Bum Boosa Bamboo Review and Giveaway

Identifying safe baby products can be a challenge, especially when there are so many products out there to choose from.  Often found in baby wipes (and hygiene products) is fragrance which is a catch—all term on ingredient lists that can conceal chemicals tied to allergies, hormone disruption, and neurotoxicity. Always look for products from companies that state their products do not contain phthalates or parabens. These compound classes contain specific chemicals that have been linked to health concerns like cancer and developmental problems. Since manufacturers in many baby product categories aren’t required to disclose what their products contain, company marketing claims are often the only information a consumer has to make these selections.  

It is important to realize that whatever you put on skin has a very real chance of being absorbed into the blood stream with the potential to cause damage. There is reason to be concerned about the numerous toxic chemicals that we are exposed to on a daily basis. It may not be one product that will cause damage, but it is the build- up of small amounts of toxic chemicals that becomes the problem.

If you are like most Americans, not only are you at risk from applying toxic chemicals that you are using on a daily basis, but so are our babies and children. Next time you are in a cosmetics aisle, take a peek at how many times you see the word or a word ending in “paraben” in the ingredients list on a baby lotion, baby shampoo, baby wipes, etc. You’ll see what we mean. An estimated 13,200 cosmetic and skin care products contain parabens. Studies implicate their connection with cancer. They have hormone-disrupting qualities, mimicking estrogen and can interfere with the body's endocrine system.

Unfortunately because of the multitude of product choices out there now, consumers have to be their own advocates. The more consumers show their concern by buying safer and more natural products, the more common it will become to see ingredients lists with safer and more natural ingredients.  

With that said, in this changing world, nature continues to produce the healthiest options for products necessary in our daily lives. With that knowledge, Bum Boosa has committed to use the renewable, sustainable resource of bamboo in combination with natural ingredients for their biodegradable, natural baby wipes and soothing, natural diaper rash ointment. 

Below are just some of the more common ingredients you may see in baby care products that may be cause for concern (Click on each for details):

   • Parabens
   • Sodium laurel or lauryl sulfate (SLS)
   • Phthalates
   • Lanolin
   • (PEG) Polygethylene Glycols
   • Mineral Oil, Paraffin, and Petrolatum
   • Fragrance

Sonja Sheasley & Polly Tobin Goddard-Founders-dedicated to finding more natural ways of living and inventing better, more environmentally-friendly, useful products. It is in this spirit we have brought together a great team to develop products that we know you and your family will love! Now you can live with convenience and responsibility to mother earth. We are committed to preserving our precious environment through the planting of trees in a partnership with Trees for the Future. 

We know that you think proactively about the long-term impacts of your choices for your family and the environment. This is what inspires the creation of each Bum Boosa product. In addition, we put our money where our environmental footprint is by planting trees for each item sold and offsetting more than 100% of our carbon load.With this in mind, our mission is to provide products that, through their use, trees and water are saved by drawing on the benefits of a bountiful, regenerative and healing plant, bamboo. By the same token, we aim to consciously care for our consumers by supplying products with the promise of high quality ingredients, honesty and integrity. 

We understand that: *You want the best and safest ingredients for you and your loved ones. *Affordability makes a difference in your choices. *It is critical to have natural, renewable, and biodegradable alternatives

Below are the highlights of why Bum Boosa chose Bamboo for their products:

• Regenerated cellulose fiber made from bamboo is biodegradable;
• Bamboo is the fastest growing grass on the planet and can shoot up a yard or more a day making it an endurable natural resource. Bamboo is ready for harvesting in 2-4 years (as opposed to 40+ years for trees);
• Bamboo does not require replanting after harvesting because of its vast root network;
• Bamboo crops do not require significant amounts of water, in fact, rain water is sufficient for growth;
• Bamboo generates 35% more oxygen than an equivalent stand of trees;
• Using bamboo in our daily lives can have a major effect on the rate of deforestation of hardwood forests in favor of growing bamboo forests for fiber and fabric production;
• Regenerated-cellulose fiber from bamboo is very soft. Many have described it as having a "cashmere-silk like" texture.

I was sent the following to review:

Bum Boosa Bamboo Diaper Rash Ointment-There are so many effective yet gentle ingredients in this natural diaper rash ointment that we believe there is nothing better or safer for alleviating your baby’s diaper rash.  The soothing properties of Zinc Oxide, Vitamin E, Lavender and Chamomile make this a superior product. Also added is fine Bamboo powder for its anti-inflammatory properties. Bamboo is also high in flavonoids, which gives it excellent antioxidant properties. 

Even though the container for the ointment is recyclable in most recycling centers, they are considering making a packaging change to a more commonly recycled material with greater post-recycling end uses.

My Take-Even though my husband prefers a hands free option, he and I both agreed this wasn’t thick like some can be and hard to go on/wipe off. It felt more like a lotion which was very nice. I personally, can not stand that thick goopy mess that is an option for parents to choose for their baby's bottom. Not only for that but for what's in it as well. This stuff was put to test when Gracie got a virus while I had this.  Her diapers needed changing more often and this really held up well. It healed any start of a diaper rash instantly and calmed down any irritation caused by the virus. The only little draw back was that I had to use a liner with it because it does contain zinc oxide which isn’t good for my cloth diapers. Other than that, I give the ointment a big thumbs up!

Bum Boosa® Bamboo Baby Wipes-Each package contains 80 wipes in a frustration-free package. They are a unique, 100% biodegradable product that was developed with both the planet and infants’ sensitive skin in mind. Wipes are made from rayon from 100% bamboo that is whitened with hydrogen peroxide, and have a gentle solution and absolutely no harsh chemicals. Rayon from bamboo fibers are cellulose-based and are 100% biodegradable with soil, sunshine and air exposure. The choice to use pure grade Lavender and Sweet Orange essential oils is because they are known to be safe for little ones, and when blended together they make a gentle, uplifting and calming scent. Both Lavender and Sweet Orange oils have antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties. They use a 1% dilution rate of pure essential oils in the wet solution, which is the common percentage recommendation for babies up to 2 years old. BONUS-for each package sold, Bum Boosa plants a tree with Trees for the Future.  

It is significant to note that most of wet wipes on the market today are made with the following:

• 100% synthetic material from petroleum byproducts
• Rayon from 100% virgin tree pulp or
• A blend of synthetic material from petroleum byproducts and rayon from virgin tree pulp (few are made with conventionally grown cotton)

My Take-We've been using these wipes for about three weeks now and both my husband and I have really enjoyed them. They are interfolded which can be difficult to use in wipe warmers, and to go containers, but do work well in their own packaging. Like they say, "Frustration-Free!" Other than that they work great and really do have a very nice natural scent. Best of all, the have a zero rating on cosmetic safety database! We have used them to wipe off all of our hands when we are on the go too. Even though the package says they can remove makeup as well, I didn’t try it but my husband and my 17 year old did. The scent of Lavender was very soothing. My son thought the scent was too much but my husband liked it. For an extra feeling of cleanliness, we all thought they were nice to use and thought these would be perfect for when Gracie is learning to potty train too. We now take Bum Boosa wipes with us wherever we go. I even leave a pack at my in-laws (out of state) so there are some there in case I need them. Even though the packaging for the baby wipes is not biodegradable, the packaging does use 60% less plastic than the common hard plastic tubs that are used for baby wipes. Bum Boosa is currently generating ideas for reclaiming packaging for reusable purposes, such as for materials to make tote bags! Now that is pretty awesome! I would defintely recommend these to anyone who asked!

A couple more things to consider is that they do even more by shipping all of their products in recycled and reclaimed shipping boxes and offset 100% of their calculated carbon emissions. They truly do what they advertise. "We put our money where our environmental footprint is." How GREEN is that?

RULES

This contest is open to the US and Canada.  You have until 8:00 A.M. EST March 1, 2011 to enter.  Please visit Rules for more information.  Be sure to leave your email address in EACH comment. ALL entries will be verified.

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*Disclaimer: The product(s) mentioned above have been given free of charge from the company or PR firm in exchange for an honest review and for being featured on 

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