Natural Baby Shower Gifts

There is no shortage of baby shower gifts on the market. From gorgeous mobiles and stuffed toys to door mats that tell you to ‘Shush! The baby is sleeping…’, sometimes the choice can all too quickly become overwhelming. However, an ever-growing focus on the environment in all areas of society has inevitably had an impact on the mother and baby care industry too, after all what could be more important than protecting the world your baby will grow up in? Thanks to a greater knowledge of the science of baby care, as well as the environment, natural baby shower gifts are now the way to go.

Why Choose Natural Baby Shower Gifts?

Not only do natural baby shower gifts generally contain far fewer harmful chemicals than unnatural products and have wonderful health benefits for both mother and baby, but they also no longer support the environmentally harmful industries that create these products or their components. For example, buying wooden toys rather than plastic ones reduces the harmful chemicals and gases released into the atmosphere by plastic production that contribute to global warming and pollution, whilst also reducing our consumption of non-biodegradable plastics. However, particularly when looking at skincare products, the natural vs, the green-washed are often hard to tell apart. So here at Valley Mist we’ve created this blog post to explain some the benefits of our own natural baby shower gifts and also a few issues within the wider industry to help you pick out the perfect natural baby shower gift.

Natural Baby Shower Gifts from Valley Mist

Here at Valley Mist, we stock several mother and baby products that almost unrelentingly hold a top spot in our bestseller lists year on year. We like to think that they hold this spot not just because they’re pretty and smell incredible (other people have told us this too, we’re not just biased – I promise!), but because they are natural skincare products that really work and can be used by both mother and baby. I’m in my twenties with no children and still religiously use the Baby Balm to clear up any eczema and dry skin! Our Baby Balm (as well as almost all our other products) is created by Jo in her lab in Leyland, Lancashire, meaning that every pot you receive is lovingly handmade. But besides the wholesome knowledge that your baby shower gifts are contributing to the success of this lovely lady’s dream rather than corporate greed, our baby products are also made using beeswax (safe for babies) and all-natural, mostly organic oils, like calendula and rosehip oils.

Baby Balm

The Valley Mist Baby Balm is easily one of our bestselling products and would make the perfect natural baby shower gift. The Baby Balm is available in two scents: Pure (unfraganced) & Soothing (scented with lavender and frankincense essential oils at safe dermal levels for baby soft skin). The Baby Balm has the most delightful texture, starting out quite firm before melting when massaged into the skin, giving it a luxurious buttery feel, perfect for soothing chapped skin and eczema-type irritations. It is packaged in a plastic-free and endlessly recyclable glass jar, with optional recycled and biodegradable cardboard box with non-toxic printing inks.

Organic Baby Massage Oil

Another fantastic choice for a natural baby shower gift, our organic baby massage oil is created using a blend of sunflower and sesame seed oils. Sesame seed oil is a world-renowned massage oil that has been used in Ayurvedic practises for thousands of years and blended with sunflower seed oil it creates a wonderfully light, yet rich massage oil. Like the Baby Balm it is available in in both the Pure (unfragranced) and the Soothing (scented with lavender and frankincense essential oils) options. Packaged in an endlessly recyclable glass bottle, with an optional spray cap, reducing unnecessary waste.

Paraffin vs. Natural Oils in Skincare

Paraffin is often found in baby (& adult) skincare products (also often referred to by one of the following names: Liquidum Paraffinum, Mineral Oil, Petroleum, Petrolatum, Petroleum Jelly, White Soft Paraffin) and is a by-product of the petrochemical industry. Doesn’t sound very appealing to massage into your own skin, let alone your baby’s, does it? Furthermore, purchasing products that contain paraffin also inevitably benefits this environmentally-damaging industry. This is one of many reasons why, at Valley Mist we ditch the paraffin for the more environmentally friendly options of beeswax and natural oils derived from flowers and plants, including Shea Butter, Sunflower Oil and Sesame Seed Oil among others.

So Why is Paraffin Used in Skincare?

Of course, paraffin has its benefits that have made it such a popular choice over the years: it provides a thin protective barrier over the skin that protects it from allergens and locks in moisture and is cheap, much cheaper than natural, plant-based oils. However, the plant-based oils we have selected can do just the same and have the added benefits of being 100% natural, paraben-free, sulfate-free, allergen-free, healing and restorative. Furthermore, they are not derived from the environmentally damaging petrochemical industries and have none of these yucky ingredients.