Top 5 Common Natural/Organic Skincare Myths

At this day and age, with so many information available online, people are being more cautious to apply just anything on the skin, especially on their babies. To tackle this problem, many companies are jumping on the natural/organic skincare bandwagon producing products that are free of nasties and questionable ingredients. But there are also a group of people who are still skeptical on the effectiveness of natural/organic products and think of it as a marketing ploy. In this post, let’s debunk the top five common myths on natural/organic skincare.

Myth #1 Homemade organic face mask and lotions works the same way as organic products

You may have tried this, haven’t you? You whipped up some Greek yoghurt and honey in a bowl and apply it on your face as a mask thinking it gives the same benefits as the organic face mask available in the market. What you don’t know is that the homemade face mask is lacking some active ingredients found in organic/natural skincare. These particular ingredients are usually extracted from inedible parts of organic plants, or they contain certain oils which give amazing skin benefits that are not easily accessible. Organic skincare are indeed more advanced than you realize!

Myth #2 All-natural skincare is created the same

There is a fine distinction between “natural” and “organic” skincare. While many products are labelled as all-natural, that do not mean the ingredients used are organic, in fact they may contain pesticides. To be classified as organic products, ingredient suppliers have to undergo a meticulous process where they are observed for years to ensure their farming methods are free of pesticides, harsh chemicals, and herbicides. In addition, organic skincare manufactures must follow strict procedures in order to ensure there is no cross-contamination of organic and non-organic materials. And all these practices take time!

Myth #3 All products need preservatives to last for a while

Water-based products do need a preservative to prevent bacteria from forming, and oil-based products do not. But it does not mean water-based products need nasty preservatives such as parabens. Some water-based products use a preservative called Phenoxyethanol, which has been tested clinically, and shows no issues to your health or skin when used at low concentration levels. Also, highly organic products often require premium packaging that comes with airless pumps. This is to prevent the highly organic plant material from oxidizing thus spoiling. Keep this is mind when you are purchasing organic products!

Myth #4 Natural/Organic skincare is ineffective

Many people are afraid to try something new, so they stick to a product they are familiar with and have used for years. While drugstore products may give you positive outcomes, they do not give you long-term benefits. These drugstore products have been diluted and watered down and contain loads of chemical preservatives to extend its lifespan.

Natural/organic skincare, on the other hand, are packed with nutrients, antioxidants, and vitamins at high concentration that refines the skin leaving it all glowing. Natural/organic skincare gives positive long-lasting effects not only to the skin but planet too!

Myth #5 Eating healthily is enough

There is no denying eating a well-balanced, healthy diet is one of the keys to having a healthy, clear skin. But a healthy diet alone is inadequate for great skin. Sure beauty comes from within and everything you consume has an impact on the skin, however food cannot cleanse away dirt and impurities the way a good face wash can, or provide a protective barrier the way a good serum or moisturizer can. For healthy, beautiful skin, be sure to eat healthily, exercise regularly, drink enough water, and use natural/organic skincare.

Top 5 Natural Skincare Brands Loved By Moms

With abundance of skincare brands for mom and baby these days, parents may find it hard to choose the right products for them – organic or natural, as babies have soft, delicate skin. To read more on the differences, jump into our previous post here. And to help you pick, in this post, I’ll share the top 5 natural skincare brands loved by moms in our Babydash community.

#1 Buds Organic

Buds Organic consists of organic and natural products that are made from the highest quality, ethically sourced, and sustainably farmed ingredients. Their products are ECOCERT-certified that are completely safe for infants, mild on the skin, yet very effective to help with skin problems. Buds Organic offers a huge range of products not only for babies, but kids and moms too.

Parents from our community love the Buds Everyday Organics’ Infant Head to Toe Cleanser in particular, as it gives no bad reactions to their newborns, helps with dry skin condition, and has a very nice smell! And mommies swore by Buds Cherished Organics’ Nursing Salve as it helps to minimize the pain they get when their babies first latch making breastfeeding a better experience for them.

#2 Earth Mama Angel Baby

Earth Mama Organics is another brand that new moms and pregnant women love globally as they look to the brand for safe herbal products for baby care, and to effectively treat the discomforts of pregnancy, postpartum and breastfeeding.

We particularly received rave reviews on Earth Mama Organic Diaper Balm from our parents community. They love how the balm works wonders on their babies while some even said that the balm is a must-have item and has been using it for years and years! It can not only be used to treat nappy rash, but also minor burns, new piercings, and more — truly a versatile balm that can be used by everyone! Another well-loved product from Earth Mama Organics is their Earth Mama Organic Milkmaid Tea which has helped mommies to increase their breast milk supply after consuming it after only two days!

#3 Mustela

Mustela products have high-tolerance formulas made with 95% natural ingredients on average, Mustela’s baby and child skincare products can be used from birth. Their complete range includes cleansing products for the daily routine and specific skincare products for each type of skin.

Mommies in our community love Mustela’s No Rinse Cleansing Water as it is super practical and an essential to have when going out. You can use to wash your or your kids’ hands without it leaves a sticky feeling. Some even uses it to double cleanse their baby’s bum after a diaper change! Another product from Mustela that mommies swore by is Hydra Bébé® Body Lotion as it contains all the awesome stuff that could even cure eczema and it smells heavenly!

#4 CHOMEL

CHOMEL products are made of plant-based, natural ingredients that are hypoallergenic and readily biodegradable. Their products are also halal certified and dermatologically tested for sensitive skin.

If you’re looking a cleanser that is low in pH, yet very effective to clean your greasy breast pump and its parts, try CHOMEL Breast Pump & Bottle Cleanser as mommies in our community agreed on its effectiveness in cleaning milk fats and residues and one even uses it to wash vegetables and fruits too as its ingredients are food grade. Another CHOMEL product that is loved by moms is the Travel & High Chair Cleaner. It is compact in size, which makes it easier to bring on the go. It is also very effective in cleaning dirt, grease, oil, and anything on a high chair!

#5 Tanamera

Tanamera is all-natural products made of herbs such as cinnamon, turmeric, wild ginger, and more. Their products and the packaging are eco-friendly, which is completely safe for everyone and the environment. They do not test their products on animals and contains no artificial perfume, colouring or preservatives.

New mommies especially love their Post Natal Set that is designed according to traditional Malay after birth therapies, which have helped them cope with the stress after delivery and enhance the recovery process. The set provides a comprehensive and convenient solution to your after birth care especially if you decide to berpantang alone. Another product from Tanamera that stands out is Baby Spot Massage Oil + Organic VCO from their Kidz range. Mommies love how it helps to soothe their colicky, uneasy baby. It smells nice too as it is infused with lavender, geranium, and tangerine essential oils.

Asian vs Western Parenting Style: Which Is Best?

Although there are various parenting styles in the books that you can read up, without us realizing it, we tend to take up our parent’s parenting style, which is just like how we were raised. Growing up in an Asian household, upholding Asian values, we will more likely use the Asian style.

Asian parenting style focuses on a child’s academic achievements and involves providing the child’s with all the necessary skills and qualifications for their future success. On the other hand, Western parenting stresses more on a child’s self-esteem and individuality.

However, when it comes to parenting, people always have something to say. When we try to mirror the Western way of parenting, people would go “Oh no, you shouldn’t let your kid do this and that, you must do so and so!” And we follow the Asian way, we are considered “abusing” our kids, according to the Western culture. Is the Western parenting style better than the Asian?

#1 Idea of success

Asian parents are very strict when it comes to education and academic results. Remember when we scored anything less than an A? It was as though World War 3 was about to happen! Then they would proceed to buy us the whole bookshop of activity books and practice papers and signed us up for extra classes of tuition after school. And the world peace will be only be restored when we gain all As again! Asian parents put a strong emphasis on academics because they believe that it’s essential to their children’s success.

And personally, I experienced the “silent treatment” when I was 13 as I didn’t do well in my final exams (I didn’t fail any subjects though!), I just played a bit too much (I mean, went into secondary school, made new friends, very exciting!), so I told my mom about my results and she didn’t talk to me for at least 3 days! LOL.

Western parents, on the other hand, are more forgiving when their child doesn’t score all the As in the world, will still offer praises, and may sit with their child for a talk while consciously and carefully avoid making their child feels inadequate or labels them negatively for their academic results. While this is a good approach, it could also lead the child into thinking that doing the bare minimum to survive is fine.

To balance it out: It’s okay to set high standards and expectations in your child. But parents should remember that every child is different. It’s important to match those expectations to your child’s capability and remind them to always give their best in everything that they do!

#2 Freedom

Asian parents enforce discipline from the get-go, with a rotan in one hand! Growing up in an Asian household means you are not allowed to have too much fun. Weekends in the mall with friends? “No, cannot, still too young to go out! It’s not safe. Stay home and study ☝🏻” This is where the term tough love comes in. Everything that parents did (or didn’t do) was out of love and aimed to discipline a child. And when a child does the opposite, and something happened, they will go “I told you so! This is what happens when you don’t listen!” (This is not from a personal experience, I promise!).

Western parents are more open-minded, more lenient on their kids even when things go wrong. They give space for their children to have a say and consider their feelings more thoroughly. The most that they do for punishments are to ground their child at home or a time-out. While this has the benefit of making them feel protected, it can also lead to a child becoming more prone to making mistakes since their parents will always pick up the consequences anyway.

To balance it out: Mistakes are bound to happen as we are only human. It’s important to make your child feel heard and seen but at the same time, do stress on the importance of being discipline, make them understand why and where they went wrong, and remind them that they should always learn from their mistakes.

#3 Values

Being a child to Asian parents makes you realise from the beginning that you have to fit into a certain mould when you are out in public. You are to obey and respect the elders don’t matter how nosy and annoying they are 😆, you aren’t supposed to voice out your opinion on anything unless you’re asked to, and if you are a female, you have to be modest and demure. All these are the important practices to foster respect for the elders and authority as well as to bring closeness between families.

In the Western world, parents encourage their child to practice self-expression and individuality. A child is encouraged to speak their mind, and as a result, there is less psychological distance created by the age gap between children and adults. Which in turn could lead to a lack of respect for the elders including their own parents, and a risk that a child may overly emphasise their right of self-expression by being inconsiderate of other’s feelings.

To balance it out: Letting your child to have the freedom to grow into their own person is super important. They can be respectful and polite without having to lose themselves completely by being another person just to fit some overly-traditional minded people’s expectations. Let them shine, respectfully! LOL.

You learn of things when you become a parent. But take this time to unlearn too. What was okay then, may not be okay now. As the time changes, some parenting approach are not relevant anymore. Ignore the naysayers and do you!

5 Ways to #SAPOTLOKAL

It is devastating to see a lot of businesses had to close down ever since the pandemic happens, and some of these businesses are well-known and close to the hearts of the people. Before yet another one decides to close shop, here are 5 ways of how you can support and help our local businesses to stay afloat during these trying times.

#1 Engage with them online

A lot of businesses these days have Instagram and Facebook accounts. Other than ordering from them, you can do a lot more to help them reach a larger audiences and potentially new customers, that is to like, save, comments, and especially share their posts. Do not underestimate the power of sharing a post as one of your friends/followers on your account might just become their next customer!

#2 Write good reviews and referrals

Words of mouth is still the best way to help bring in new customers! Other than recommending them to your friends and family, you can do it online too — by leaving good reviews on their website, Google Review, and the comment section. Positive reviews assures potential customers that the business is legit and endorsed by real people who have benefited from a product or service.

It means the world to these businesses when someone is happy with their services or love the product that they make so leaving your thoughts in a review or a comment on social media can not only help with audience reach, it can also just make their day, and give them the motivation to keep going when there’s a low period.

#3 Support your neighbourhood shops

You may normally do most of your shopping for groceries and other necessities at big-box stores. But this time, let’s switch it up by choosing to buy your supplies from your neighbourhood kedai runcit! This is a great way to keep them going during difficult times like now.

And some days when you feel lazy to cook, remember to go dabao your favourite nasi lemak at your friendly neighbourhood makcik or roti canai from your neighbourhood mamak restaurant. And if you have the financial means, you can always pay them extra or tell them to “keep the change!” (When else can you say that line? This is the perfect time!).

#4 Buy gift cards or tickets

As small businesses are struggling to keep their businesses alive, one of the ways to keep their revenue coming in, they have to get creatives and have shifted their services to offer gift cards and virtual experiences online. When you’re planning to shop or buy presents for someone’s birthday, look up your favourite local businesses!

Gift cards for future purchases: Service-based businesses that rely on in-person interactions can offer gift cards for return customers who know that they will be booking another appointment once restrictions are loosened.

Virtual experience: Zoos, Pilates and yoga classes, and more are now offering virtual experiences so that you can “go” from the safety and comfort of your own home. Support them by purchasing their online credits or tickets!

#5 Offer your skills

Are you a website designer, developer, or a social media expert? With many businesses had to shut their physical stores and have to quickly shift to selling online, this is the best time to offer your services to them — online marketing, setting up online stores, delivery, logistics, and others. You could consider offering to donate your skills, offer them at a discount, or agree on a deal that suits you both. With your skills and expertise, you might just save another local business from bidding goodbye!

What’s Breastfeeding with D-MER?

Most mommies assume breastfeeding will make them feel warm and fuzzy inside as they bond with their baby. However, it is not always sunshine and rainbows for a small number of mommies. This can happen and it’s not making you a bad mom! It is a condition known as D-MER, which stands for dysphoric milk ejection reflex.

What is D-MER?

Dysphoric milk ejection reflex or D-MER for short, is a condition that can affect some breastfeeding women. It causes dysphoria, or a state of feeling sad, right before your breasts release milk. D-MER is very different from postpartum depression or anxiety disorder as it is only associated with negative emotions only when MER happens. And it only lasts not more than few minutes. While it is not harmful, it can cause you enough pain that you want to avoid nursing or give it up entirely. 

What causes D-MER?

There is no clear cut answer when it comes to D-MER, but it’s thought to involve the two known hormones, oxytocin and prolactin, that are emitted in response to breastfeeding. Prolactin is what causes your body to produce milk, whereas oxytocin causes it to release.

Oxytocin starts to be released almost right after your baby begins suckling (or you begin pumping) at the breast, and is released in small pulses for the first 10 minutes, while prolactin is released more gradually for about 20 minutes after you start nursing.

The emission of oxytocin causes dopamine to hinder, a brain hormone and neurotransmitter that helps boost and stabilize mood. Usually, dopamine drops properly and breastfeeding mommies never notice anything, but in mommies with D-MER, it drops faster than normal, which in return, causes a brief wave of negative emotions for a short while, as your dopamine levels bounce back after your prolactin goes up.

What are the D-MER symptoms?

Mommies with D-MER describe the symptoms as coming all of a sudden, like a wave, a few seconds after they begin a feeding or pumping session. They experience a whole roller coaster of negative feelings and they usually disappear — as quickly as they showed up — within 10 minutes of starting a feeding. However, the symptoms differ from mommy to mommy. Some mommies have only mild symptoms but some may experience severe symptoms, include self-harm or suicidal thoughts.

Feelings related with D-MER

There are many different words are used to describe the feelings when D-MER occurs. The most common ones are:

• Sadness
• Nervousness
• Anxiety
• Dread
• Angst
• Upset
• Hopelessness
• Irritability
• Emotional churning in the stomach

How long does D-MER last?

D-MER symptoms may lessen by 3 months postpartum but they may also continue throughout the breastfeeding period. Nevertheless, most mommies do find that D-MER seems to be more manageable as their baby gets older.

How to manage D-MER?

Since D-MER is a relatively new condition, there are not many research had been done, therefore it’s hard to know what is the best treatment. On a happy note, D-MER doesn’t last forever. It will go away once you stop nursing or sometimes it will disappear even quicker, in the matter of days or weeks time.

Below are some ways that can help you cope with D-MER, so you don’t give up on your breastfeeding or pumping journey completely!

• Surround yourself with a strong support system. Having D-MER, it’s the thought of breastfeeding itself will trigger your body’s fight-or-flight response. To help switching it off, you need to put yourself in a surrounding that makes you feel safe and peaceful. This includes surrounding yourself with friends and family members that you can trust. Or you can reach out to a support group of mommies with D-MER so you don’t feel alone!
• Have skin-to-skin contact with baby while nursing. Research has shown that this can lower heart rates and cortisol levels in both mommy and their baby. If you practice this while breastfeeding, you can negate the negative emotions you get during D-MER, and possibly help repair it with positive emotions.
• Try to make breastfeeding as enjoyable as you can. Get yourself a designated space to nurse — have a comfortable chair, put on a spa-like music, have your favourite snacks or drinks there. While breastfeeding, enjoy a good show on TV or read a good book to make you feel zen.

However, if D-MER is making breastfeeding too hard or leading you to consider to give up nursing earlier than you plan, please talk to your doctor or partner about things you can potentially try first. It is possible there are things in your life you could remove or add that may help lessen the severity of your symptoms.

Having D-Mer, does not mean you hate breastfeeding; you just hate how it makes you feel. You are not alone. You are not sick. And you are not a bad mom.

If you want help, please reach out. And if you need to be done nursing, that’s alright too. Whatever choices you need to make, we support you and know that you are a very good mommy! ❤

Nipple Confusion & The Best Ways To Overcome It

Breastfeeding is hard work, so it is totally understandable if you are a breastfeeding mommy who just wants to take a break, enjoy some me-time (super important to your well-being!), and decides to have your precious one takes a bottle. But sometimes difficulties such as nipple confusion may occur if a baby is both breast and bottle-feeding. But fret not, mommies, understanding why it happens and strategising the transition between breast and bottle feeding can help lessen or prevent this for your little babe.

What is nipple confusion?

Nipple confusion (or nipple preference), sometimes occurs when breastfed babies are given artificial nipples such as bottle nipples or pacifiers at a very early age. They are facing a hard time getting back on the breast as they have gotten used to sucking from bottles/pacifiers. The shape of a pacifier or bottle nipple is different from a breast. The flow of milk from a bottle nipple is also not the same.

Breastfed babies control the flow of milk from mommy by producing suction, using their pauses to swallow and breathe. When feeding using an average baby bottle, babies don’t have to work as hard as gravity and the nipple opening cause the milk flow to be more continuous for them. Nipple confusion happens when the baby shifts back to the breast and doesn’t understand why the milk flow is different than it did with the bottle.

Ways to overcome nipple confusion

• Since there is no way to predict if your baby will experience nipple confusion, it is recommended to wait introducing a bottle or a pacifier until breastfeeding is well-established, normally when your baby is about 3 to 4 weeks old.

• Once you return to work, your baby may get fed more from bottles which also may cause your breast milk supply to decrease. You can overcome this issue by trying to boost your breast milk supply and focus more on breastfeeding time.
  
• Nipple confusion also occurs to babies who refuse to take bottles and only want to breastfeed. Try giving bottles in a relaxed, calm manner and stop when your baby starts to fuss or feel stressed. Don’t give up, but to try again another time! Or you can also try to switch it up by getting the daddy or a caregiver to feed the bottle to your baby. Some babies just won’t accept anything but breast from their mommies, but will accept a bottle from someone else.

• You can also look into baby bottles with a system that mimics babies’ natural breastfeeding motions and behaviour to ease the transition from bottle to breast.

If the matter persists, it is best that you reach out to a Lactation Consultant who can support and guide you through this struggle. It will take some time and effort, but it will be worth it especially when your breastfeeding journey is finally on back on track!

Also, I would like to take this opportunity to wish all you breastfeeding mommies a Happy International Breastfeeding Week! Remember to take a break and keep a happy mind. Happy mommy = happy baby! ☀

Shop breastfeeding essentials here at Babydash.

Monochromatic vs. Colourful Toys: Which One Is The Better Choice For Your Baby?

Have you ever wondered about what your baby can see in the first few weeks of life and why do many baby toys and books feature of high contrast black and white images?

In the first 3 months, babies can only see black and white (or grey) tones and focus on objects that are 8 to 11 inches away from them, which is more or less the distance from their parents’ faces while nursing or feeding. Hence, what can you do to help enhance their development during this time?

By choosing toys and décor in high contrast of black and white! These make it easier for your baby to focus on, which helps them strengthen their eyesight and ability to concentrate.

Benefits of monochromatic toys

• Bold black and white images stimulates the development of their optic nerves. Focusing on such visual stimuli teaches your baby’s vision, training the eye muscles and brain to coordinate and function properly.
• Although their vision is immature, babies are able to interpret simple images and engage with them. Engagement with black and white images, textures and patterns boosts their learning and enables them to have a better understanding of their environment.
• Research has found that simple contrasting patterns could also attract babies’ attention for longer periods of time and, at the same time, help them relax. It also help in improving their memory and developing their nervous system. It is also beneficial in terms of social skills. Being able to describe something allows your child to expand their vocabulary and boost their confidence.
• Another pro of getting for black and white toys and décor for your baby means you can re-décor by adding pops of color later on that fits with your tot’s interests. Black and white is also gender neutral, timeless and educational!

As your baby continues to grow, so does their vision. Experts say, most babies are able to see colours at about 5 months of age, with a preference for bright primary colours – red, yellow and blue, and secondary colours – green, orange and purple, are more appealing than light shades of pink and beige or neutral shades of grey and brown. Hence, this is the best time to incorporate colours in their playtime and environment!

Benefits of colourful toys

• Blue – Blue enhances creativity and stimulates a cool and relaxing environment. However, it should not be used excessively as it can also depress or invoke sadness.
• Red – Red is the colour of passion and strong feelings of threat, love, or excess stimulus. It can be used in combination with other colours as it can help in detail oriented or repetitive tasks.
• Yellow – This is indeed the colour of happiness and sunshine for children. Yellow encourages intelligence and is ideal to use in kids’ rooms, study rooms and play areas. And it should not be overdone as it can make children feel stressed.
• Green – The colour of abundance can relax and contribute to better health in kids.
• Pink – A calming colour that helps lower heart rate.
• Purple – This colour ideal for kids as it is attention grabbing.
• Orange – It helps in enhancing critical thinking and memory.

There are no right or wrong with choosing monochromatic or colourful toys as both have benefits of their own. The best toy is always the safest one you can find which should be appropriate to your baby’s age.

Shop our variety of toys collection here.

Babydash: 10 Years, 10,000 Memories

The Babydash team.

We are turning 10! Can you believe it?

In conjunction with our birthday, we thought it would be nice and fitting to take you to a walk down the memory lane. It has been a long, bittersweet journey for us to get to where we are but you should know that you too, played a beautiful part in it!

But first, let’s travel back to where we started in July, 2011! Babydash started as a one-woman operation when our founder, Lavinie, realised there was a lack of practical options for parents to get all their baby daily necessities online, specifically milk and diapers. So she thought, why not make the first move and be a pioneer? With only a simple website and her own home to stock all the baby supplies, she kicked started Babydash with only 6 main categories, namely Diapers, Wipes, Formula & Food, Nursing, Bath & Skincare, and Care & Safety.

Lavinie was working solo for more than a year and then joined by our Operations Head, Candy Lee in December, 2012. With growing numbers of sales and goods, from home, Babydash then moved to a bigger space at one of the shoplot buildings in Taman Tun Dr. Ismail in October 2012, then to Pelangi Sentral (our current space!) in October, 2013 and became a three-person show when another staff, Devi joined that December.

In 2014, Babydash grew from having one founder to having two, when Shan Li Tay joined full-time in September. Our then co-founder handled the marketing side of the company, which also includes public relations and social media. On the same year, we hit a breakout in revenue!

And ever since we started, we had made known to our customers that we sell diapers and infant formula at cheap prices, which seemed unbelievable at first to some, as we did actually receive numerous phone calls from our customers to confirm the prices and to check if our company was real!

Fast-forward to 10 years later, we are now operating with a strong team of 14 people (including two remote workers), two warehouses to house over 8,000 products and 400 brands (both international and local), and two official websites, Malaysia and Singapore! We have come a long way and super proud of our achievements — one of them being voted as the #1 Baby Online Store in Malaysia by Tallypress!

After we raised more than RM1.2 million on the second round of Equity Crowdfunding (ECF) on pitchIN’s platform, we aim to expand our footprint in ASEAN and double our revenues in the next 12 to 18 months with very exciting plans in store!

Truth is, we would not have gotten this far without your trust and support since day one. We are super grateful for you, so thank you so much for riding this journey with us and for recommending us to your family, friends, colleagues, and more! We appreciate your feedback and will always try our best to improve so you can enjoy more benefits. And we are looking forward to serving you again and again ❤

We love you and happy birthday to us! ❤

Bath Time is More FUN with Bath Toys!

Many children enjoy bath time, but some don’t. To help soothe their child’s tantrum and improve their bath experience, many parents introduce bath toys into their child’s bath routine. Having bath toys give your child the chance to relax, unwind, and have fun! However there are more to it than just having fun, bath play gives your child many benefits as a lot of skills get developed during bath time.

Benefits of bath time with toys

• Spend quality time – Bath time gives parents and caretakers the opportunity to spend quality time with their child. During bath time, parents can together play with their child, while talking and singing to them. This too gives working parents the chance to bond with their child after a long day of working and make their child feels loved and appreciated.

• Develop skills – Bath play allows your child to build skills. By squeezing, touching, and splashing their bath toys, they can improve their fine motor skills. They also learn more about colours, shapes, and volume by interacting with the unique bath toys while developing their social skills by talking to their parents. Bath time also could help develop your child’s sensory skills as it gives your child’s senses a lot of attention, from feeling the water on her skin, learning to distinguish different temperatures, and being touched while you wash and dry them.

• Independence – Bath time with toys can encourage your child to build self-care skills, from helping to wash your child’s body to drying them off. And since bath time can get a bit messy, parents like to clean and tidy up the bath space one the child is finished playing. Once your child gets used to the process of cleaning up the toys and draining out the water after bath time, they can take these organizational skills with them as they grow.

With all the benefits bath toys have, they unfortunately have a downside too which is becoming breeding grounds for molds, fungi, and bacteria – some of which can make your child fall sick. Although mold is harmful when ingested, the amount of mold present in contaminated bathwater from moldy bath toys is usually not enough to make your child sick. However, if your child experience nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or an upset stomach, those could be the effects of ingesting mold, just like food poisoning from moldy food.

To avoid this from happening, parents can and should clean bath toys regularly to prevent mold from growing on them or inside them by using a toy cleaner or a mixture of vinegar/bleach with water. Soak the toys for a good minute and ensure to squeeze all the liquid out of the bath toy. Then, store them in a dry place until they need to be used at bath time.

Parents also can ensure to buy fully-sealed bath toys. But, if you have bought bath toys with holes, you can seal them with a glue gun before your child starts using them to help prevent mold build-up.

Here are some bath toys that you can on Babydash

Playgro: Floating Sea Friends (Fully Sealed) 

Sophie The Giraffe: Bath Toy

Yookidoo: Submarine Spray Whale

Marcus & Marcus | Silicone Character Bath Toys