Unleash your inner artist with this easy-peasy homemade bath paint recipe! Soon, you’ll be on your way to creating a beautiful bathtub masterpiece – and best of all, clean-up will be a breeze(you’re welcome, mamas and dadas)!
INGREDIENTS:
1 Cup of Dish Soap | We used Better Life unscented this time, but you can also use baby shampoo/wash as well)
In a saucepan, whisk cornstarch, water, and soap together until it dissolves and appears pasty.
Bring the mixture to a boil. Stir constantly to ensure a smooth consistency.
Lower the heat and continue to stir until the mixture becomes gel-like.
Scoop mixture into airtight containers. Then, add desired food coloring to each and stir. Baby food jars work great – we used these by OXO. If you’d like to make just 1 paint color, you can add the food coloring directly to the saucepan.
Store any leftover paint in an airtight container and stir well prior to each use as the paint will separate a bit. Happy Painting!
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Cozy up with a bath time bedtime routine and these safe, non-toxic favorites for your little one! From organic towels to the top toys for the tub, you’ll surely find something to love!
TOWELS Organic cotton is best. We love GOTS certified Burt’s Bees towels as they are affordable, soft, and come in so many cute patterns like rosy flowers and little ducks! Another good option, includes these soft, ultra absorbent GOTS certified towels made in Turkey!
WASH CLOTHS Again, organic cotton is your best bet when it comes to anything going on or around your baby’s sensitive skin. Burt’s Bees wash cloths are what we use most in our home and I actually just ordered another set. Durable, soft and made from breathable 100% GOTS certified organic cotton.
Shampoo & Body Wash This is my absolute favorite shampoo and body wash for baby (and myself). It smells AMAZING and is both gentle and effective without harsh chemicals or synthetic fragrances. The hypoallergenic formula uses certified organic plant, vegetable, flower and tree extracts and scented with organic sweet pea essence – yum! It also rinses easily and lathers less (so don’t expect a ton of suds). This has been our go-to for quite some time and I highly recommend it. Other shampoos/washes that we like are Dr. Bronner’s Organic Sugar Soap, Earth Mama Lavender Foaming Soap or un-scented, and Earth Mama Simply Non-Scents Baby Wash. You’ll want to avoid these common ingredients that are known to cause cancer, endocrine disruption, reproductive harm, neurotoxicity and/or skin irritation: parabens, synthetic fragrances, 1,2 dioxane, polyethylene, polyethylene glycol, polyoxyethylene, sodium laureth sulfate, sodium laureate, ceteareth, PEG chemicals, formaldehyde, quaternium-15, dimethyl-dimethyl (DMDM) hydantoin. Stay tuned for a post on this!
Lotion Experts say babies really don’t need lotion, but if your little one’s skin needs a little hydration, this is the best pick! Earth Mama is one of our ‘go-to’ brands that I really love and trust. This organic lotion comes unscented or scented (calming lavender and sweet orange). It’s great at moisturizing baby’s delicate skin and best of all contains no petroleum, mineral oil, parabens, or artificial fragrance. Hands down the best!
BABY BATHTUBS You’ll want a non-toxic tub for your newborn that is BPA-, PVC- , and Pthalate-free at a minimum! The Stokee Collapsible Tub is a great option made of Polypropylene (PP) and Thermoplastic Elastomeric (TPE). The Boon Bath Tub is another great non-toxic choice that is also collapsible and simple to hang!
PAJAMAS Be sure to choose AVOID flame retardants that are found children’s pajamas! Look for the words “tight-fitting” and “NOT flame resistant” on the tag. Avoid polyester although is it usually inherently flame resistant, it still is essential made of the same components as plastic and contains chemicals you don’t want on your baby’s skin. When purchasing pajamas, organic is best, if possible. Your little one is in pajamas for the longest amount of time throughout the day, so by choosing organic, you are ensuring no pesticides or harsh chemicals snuggle up against their skin. My favorite organic PJ’s for babies and kiddos are: L’oved Baby (super soft), Hanna Andersson (durable quality), and Burt’s Bees (most affordable). I am also a big fan of these brands because they have matching jammies for me! Each of these brands also makes two piece sets as well. Check out my guide to organic clothing for your little one here!
BATH ROBE While I don’t think a bath robe is a necessity, especially for your little one, some kiddos LOVE them! This one comes in several colors and is made from thick, cozy, GOTS certified organic cotton. Burt’s Bees also makes this cute option for your baby!
POTTY We LOVE this easy-to-clean and store potty! It comes in multiple colors and styles so you can choose what is best for your babe. It is completely free of BPA, phthalates, cadmium, chlorine, lead, and bromine making it one of the safest pottys on the market. Baby Bjorn also makes this compact version for smaller spaces and this toliet trainer if you’re looking for something to attach to your ‘big potty’.
BATH MAT Unfortunately, many bathmats were and are made with PVC. And the bath is one place you want to really avoid PVC. Warm water temperatures cause chemicals to leach into the water to which they are then absorbed into your skin! We ended up replacing our old PVC mat with this one by Hevea. Made from 100% natural rubber with zero harmful chemicals or dyes, it was the best option I could find. It also comes in a natural rubber color. Now… true life… I was SUPER hesitant about purchasing a dark mat (I always loved the pretty pastel blue mats), but it actually didn’t bother me nearly as much as I thought it would. It worked well for us until we were able to redo our bathroom and purchase a tub with a textured bottom (#lifehack).
Other options? Cotton mats! FYI:I contacted Hevea and they said in the future they will be working on a more colorful mat.
BATH TOYS& MORE Did you know that most “rubber duckies” are not made with rubber at all? They are usually made out of toxic PVC! If you are looking for a safer option, toys made from natural rubber, wood, or safe plastic like Green Toys, are your best options. Here are my top picks for safe bath time fun:
Hevea Natural Rubber Duck Perfect for the bath or playtime, these pure natural rubber duckies come in several different colors and sizes! Each duck is hand painted and contains no holes leaving out the potential to trap water and mold. As one of my first purchases for my daughter, I loved that I didn’t need to worry if she also used it as a teether. Plus, they are completely plastic-free, pvc-free, bpa-free and compostable! The only ‘qualm’ is that sometimes they tip over in the bath, other than that, they are a great non-toxic option. Hevea also makes unpainted options like these and cute whale/turtle combo sets!
Begin Again Aquatic Creatures These little aquatic sea creatures are perfect for the tub, beach, or pool! The large holes make them easy to drain (and prevent mold!). They are made from natural rubber and do have the rubber scent, but it dissipates after a few washes. We actually have 2 of these sets – one for outdoors and one for in! Made in China.
Green Toys Bath Toys One of the only plastic toys you’ll see me recommend is Green Toys. Made from recycled milk jugs in the USA, they are a safe, eco-conscious choice for your little one. Green Toys contain no BPA, Phthalates or PVC. The colors do not fade like typical plastic and they are much more study too! This boat is one of our bath time favorites and comes in other colors too! It’s perfect for playing and helpful for hair washing! This seaplane is another fun bath time option.
Plan Toys Bath Toys Plan Toys is one of my favorite, most trusted brands for toys (we have too many to count!) Made from sustainable, non-toxic rubberwood, formaldehyde-free glues, organic pigments, and water based dyes, these toys are extremely durable and will last forever! I could go on and on, but I’ll let you see for yourself! 🙂 Some bath toy favorites include the sealife set (pictured), sailboat / penguin duo, and the coastguard!
Caacho Bath Toys Made of 100% pure, natural rubber, these bath toys are perfect for fun and teething. Each toy uses food-grade paint and is BPA, PVC, Phthalate, and Nitrosamine Free. Favorites from this brand include the seashorse (pictured), whale, and sea turtle! Be sure to air dry!
Honeysticks Bath Colour Drops Made in New Zealand, these non-toxic drops make bath time so much fun! I love that they are fragrance-free and free of chemicals. Ingredients include: sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), citric acid (as in citrus fruits), dextrose (simple sugars), food grade colorings, magnesium stearate (simple salts) and cellulose (plant compound). Tip: We split these in half so that they last even longer!
Honeysticks Bath Crayons Made from 100% pure New Zealand beeswax, soy wax and food grade pigments, we always have these bath crayons on hand in our home! Everything from the crayon to the packaging is sustainable and biodegradable. The wrappers are made from ‘crushed rock’ rather than plastic like other bath crayons and the tin can has holes on the bottom for easy drainage. Prettttty cool!
Explore more of our bath time favorites by visiting our Amazon Storefront. Thanks for reading!
Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are “affiliate links.” Therefore, if you click on a link and purchase the item, we may receive a small commission that helps offset our time writing and researching. Regardless, we only recommend products or services that we use personally and have extensively researched. We pride ourselves on honesty and integrity to our readers.
