- SHOP ALL
-
SUNSCREEN
- SPF + BB CREAM
- FACE WIPES
- BABY WIPES
-
ABOUT
-
EDUCATION
With Eczema Awareness week from 3-10 May, we are focusing on raising awareness of this skin and immune condition which affects so many Australians.
Treating eczema and atopic dermatitis and preventing flare-ups can be confusing and overwhelming. That's why it’s important to find doctors and healthcare providers who can answer your questions, offer recommendations for avoiding triggers and easing symptoms, and prescribe treatments if needed.
We spoke with Belinda Kirkpatrick the author of ‘Healthy Hormones’, and expert Naturopath and Nutritionist with over a 15 years of clinical experience.
Belinda specialises in women’s and children’s health and is especially passionate about hormonal health, fertility management, miscarriage prevention and menopause. Belinda is known for her extensive knowledge of natural and conventional treatment in addition to her evidence-based approach to integrative healthcare.
See an extract below or watch the full interview here
Question: I think myself or my child may have Eczema. Should I see a Dermatologist or a Naturopath?
Naturopaths and Dermatologists look at Eczema in different ways and we can work really beautifully together. I've got a dermatologist that I work with, and I think when we each understand what we've got to offer, we can provide the best patient care for the individual.
So a dermatologist is a specialist doctor specialising in skin conditions and they can be really fantastic for diagnosis. So if it seems like it's more than just Eczema, or you're not sure if there is something else going on, or it seems a little bit different to what you might understand, as the normal kind of dry skin, itchy, red kind of eczema, that's where often a dermatologist can be really useful to be able to tell the difference between different types. If the Eczema has been getting infected, and that person does need antibiotics or steroids, that's where you need the dermatologist. There’s no doubt that sometimes things such as steroids can be useful to put the fire out, so to speak, while you then work on those other underlying causes. But I wouldn't say that they would be my recommendation as a first line of treatment.
What a naturopath is going to be able to do in contrast to a dermatologist, is looking at the underlying causes of why that Eczema is happening, what could be exacerbating it, what can we change in the diet, the lifestyle, the immune system, the microbiome, the topicals of what this baby/ child/ person is being exposed to. And looking more at those underlying causes and trying to improve that person’s ability to counteract irritated inflammation, but also be able look at treating it and hopefully putting it into remission.
Question: Why is it important to get to the root cause of the skin condition? – for example, look at diet, environmental factors, stress etc
It’s really important to look at the root cause of the condition. So with Eczema, it's one of those genetic conditions. Things like asthma, eczema, hay fever, sinusitis, they're very hereditary. If you've got a parent or both parents with one of those conditions, your child is more likely to have one of those kinds of conditions. You can't change your genetics, but you can help your body to cope a little bit more.
Diet is really important. It’s not about food allergies necessarily, but there's so many kinds of people who might have intolerances that flare up, and or foods that that can cause these flare ups. Probably the biggest ones are unfortunately dairy, gluten and sugar. They're fairly widespread in the diets of many little people. But working with a naturopath or even a nutritionist can be useful, because we've got so many suggested beautiful foods and alternatives now that even little people can manage and not be put off by so we're really lucky in the last 5 or 10 years that there's been so much movement in terms of specialised breads, different milks and things like that. When you're cutting big foods out of little people's diets, it’s really important to be looking at working with a professional because for instance, if your baby or child is better without dairy, you still need calcium for healthy bones. So these factors need to be balanced correctly.
Environmental factors are massive – sleeping in polyester sheets, wearing non-breathable fabrics and fibres, using commercial washing powders or fabric softeners, bath oils and maybe even essential oils could be aggravating your skin. As you would know, there's so many products full of toxic ingredients that are being sold in the baby aisle, even well-known brands specifically formulated for babies that have been used for decades, could have ingredients that can be inflammatory for the skin. Washing powders and soaps can be irritating for certain babies’ skin. So it’s super important to be looking at each every one of those things and using proper low-tox/ no-nasties products and maybe even no essential oils if the baby's skin is quite inflamed.
I was riddled with Eczema as a child but I haven't had Eczema in 20 years. However when I put on that first jumper of the cooler season I’m like, oh, here it is! And it is obviously dust mites. So many people are allergic to dust mites and also cockroach poo which we have everywhere, particularly in Sydney and probably many other places. It's all about completely getting rid of all those things.
Nutritional deficiencies are a key factor as well. A lot of babies, children and adults don't get enough protein in their diet which is really important for their immune system. Also very important is a good gut biome. When babies are born vaginally, they get a big gulp of mum’s vaginal flora on the way out. And that's either good or not so good as Mum’s gut bacteria may not be amazing either! Babies born by C-section however, don't get that big gulp, which often means that they're born a little bit more sterile. So looking at gut bacteria is really important. Also looking at essential fatty acids like fish oils can help too - even adults and children that regularly eat fish often don't get enough. Going dairy free would probably be a good place to start with. A naturopath can work with you to get to the desired outcome.
Stress can have a big impact on Eczema. Stress affects every part of the immune system. And I think the thing is that Eczema is an immune issue, it's your immune system overreacting. So when we get stressed that can deplete our immune system, and then we'll come out with whatever else that is the weakest link. Some people might get asthma, some people get diarrhoea and bloating, some people get anxiety and sleeping issues.
Question: Why is it best to avoid conventional skincare products on yours or your child’s sensitive skin?
It’s very important to understand what you are putting on yours and your children’s skin as we don't know all these toxins, we can't even say the name of half of them! Most people just trust that if it is on the store shelf then it must be safe to use. It is crazy to think that there is no regulation for skincare products, especially because there are so many ingredients that people react to. In addition, some ingredients are potentially linked to hormonal conditions, chronic diseases, and sometimes even cancers. There is a lot of what we call ‘greenwashing’ out in the market now, and even if something is labelled organic, it can still contain many allergens such as perfumes and essential oils. This makes it very hard for the average person to navigate the ingredients because they're not trained in what is safe to buy. It is important to be aligning yourself with companies and products that you can trust. Like you guys at Wotnot, where you have a real commitment to being non-toxic.
It is vital to understand what might be triggers and to align yourself with companies that disclose the full ingredients list.
Question: My child has developed a rash – what should I do?
Firstly identify what that rash is, so if they've been bitten by something or they're having hives or something, then it probably is best to speak to your GP to get that accurate diagnosis to understand what you're dealing with. If you think it might be Eczema, as it’s that dry, sort of diffuse red itchy skin and it looks like Eczema, you need to get moisture into that. Ideally look for something topical that contains zinc oxide or zinc (like a natural sunscreen or nappy balm etc) as these help with connective tissue healing, inflammation, and it's really important to keep the area moisturised.
Beware as a lot of products feel moisturising, but aren't – for instance, people ask me about coconut oil all the time which isn’t really moisturising or providing a barrier. Don’t let your kids be in the bath or shower too long, and don’t have it too hot because those things really do tend to aggravate eczema. Towels should be washed in a low-tox detergent and only pat dry the skin, don’t rub dry. If you have noticed itching, grab a bag of peas or an ice pack out of the freezer, and just put that on there to reduce the inflammation and get them into the habit of tapping it rather than scratching it. I haven't had eczema for 20 years however if I scratch there for a couple of minutes, I'd suddenly have Eczema! It's like it's just under there waiting for me to aggravate it and break that layer of skin.
If it's been going on for a little while and you've noticed it worsen, I would probably look at doing some fish oils and probiotics. I'd cut dairy out of the diet and or at least minimise it dramatically. Depending how old they are, and whether you've got advice around that. Then really increasing protein and vegetables and try to get some good nutrition there (not just honey or vegemite on toast). Ensure to keep the affected area really well moisturised, using low-tox/ non-tox products, always wear 100% cotton or bamboo clothing and bedding – steer clear of polyester.
Question: What are your best prevention tips?
It's all about trying to minimise those environmental factors like we mentioned earlier about the clothing and using natural fibres, clothing and bedding, and using toxin-free products including your washing powders. Making sure that you are moisturising enough, making sure that your person is getting enough water, lots of protein and vegetables that should the bulk of your diet and keeping breads and things like as an accompaniment to the meal rather than the basis of the meal.
If you know Eczema is in the family genes too, probiotics can be helpful at keeping it at bay and maybe look at vitamin D as a supplement. Most babies are born vitamin D deficient, mostly because they're born to vitamin D deficient mothers, as well as breast milk is very low in vitamin D. Baby formula has it in there. A lack of Vitamin D has also been linked to an increase in the incidence of Eczema and other immune issues too. If you know you were low in vitamin D in pregnancy or your baby's been having immune issues and then I recommend speaking to a Naturopath or a trained professional to see about getting a supplement and ensure you've got the right type and dose.
Question: Lastly, if there anything else you’d like to mention from your experiences of treating patients with Eczema?
With Eczema, I think it's about getting on to it early. Not just getting into that habit of using the steroid creams. Starting off moisturising with good products if you've got that opportunity is a great first step, and also look at the environmental factors that might be causing issues. No doubt there are people who are reading this already knee deep in the whole process. If you can part any of your knowledge onto others or gift them with great skincare or other products then that’s going to really help someone that might be experiencing the symptoms.
FREE GIFT!!
Receive a 50% discount when you sign up to Belinda’s online course 7-Day Nutrition Reset using the code WOTNOT using this link - https://programs.belindakirkpatrick.com.au/
Website - www.belindakirkpatrick.com.au
Instagram - @bknaturopathy
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/bknaturopathy
About the author - Belinda Kirkpatrick, the author of ‘Healthy Hormones’, is an expert Naturopath and Nutritionist with over 15 years of clinical experience.
Belinda specialises in women’s and children’s health and is especially passionate about hormonal health, fertility management, miscarriage prevention and menopause. Belinda is known for her extensive knowledge of natural and conventional treatment in addition to her evidence-based approach to integrative healthcare.
Belinda is the creator of several online courses including the 7-Day Nutrition Reset, 14-Day IVF Support Program and Five Weeks to Fertility. These programs have been endorsed by senior Fertility Specialist, Associate Professor Dr Gavin Sacks from IVF Australia and are designed to support all women who are trying to conceive naturally or with IVF.
Belinda’s tertiary qualifications include: Masters of Reproductive Health, Bachelor of Health Science (Naturopathy), Associate Degree in Clinical Sciences and Advanced Diploma of Naturopathy.
Belinda is in clinical practice in Sydney, Australia; author of Healthy Hormones, creator of the Seed iPhone App; is a mother of two beautiful girls; loves yoga and meditation and feels like a full-time cook!
To celebrate our beautiful planet on EARTH DAY next week, we’re getting to the bottom of baby and face wipes by looking at what’s good for both Mama Earth, ourselves and our babies.
[Drum roll]
Ladies and Gentlemen, Parents & Grandparents to be, lovers of the earth, get set for life changing, earth friendly information to help you with one of the essentials needed for life with a baby (or without).
WIPES.
Wipes become an absolute necessity when you have a baby. You always need them on hand. They live in your nappy bag, car, pram and follow you on the gloriously messy journey of parenting. They can save the day from an unexpected variety of cleaning mishaps; from a baby ‘code brown’ to spilling your coffee on your only clean, white top enroute to work. This might explain why disposable wipes are a booming industry that grows 6 – 7% each year. *
We invite you to think about where these disposable wipes end up after their convenient debut in life. Let’s take a moment to ponder the simple choices we can make to keep baby clean and Mother Earth happy.
Disposable wipes are part of the world of ‘sneaky’ plastics. A bit like tea bags, wipes don’t ‘look’ like plastic, but typically they are made from polyester, an oil-based plastic that won’t biodegrade. These either fill up landfill or if flushed down the loo, they turn into the Stephen King like greasy monster of a problem known as ‘fatbergs’.
To complicate matters, brands often ‘greenwash’ wipes to make their product sound good for the environment by using slogans such as ’flushable’, ‘biodegradable’ and ‘natural’, when in reality, they are not. Standard wipes are often loaded with toxic ingredients: fragrances, paraben, phenoxyethanol and more which are harsh on the planet and your baby’s behind.
And let’s be clear. All wipes are straight up – NOT FLUSHABLE. Google ‘fatberg’ if you are unsure. But you can never unsee this. EVER!
The best choice for wipes is one made with a natural fibre which will naturally decompose and are perfect for delicate baby skin. And the best natural fibre is bamboo. Bamboo grows fast enough to meet demand, without false irrigation, pesticides or fertilisers. **
Thankfully WOTNOT celebrates Earth Day all year round by creating products that can make a difference to both your parenting life and the planet. Hallelujah to this rare balance of finding a product that is both friendly to the planet and genuinely great to use.
Why choose award winning WOTNOT Baby and Face Wipes:
This EARTH DAY, you’re invited to take care of your little family and the planet, with the choice of WOTNOT wipes. It’s an easy switch with minimal cost, with convenient options to buy in bulk or subscribe. Easy Peasy – no need to worry about baby brain forgetting them on the shopping list.
Let’s make life easy, convenient, good for baby, yourself and good for the planet.
MAMA EARTH, we’re thinking of you (& all the parents out there). Happy Earth Day!
Contributor: Marianne Randall
*https://zerowastecalifornia.org/2019/10/14/zero-waste-baby-wipes/
** https://www.mamabamboo.com/blogs/news/why-choose-a-bamboo-baby-wipe
The pandemic has sparked a rise in demand for not just loo roll, but greener products. The lockdowns, social distancing and images of natural disasters have shifted many people’s focus to thinking about helping to create a better, healthier world. It’s triggered a desire for more mindful self-care habits that are both good for your body and the globe. This shift towards sustainability is a positive biproduct of what has been a challenging time for all.
However, navigating the path to greener choices is fraught with deceptive marketing. Often when consumers think they’ve ‘gone green’, what they’ve actually bought is 50 shades of shady (and not really green at all).
It’s time we talked about GREENWASHING.
What is Greenwashing?
It sounds clean and green, but the dirty truth is ‘greenwashing’ is a manipulative sales trick. And it’s very likely happened to you!
The term ‘greenwashing’, (sometimes called ‘cleanwashing’) is when companies spruik their brand/product’s eco credentials, investing more time and money on marketing as “green” rather than actually focusing on truly being sustainable and good for the planet. Making people believe that their company is doing more to protect the environment than it really is.
Whilst some greenwashing is unintentional and results from a lack of understanding of what sustainability is, many times it’s embedded into the marketing/ PR strategy as a way to chase the green dollar whilst avoiding actually making the product better for the environment.
How to identify greenwashing …
As companies around the world surf the “green sustainable wave”, how can we spot the greenwash amongst a sea of brands?
Firstly, you can check out the common ways that companies pull the green wool over our collective eyes from outright lying, through to making claims with no scientific proof.
North American marketing firm, Terra Choice has defined *7 sins of greenwashing:
Secondly …
Breathe IN
Breathe OUT
Greenwashing by nature is sneaky and so learning about it can feel a little overwhelming. And I hear you, you’re busy already with a massive life admin list. Even learning about greenwashing is a good first step. (well done)!
Whilst you are rushing down the aisles in the supermarket or when clicking on your digital shopping cart, have a think about the following tips:
Greenwashing has serious ripple effects. It can prevent real green change. It makes it harder for truly green products to differentiate themselves and it takes up space in the fight against significant environmental issues like climate change.
We can all be change agents to create a future that we are excited about living in. Learning about greenwashing and making better choices help us in the journey towards a healthier planet.
The process of spotting greenwashing takes time, practice, patience and a little help from your friends who can share their insights on brands that are truly green and trustworthy.
Celebrate the brands that are doing a good job, who want to make a difference to the planet and to our bodies like WOTNOT.
Learn. Choose well. Pass it on.
Contributor - Marianne Randall
*https://www.ul.com/insights/sins-greenwashing
The words we use are powerful.
I went for a hike through a lovely part of Bowral. About 40 mins into our walk we came to a tricky part of the trail and seeing a family coming the other way we stopped to let them pass. Two girls, around the age of 5 and 7, bounded over the rocks with their mother, full of energy and clearly having fun. We heard more voices so waited a moment and around the corner came their little brother, about 4 years old, and their father.
The little boy had been walking quite a while at this point and the section he was now descending was rocky and a bit tricky for little legs. Anyone that has gone bushwalking with small kids will be unsurprised to hear that he started to cry a little. His father was not a rough or unkind man but he also wasn’t happy with his son’s fear and whinging so he said to him
“Come on, it’s only a few rocks, not hard.”
He then smiled and said “Don’t be a big girl.”
The boy started to cry and replied to his father that he was “Not a girl!!”
I was speechless.
With such a simple, even throw away phrase, his son heard a very destructive message; that it is not ok for boys to feel fear or to cry, and that girls are weak and helpless. His daughters heard this too. That they are not strong or capable.
Language matters. Words are powerful. Why are we still using phrases like this?
We need to do better. We need to use language that sets a foundation for gender equality and for old stereotypes to be just that, old and outdated.
Otherwise, we will continue to reinforce the idea that to be tough and strong is a man’s role and to be caring and vulnerable is a women’s role. These qualities are not gender specific; they are human. To be allowed to express all of them, without judgement, is vital for our mental health.
It is outdated to label either sex as only capable of one set of qualities, and it is destructive to place a higher value on one quality over the other.
We need to remove the idea that being tough is winning and being vulnerable is losing.
Look at how we value the many vital roles that make our society thrive. Awards for careers in teaching and nursing, traditionally female roles, are so out of balance with traditional male roles like finance and law. We need to address this imbalance and the idea that some qualities are “less” valuable than others.
We need to teach our kids that all emotions and characteristics are valid. That “Being a girl” or “Being a boy” is equally cool.
Today is International Women’s Day and it is a day to celebrate women and to shine a light on the continued inequality between the sexes across the world.
Gender parity is not just for women, it’s for everyone. It’s for girls and boys, women and men, and we will all reap the benefits of a society where reference to a “girl’s blouse” or a “boy’s shirt” is just a reference to fashion.
Sinead Roberts.
