tooshies by TOM founder Aimee Marks – who also sells an organic feminine hygiene brand - created the nappies after welcoming her twins in 2014.
Tooshies by TOM nappies are made from mainly plant-based and sustainablematerials and doesn’t include oil-based plastics, fragrances and lotions that cancontain ingredients like parabens and phthalates.
Ms Marks said tooshies nappies and wipes were made from mainly plant-based and sustainable materials and did not include oil-based plastics, fragrances and lotions that can contain ingredients like parabens and phthalates.
"If a brand isn’t open about the ingredients of their nappies, it may be because they’re full of nasty chemicals,” she told Kidspot.
One mum said, “I’ve decided to make the move to “tooshies” and I think it’s a good time for us who are making the switch to choose something that’s not only safer and more natural for our little ones but also better for the environment," she wrote.
A spokesperson for Huggies says its nappies have passed stringent product safety checks by its safety team to ensure that they are safe for use.
"Every raw material used in Huggies Ultra Dry Nappies has been assessed to confirm that it does not cause skin irritation and contains no chemicals or other properties that are harmful to skin health. In particular, Huggies Ultra Dry Nappies are not made with known allergens (such as natural rubber latex), nor do they contain any materials (such as acidic, alkaline, or detergent chemicals) that could cause a chemical burn."
Tooshies by TOM founder Aimee Marks created a brand that's safe for bubs and the planet. Source: tooshies.
A common misconception is that nappies are rigorously tested by an Australian governing body before being sold to the public, but this isn’t true.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission provides product testing to help make safety or information features on products compulsory for the legal supply of a product into the Australian market.
There is currently mandatory testing for many baby products including dummies, child restraints, cots and prams, but the ACCC tells Kidspot “There is no requirement for nappies to be tested before being put on the shelves.”
Ms Laing companies don’t need to list what ingredients are in their nappies because the industry is unregulated.
"We list and breakdown what is in our nappy and have also been tested by the CSIRO to prove all our claims," she said.
For parents interested some other proud non-toxic brands include Moltex, Bamboo Nature, Muumi, Naty and Thankyou.