Seventh Generation Baby Products: Great for Babies With Sensitive Skin

My husband and I began using Seventh Generation baby products because we wanted whatever that came in contact with our 17-month-old son’s extra-sensitive skin — whether it was diapers, wipes or the clothes he wore — to not be a potential irritant to his delicate skin.

Seventh Generation diapers, which are chlorine-free (and hence, gentler on baby skin and less harmful to the environment), look and feel nothing like conventional diapers on the market. But we were happily surprised by its performance: The diapers, which feel more paper-like than the other diapers we used in the past, were not only sturdy, absorbent but breathable. And we loved (loved!) the generously-sized tabs — it makes slapping  a diaper on one squirmy, super-strength boy that much easier.

From the diapers, it made sense to add Seventh Generation Baby Wipes to Travis’s diaper routine. The chlorine-free, alcohol-free wipes do a good clean-up job without stripping Travis’s skin.

We also began using the company’s Baby Laundry Liquid Detergent. The non-toxic, hypoallergenic detergent is free of dyes and fragrances — and the green thing to use for our environment. But on a purely selfish level, Travis’s dad and I are just happy his freshly-laundered clothes are clean — and feel like his second skin.

– Julia, minimalist NYC mom to mischievous 18-month-old Travis, is in constant search of well-conceived baby items that aren’t blue

Comments

Summer on September 14th, 2009

My daughter doesn’t seem to have sensitive skin, but 7th generation diapers gave her a rash. Not sure why. But I am sure it was because of the diapers, when we switched back to swaddlers it went away. Oh well.

dearling on September 14th, 2009

I know that the big brand diapers have stuff in them that make the baby feel dry when they are wet; if 7th gen stuff doesn’t have that stuff (or as much of it), maybe her skin was just reacting to being wet (like a diaper rash) when it wasn’t used to it? Just thinking out loud here.

stan on September 14th, 2009

These are the best diapers – we have used them with our son since he was born and in a pinch used other brands and found them not nearly as absorbant. Highly recommend!
Love the wipes too – not a strong scent.

Summer on September 14th, 2009

yeah, that might have been it, dearling. Makes sense.

Lauri on September 14th, 2009

These wipes are great but I have recently switched to reusable cloth wipes that I sampled through a company called Bottoms Up Baby. Their wipes are natural, reusable and worked just as well for my one year old’s sensitive skin.

Check out http://www.bottoms-up-baby.com if you’re interested.

Jen on September 14th, 2009

Summer,

My daugher uses Nature Babycare diapers, which don’t use the polymer gel at all and are probably a little bit better for the environment then Seventh Generation.

My daugher got horrible diaper rash when we had to use Seventh Generation diapers when on vacation. She has never gotten diaper rash at all in in 9 months and suddenly she was horribly red. As soon as we got home and put her regular diapers back on her, the rash went away.

So it could be what they they use in the other brands to wick moisture away from the skin or it could be that she was simply reacting to something specific about Seventh Generation.

Alice on September 14th, 2009

When my son was a newborn we used Pampers Swaddlers, then moved to the Cruisers. I was always planning on cloth diapering after the first few weeks but that didn’t end up happening. When he was probably a little over a yr. old I almost went to cloth diapering again because he had been having such bad diaper rashes. When he had a bad rash I would used a CD on him and it would end up going away, only for the cycle to start again. A friend mentioned trying Seventh Generation and I was immediately hooked! Since that time (about a yr. and a half) I have only used Seventh Generation. I pretty much decided that it was the chlorine in the Pampers that he must be sensitive to. I did try a “greener” disposable diaper (can’t remember the brand) but decided I like the Seventh Generation ones better. I now also use the Seventh Generation laundry detergent and dishwasher detergent too.

I have to say I have had people comment upon the brown diapers he has worn but I actually like them looks wise, better than the diapers with cartoon characters on them! LOL

Vanessa on September 16th, 2009

My daughters had the same reaction to the diapers, as the PP. They would get horrible bright red rashes. I stuck with the wipes, but won’t be buying the diapers ever again.

Anonymous on September 17th, 2009

There is no chlorine in any baby diaper! The raw material is fiber that is bleached in a way that no elemental chlorine is used in the process. Any organohalides produced in the bleaching process are removed early so not in the end product AND they degrade biologically or by sunlight so they do not accumulate in the biosphere.

Star on April 11th, 2011

I do not believe, in our case, that it is lack of wicking. My 2 year old dd has been in cloth diapers (which I loved!) with no wicking for most of her life. I have used Pampers Sensitive for the past several months with no reactions. She has never had a diaper rash except on a couple of occasions in which we identified a food allergy. Friday I started using 7th Generation size 5 as I could not find Pampers Sensitive Size 5. She had a terrible bright diaper rash and welts covering a large area by Saturday midmorning after being in the carseat. I put her back in the leftover smaller Pampers and by Sunday afternoon the rash was barely there and very pale pink. I put the 7th Generation on her and this morning the rash is back!