I used the Cosmetics Database as well as some other sources to find a product or line of products I felt comfortable using.Finally, I identified a line of products that seemed very popular and very natural and so obviously unavailable in Canada.
That line is California Baby.
California Baby includes a full line of shampoo/body washes, bubble baths, lotions, diaper care etc that are eco-friendly and toxin-free and eschew ingredients that are potential allergens, DEA, sulfates, dyes and numbing agents.
I asked my uncle to send me some from the US and he very kindly obliged. We started with the Super Sensitive Shampoo & Bodywash (8.5oz, ~$12) and it was lovely. Just the right amount of suds, didn't dry out Monkey's skin or scalp and didn't irritate her eyes. I was pleased with it but I wanted something more. Since Monkey doesn't seem to be overly sensitive at this point, I wanted to try something with a bit of a scent to relax her before bed. We went on to get the Calming Shampoo & Bodywash (8.5oz, ~$12) and I was in LOVE. This stuff is very lightly scented with French lavender and calmed both me AND Monkey during bath time.
I'm not sure if it's pure coincidence or not but after the first night of using this stuff Monkey went from waking up every 2-3 hours at night, to sleeping at least 5 hours straight. It was magic.
Now the Calming Shampoo & Bodywash has become part of our bedtime routine. When Monk smells the lavender she knows she can eat her bath toy and splash water all about but it will soon be time to sleep.
Why fix something if it ain't broke? Cause I like to
try new things. Since Monk LOVED the two California Baby products we had tried so far, I thought I'd be Supermama and take it up a notch and give her a BUBBLE BATH.I drew a nice bubble bath for her with the California Baby Overtired & Cranky (13oz, ~$14) bath stuff and she just screamed and screamed. The bubbles seemed to terrify her. No amount of coaxing and playing with the bubbles would settle her down so bath time was over for that night.
I love California Baby stuff and we now have and enjoy pretty much all the products they make. As for the bubble bath, we'll try it again in a few weeks and if she still doesn't like it, I'm going to save it for myself.
For Canadians, to get your hands on this stuff you can order it online directly from California Baby, make nice with a friend in the US and see if they'll ship some to you, or take a road trip down to the US for some shopping and pick up a bunch. It's worth it.
