Cloth Diaper Malaysia – Natural & Eco-Friendly Living, Why Not!?

Seventh Generation diapers & baby wipes has not been processed with chemicals containing chlorine. [source]

I had previously featured the online eco-portal selling green products for your home and family: Lifestyle Green Solutions. Here is a special review post with some baby care products that you can find at their store – Seventh Generation Chlorine Free Diapers & Baby Wipes.

WHY USE CHLORINE FREE PRODUCTS?

• Standard disposable diapers use chlorine, a very harsh chemical as a bleaching agent (to make products white in colour).
• In both the production and in the disposal of these diapers, the chlorine can enter the environment creating harmful toxins called Dioxins.
• Dioxin is a toxic carcinogen that could cause serious health problems like poisoning, skin lesions, liver damage, damage to the reproductive system, impairment of immune system and cancer.
• Land and rivers can also become polluted by these residues too.
• Chlorine may also be an irritant to your baby’s delicate skin.

REVIEW: SEVENTH GENERATION CHLORINE-FREE DIAPERS

I recieved 1 pack of Seventh Generation Chlorine-Free Diapers (Stage 2: 5.4 to 8.2 Kg). One pack contained 40 diapers.

The product description mentions: It’s wood pulp processed without chemicals containing chlorine; hypoallergenic; fragrance and latex free; premium fit and absorbency; has soft, cloth-like comfort keeps baby safe and dry (source: Lifestyle Green Solutions).

First Impressions:

• One thing I noticed about Seventh Generation is how well they package their products. I really liked that they disclose their ingredients, and also provide some other useful informations.
• Once unpacked, I was greeted with BROWN COLOURED DIAPERS! This was a strange thing for me and I tend to associate it to being a “greener” and “natural” product compared to the usual white disposable diapers. However I discovered that the brown colour is not natural, and that they “use brown pigments to help distinguish Seventh Generation Chlorine Free Diapers from others in the marketplace that are bleached with chlorine-containing substances” (source: Seventh Generation).

The “brown” colour of the diapers compared to the normal, white-coloured chlorine bleached disposable diaper.

Usage: The diapers were entirely used during my recent travels abroad.

What I Like:

• A really unexpected thing was that these diapers DIDN’T smell bad/stink after it was used, apart from the natural baby urine/poop smell. I’ve used another brand of disposable diapers, and it stinks really bad – like something chemical or unnatural (it’s definitely not a “100% baby’s organic produce” smell). Perhaps the chemicals magnify and distort the smell of a dirty diaper, turning it from something slightly unpleasant to something completely unbearable. This is really something to think about, what are in those usual disposable diapers??
• The fact that it is Chlorine-Free, which also means NO DIOXINS (the toxin produced in bleaching process). It’s definitely much safer to be used on baby compared to other chlorine bleached diapers which will have dioxin residues in them.
  
• Fitting wise, it is trim and fits well on my then 5 month old baby. However, I feel the cutting is quite small. It’s very lightweight and can be quite suitable to pack for traveling.
• The elastics are gentle and didn’t really leave any marks on baby’s thighs. The tabs too were soft and stretchy.
• Performance wise, they work like any other disposable diaper. It has good absorbtion, and after wearing them through the night (10 hours), there are no wet spots on baby’s mattress.
• Also, with me trying to be as environment friendly as possible, it is good to know that these diapers have a lower impact on environment compared to other disposable diapers.

To Be Considered…

• They are still disposables. Which means its a one time use product. I would only use them for emergencies, or the times when I feel cloth diapers might be too inconvenient (Eg: long distance traveling).
  
• Unfortunately they are not biodegradable due to the synthetic materials (absorbent pads, adhesives). However, the process of making them has significantly less of an impact on the earth than ordinary disposables (source: Seventh Generation).
• Poop blowouts (especially with runny newborn poop), through the back and sides tend to happen. However, please note that this is really a common thing, even if you are using any other brand of disposable diapers.
• The price is slightly higher compared to other brands of disposable diapers you find in the market.

REVIEW: SEVENTH GENERATION CHLORINE-FREE BABY WIPES

Also, I had received another product from Seventh Generation: 1 pack Chlorine Free Baby Wipes (Tub, 70 pcs) & 1 pack Chlorine Free Baby Wipes (Travel Pack, 36 pieces) for reviewing.

The product description mentions: It’s hypoallergenic,whitened without chemicals containing chlorine, unscented, alcohol free, one-at-a-time dispensing and soft and gentle for baby’s delicate skin.

Usage: The Tub pack Baby Wipes is permanently based at my baby’s changing table, used intermittently with cloth wipes for diaper changes. While the Travel Pack Baby Wipes are, well, used for travels and while we were out and about.

What I Like:

• These wipes somehow tend to be “just right”. It’s neither too wet nor too dry. (I really hate those wet wipes which are too wet. By the way, ever thought about what chemicals are used to “soak” such products?) The wipes are also quite pliable and generously sized.
• The best part is that is unscented and also alcohol-free (less chemicals), which is a must-have criteria if I were to purchase any brand of baby wipes.
• The tub is practical and sturdy, and if the wipes are finished, the eonomically priced Refill pack can be bought and the tub can be reused! I can also reuse the tub to store my cloth wipes.
• I find it very suitable to be used for adults too. For traveling, it’s also good yet gentle to remove my make up or to freshen up. If it’s kind on baby, it must be good for me too!
• Just like the Seventh Generation diapers above, I love for a fact that the product is gentler to your baby and also the environment compared to other disposable brands.

[source]

To Be Considered…

• The texture somehow is not as soft as the other brands of baby wipes I’ve used before, probably because it is less wet. However, due to this it is quite “grabby” and able to pick up messes better. You might still have to use several wipes for a really messy diaper change though.
• I had issues with the Travel Pack whereby it turned musky (the smell) after a week or so. I am guessing this is due to the closure system of the packaging. Probably because the wipes are moistened with natural ingredients which tends to spoil more rapidly? -I think it was because I didn’t properly reseal the package.
• Like the Chlorine Free Diapers, the prices of these are slightly more expensive than other baby wipes brands.

CONCLUSION ABOUT SEVENTH GENERATION CHLORINE FREE PRODUCTS:

Seventh Generation Chlorine-Free products made me more aware about the use of chemicals in disposable products. A really obvious fact was that the Chlorine Free diapers did not smell bad when it’s soiled. It’s a blessing to my husband who always complained that disposable diapers smells horrible! Seriously, it’s scary to think what sort of chemicals is contained in the other disposable products out there.

Personally, I would only use these diapers as back up and for traveling because I’m happier with cloth diapers. However, the baby wipes can be very conveinent, especially for traveling, and I wouldn’t mind having one tub of baby wipes at home to use (This is especially good to encourage husbands to help with diaper changes ).

My recommendation is, if you need to use disposable products, why not choose Seventh Generation brand? It is an environmentally safer brand of products, AND they could also be safer to use for your baby if compared to ther other brands out there. Sure, you might have to pay a little bit more (not too much, just a few Ringgit more than usual), but wouldn’t the small amount of money justify you wanting to limit the exposure of harmful chemicals to your children? I would get this brand (especially the Baby Wipes) in the future particularly for this very reason.

Seventh Generation Chlorine Free Baby Diapers and Baby Wipes are available from the eco-friendly online store Lifestyle Green Solutions.

NEED YOUR FEEDBACK! Would you use such environmental-friendlier or chemically safer disposable products for your baby and family? Why or why not? Please leave a comment, I would really love to know your point of view. Thanks!