Babe in the Woods
Welcome!
Eva here, the maker and owner behind Circular Living and the Babe in the Woods collection Part 1, that I'm so excited to share with you!
I have worked in the natural retailer space for over 20 years and noticed that there weren't many skincare options for pregnancy and babies that I would would personally want use during pregnancy and then on my infant/child.
The cosmetic industry in the United States is unregulated. Most conventional pregnancy/baby products contain unsafe synthetic ingredients like parabens, phthalates, talc, formaldehyde releasing agents, mineral oil and other petroleum derivatives, 1,4 dioxin, sulfates, phenoxyethanol and synthetic fragrances to name a few.
Many natural alternatives still contain phenoxyethanol, sulfates, synthetic fragrances, petroleum derivatives as well as herbs and essential oils that are not safe to use during pregnancy (especially in the first trimester) or have not been formally evaluated, as ethical considerations limit human clinical investigation during pregnancy. There are a few well known pregnancy/lines that tick all the boxes for me, except that they use beef tallow, which I am not a fan of personally for a plethora of reasons (post coming soon on why).
"Babe in the Woods" has been a long dream/goal of mine and a couple of years ago I slowly began to work on it. While finishing the final formulations, I became pregnant, and I'm currently in my third trimester with by first baby. Being able to use the products throughout my pregnancy thus far has been a such a special gift and I hope you and your loved ones enjoy the products as much I as I do. I have a handful of other products that will be launching later this year (after I give brith) and have the chance to use/refine them as needed.
I chose the name "Babe in the Woods" as an ode to nature, a practice of growing/raising our little ones in companionship with each other and the earth. The snow drop flower on our label represents birth and resilience, as these flowers are some of the first to pop up in snow covered woods in springtime, bringing joy and hope.
Gentle & Unscented
We love essential oils and use them sparingly to scent our Circular Living skincare products; however, research indicates (we believe in science! No MAHA wellness to alt-right pipeline propaganda here) that many essential oils are not safe to use during pregnancy (especially in the first trimester) while breastfeeding or on babies and many do not have the empirical safety data needed to justify use in our opinion (we do not rely on anecdotal evidence alone).
We take the same approach with herbs used in our Babe in the Woods line, as the data is very limited. We use calendula in our baby/kids soap and plantain, marshmallow root and calendula in our diaper balm as they have great safety data and offer skin healing benefits. If you prefer no herbs, our belly/nipple butter can also be used as a diaper balm. As with any product you would use on yourself or your baby/child, we recommend patch testing first.
Organic & Fair Trade Ingredients
We select our Circular Living ingredients with great attention and care, considering the overall environmental impact of the plant cultivation, the ethics of the supply chain, and the skin benefiting qualities. We do not use any plant species that are threatened, endangered or critically endangered, and support ingredients that are regenerative organic certified, organic certified and fair trade certified.
Vegan, Beegan & Cruelty Free
Our Babe in the Woods products are cruelty-free and vegan with the exception of our belly/nipple butter and healing diaper balm which contain certified organic beeswax.
We extend the meaning of "cruelty-free" to our fellow humans as well. We choose not to use certain ingredients whose extraction or production endangers workers (harmful synthetic chemicals), and is associated with forced labor, child labor or unsafe working conditions like the mining of Himalayan sea salt, amber and mica and the production of vanilla and palm oil to name a few.
Thoughtful Packaging
Like all of our other products, we package the Babe in the Woods products in a way that supports the health of people and planet, by minimizing plastic-use (our pump tops are plastic, but can be re-used) opting for glass jars/bottles, 100% backyard and curbside compostable labels and sachets.
Made by Hand
We are a small woman-owned business, and we make everything by hand in small batches which guarantees the freshest product possible as almost everything is made to order. When you buy from a small business, you help local communities thrive, create community relationships, create jobs, receive personalized customer service, support ethical business practices and the environment. We are grateful for every single order.
Giving Back
Preparing for a baby can be very expensive, even if sticking to only the essentials. As giving back is part of our ethos as people and a company, from the inception of this line, we wanted to give back to our most vulnerable pregnant community members. 1% of profits generated from Babe in the Woods quarterly sales will be donated to organizations that are supporting the social welfare of pregnant persons and children as well as organizations that are fighting for women's rights (including trans-women!) and keeping abortion legal.
Our first quarter recipient is Siena House on the Westside of Santa Cruz. Siena House "provides an environment of health, stability, and support to mothers and their babies so that new families can start off on the right foot. Our participants have access to resources and programs that put them on the path to self-sufficiency and independence, while emphasizing their well-being."
