The Honest Company

So Lennon's face ended up getting an absolutely horrible rash. Both of his cheeks and his forehead went completely bonkers and looked a mess.  A HOT MESS! I think I mentioned that in the last post.   Well, what actually happened was that my Lennon Bug was apparently allergic to soy this whole time and I didn't realize it.  I thought his breakouts were from sleeping on me and sweating.  When I asked at his doctor's office I was told it's just newborn skin.  Well, my little buddy cannot seem to resist scratching his face all night so his poor little cheeks got infected.  So since then I have eliminated the soy. Lennon's food is all organic and also everything else we use on him is organic, besides laundry detergent which is my next adventure.   His face was an absolute wreck and I am not messing around with stuff like this.  He's not going to be scarred all up because I don't go the extra mile or spend the extra money to give him what is most healthy for him.  I know, I know.  I even said last week that our parents didn't do this stuff and we all turned out okay but here's the thing:  We know better now so why not act on what we now know? This brought me to the first product line that I will write about in this post.


The Honest Company  I looked into this company quite a few times. It must have been a zillion times while I was pregnant and maybe a million since then. I always hesitated because when you sign up for the free trial you also sign up to their membership which means sending diapers and wipes once a month. I was just a bit nervous about that. I'm not that super at math and I was a bit nervous about always remembering to have the money deducted from my account each month.  But then Lennon's face blew up and he appeared to be growing out of his size two diapers.   What does a mama do?  So I decided to go for it and take the trial.  I can always cancel.  We all know I didn't like the seventh generation diapers and when I put Pampers on Lennon I find myself pulling plastic off of his skin.  I am too insane to be okay with that.

Here are some of the facts taken right from the website:

Diapers - 

• Plant-based (PLA) inner & outer layers — gentle on your baby's bottom
• Sustainably harvested pulp - NO chlorine processing or harsh chemical bleaches
• Natural citrus & chlorophyll odor-inhibitors
• Bio-based wheat/corn blend in super-absorbent core — less sodium polyacrylate
• Yes, diapers can be fun too! Cute, stylish designs for girls & boys — updated seasonally! Never miss out.
• Comfy-stretch side panels & soft, refastenable tabs for perfect fit & wigglability!
• Securely fitting moisture barrier cuffs prevent leakage & blowouts — fewer accidents, less laundry!
• Simply pure — NO risky fragrances, lotions, or latex
• Gentle, safe, and non-irritating for the most sensitive skin

Honestly Free Of: chlorine processing, latex, lotions, fragrances, common allergens, 

phthalates, optical brighteners, PVC, heavy metals, organotins (MBT, DBT, TBT) & 

harsh petrochemical additives

We hereby confirm this to the best of our knowledge based on information from our raw material suppliers

 & manufacturer.

Wipes - 

• THICKER, stronger, more absorbent, & softer medical-grade cloth
• Gentle, yet effective ingredients gently cleanse & soothe with plant extracts that promote healthy skin
• Infused with a botanical blend of pomegranate (antioxidants), chamomile & cucumber (to soothe), and masterwort leaf (to moisturize)
• "Cheek to Cheek:" from sensitive, wet bottoms and messy fingers, to sticky countertops, pacifiers, and gunked-up toys - this wipe is ultra-versatile & can do it all
• NO parabens, chlorine, phenols, or risky chemicals (ever!)
• Biodegradable* / Hypoallergenic / Chlorine-Free / Medical Grade Cloth / Sustainably Harvested

Honestly Free Of:  alcohol, chlorine, phthalates, formaldehyde, parabens, 

phenols, quaternary ammonium compounds, SLS & SLES, lanolin & unnecessary additives

We hereby confirm this to the best of our knowledge based on information from our raw material 

suppliers & manufacturer.

Two things should have happened to you when you read the descriptions:
 1) WOW! These diapers and wipes sound really great for my baby's skin and really great for the planet.
 2) Holy Moly!  How in the world are companies allowed to put that much crap in other diapers that these diapers are Honestly Free Of?!?!?  

At least that is what I finally did when I took the time to read the facts.

I like THC for all of the above reasons. Hold on!  There's more! The diapers feel soft to touch so I imagine that they are soft on Lennon's legs and bottom. There is no smell for the most part.  I say this because while we were on our trial Lennon actually slept for somewhere around 11 or 12 hours, and they did start to smell then.  (Since he has been doing that lately, I have become a diaper changing ninja and mastered the art of changing his diaper while he's sleeping - and I do not wake him up.  BAM!) They did not smell anywhere near as strong as the seventh generation ones did. I should add that I did actually sniff to see if the diaper stunk so it actually wasn't even strong enough for me to notice.

Obviously since Lennon slept for a long period of time they are super absorbent.  There were seven diapers in the trial and he didn't leak once.  Even when he pooped it all stayed in the diaper.  So everyone was winning all around.

Lastly, I must say that I love the designs on the diaper the best.  They have a variety of prints to choose from. It seems that they update their styles about twice a year. You can change what prints you want each month and you pick up to six.  I was a rebel and only picked five.  I'm still not sure why.  It appears that I am going to get a little bit of each design I chose. There are prints for girls and boys and also our beloved white boring print is available if you would like to have a pizzazzless day of changing diapers.  Lennon and I love pizzazz so we didn't choose white.  We love the skulls, anchors, and, of course, the comic print.  Maybe they'll have guitars soon! :)

As for the wipes, I must say that I am very impressed with them.  They carry no scent.  Not even the stinky, - because - we - have - no - fragrances - in - our - products scent.  The texture is really helpful in cleaning up messy butt-butts. I think even for Lennon's messiest I only used two, and usually they're a four or fiver.  

I have to admit that they are sort of expensive when you look at it all at once.  The wipes more so than the diapers.  But I think that maybe the wipes are a tad more important as they are used on your child's face and hands.  I don't know about your babe but Lennon loves to put his fingers in his mouth. Sometimes I even let him have his own wipe (because he thinks he is the coolest kid the block when I do) and said wipe goes right in his mouth.  I cringe at the thought of the chemicals on his fingers after a wipe down.  The wipes run for $4.95 for a pack of 72.  Yeah, expensive.   I am going to look into making my own wipes and using cloth diapers when Dann gets home for good but until then - this will do.  I actually bought a few more packs of wipes to have on stand by in case I only find myself waiting for the shipment to come for the wipes (I found I really like babyganic wipes as well - next week.)

I did the math, at least the way it makes sense to me, and the diapers come out a little less expensive than seventh generation by 12 diapers.  Barring any coupons, cartwheels, and free gift cards with purchase at Target, you can get 248 size three seventh generation diapers for $81 - not including wipes.  I paid $79.95 for 204 wipes and 288 wipes.  I think it's just overwhelming because you are buying them all at once.  But you can delay a shipment, cancel membership, or skip a month at any time. I actually had to make a a call to customer service because I couldn't log in to my account.  They were very friendly, solved my problem faster than any other customer service team I have ever dealt with, and spoke very clear English. I don't care what language they spoke (that's for another blog.) I care that the jobs are staying in the US. Side bar: For the last week I have been telling everyone that honest is slightly more than seventh because I was doing the math for size two sevenths which ring up for $9.99 at Target.  I searched size three for this post and it was 124 for almost $41.

There are a couple downsides to this idea though.  The customer service is only open M-F  9-5 (PT). This really irked me because not many parents have enough time during the week to think, never mind make a phone call. The other, which may not be a downside to those of you closer to California, is that the diapers come all the way from California.  So they take about a week to get here.  They come FedEx so that is good but it's just the anticipation of these goodies coming! It kills me.  Oh! Shipping over $50 is free!

You can sign up for a free trial at The Honest Company.  You will get ten wipes and seven diapers (you pick the design.)  For the trial you even get a little note inside saying who actually packed your box.  Now, I don't know if that is true but it's still nice.  The trial costs $5.95 (the cost of shipping) and you get your packet in about seven days. I am definitely going to recommend this product line.  If I wasn't sold with the trial then it was certainly when I realized they had an iPhone app and I can manage my account right from there.  Just order the trial and you'll see.  I wouldn't steer you wrong!  Click the link and save me $20!


Next week's reviews Arm's Reach Cosleeper and Babyganic products.

Happy Babying!!!