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ROSE
An extra 10% off the organic cotton toddler carrier of my dreams
(applied automatically or use code SWAY10) 

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THORN
New research on chemicals of concern in personal care products
(but also: Ways to control what you can control)

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BUD
Labor Day sales on the horizon are a cure-all.

No, I’m not talking about the NWT butter yellow bucket hat I got at a yard sale last weekend. Although that is getting an extraordinary amount of play even though I was told I look like Blossom in it. 

This summer, my toddler-carrying era commenced. The ol’ standbys like grocery carts and stroller seats have become less appealing to my little guy, so we needed a creative way to walk longish distances (#DailyBeach waits for no one) and traverse the aisles of Trader Joe’s after tired toddler legs kicked in. 

Around these parts, sourcing for a new product type/category can become a bit of a rabbit hole (see last week’s pursuit of lunch boxes 😉). Toddler carriers are no exception. I was seeking a marriage of healthy materials + great ergonomics: Take it with a grain of salt, but candid Redditors share that many widely available, sling-style toddler carriers stress the wearer’s shoulders/other parts of the body after just a few minutes. Materials-wise, my ideal specs were 100% organic cotton or linen with minimal plastic (still riding my Plastic-Free July high), which can pop up in buckles as well as in polyester or nylon belts and straps to tighten and adjust the carrier. 

The Qookie Go seemed to be my silver bullet: the carrier fabric is 100% organic cotton, and it has a “flared” shoulder strap that I hadn’t seen on any other toddler carrier at the time. It fans out across your shoulder blade to better distribute weight (and, spoiler, IT WORKS). It won the German Design Award! I quote this to my husband every time I put it on.

Anyway, after lots of product-vetting and forming a parasocial relationship with the Qookie Go, I reached out to Qookie and they sent me one to try at no cost. Where to begin? The organic cotton fabric is high quality and feels LUXE. The weave has also withstood sidewalk chalk-dusted toddler pants and berry-covered little hands: we’re still looking brand new over here even after perpetual wear.

And I really, really mean perpetual. I basically consider the Qookie Go a daily accessory at this point (I’m obsessed with the Leo Beige print.) I constantly have it around my person, like a shoulder bag, so I’m ready for expected or unexpected carrying sessions. IT FREES UP MY HANDS! I keep a hand on my toddler, OFC, but I can easily shop/tidy up/mill about as usual when he’s in the carrier. And most of all, I’m really grateful that it’s brought some cuddly moments to me that wouldn’t have otherwise been possible. Toddlers become heavy and sometimes you have to pass them to a pair of less-strained arms. With an ergonomic carrier, I can have more close and connected moments while my son is still small. Kind of extends the baby carrier era in a really sweet way. 

Also, my cousin & I discovered we had BOTH researched & acquired the Qookie Go - hers for a big international trip. She had an eliiiiite experience. Her toddler even napped in it.

This is a hero product for me in toddlerhood, and I’m super excited to share it with you in case it hasn’t popped on your radar yet. I recommend watching their clips of how to scoop a toddler into the seat (making sure my son’s bottom is aligned with the interior tag helped me a lot). A little trial & error and we were moving and grooving.

Use discount code SWAY10 to stack an additional 10% off the carrier, which is currently on sale. :) 

A Million Marker Research Institute study (see Guardian coverage) found that common personal care and cleaning products contain chemicals of concern despite what their labels indicate: 85% of the products tested in the study contained at least one unlabeled chemical with known or suspected health hazards. Terrible timing because we’re already not eating the lettuce and blueberries and…now our face wash is under fire? 

Important context before we quite literally give up the ghost: Detecting a chemical with a known or suspected hazard does not, by itself, tell us that the amount present in a particular product poses a health risk. But the findings do highlight that labels don't necessarily tell us every chemical we're being exposed to from a given consumer product. Some of the substances the researchers found appeared to be contaminants or byproducts; others may have been intentionally added but not individually disclosed.

It’s not particularly surprising; it’s really, really hard for even highly mindful, sustainability focused brands and manufacturers to rid their entire supply chain of chemicals of concern. They’re not a skincare brand, but KEEN’s quest to rid their shoes and supply chain of PFAS (which have been commonly used for waterproofing in outdoor gear) took four years: in one instance, they discovered some of the factories they worked with were using PFAS as a coating on their molding machinery, so even parts of their shoes that didn’t have any waterproofing treatment applied at all had traces of PFAS in them. 

While these latest findings are about personal care products, I think the same ethos holds for pretty much every category of consumer product:

We cannot test every product that enters our home or that we apply to our body to discern if chemicals of concern are present, and in what amount. (Not with a job and an active social life, anyway!) And we shouldn’t have to! But that’s another discussion entirely.

So my advice is to focus on what you can control:

1. Have standards. E.g., maybe it’s a non-negotiable for you that all bedding in your home is made from organic (certified) natural fibers. Could testing reveal some surprises/issues with those products? Possibly, but you’re generally trending in the right direction of superior materials from a health/sustainability perspective and avoiding more obvious culprits.

2. Practice minimalism! Having standards will make you/maybe already has made you a minimalist. Who has time to forensically evaluate every new lotion, potion, toy, holiday throw pillow, whatever that’s marketed to us? Stick to the materials, brands, and products that you already know & trust. And what a relief to not accumulate so much stuff.

3. Focus on your highest exposure points. For home goods, your sleep environment is the first order of business (mattresses, pillows, bed linens…for all). Plus: Cookware and food storage; couches & upholstered furniture, flooring and rugs, wall paint. Source control is one of the most useful tools we have to reduce exposure to chemicals of concern at home. Buy once, buy better, you know the drill. You already practice it! Why do I even write this stuff? We all agree.

Sway-loved couches (Sabai is $300 off $1,500) & mattresses (Avocado is 20% off) are already on sale ahead of Labor Day, and it’s a dang good time to scoop 100% linen, OEKO-TEX certified sheets from Morrow if you’ve been eyeing them: pretty good from a materials health perspective and the COLORS. What sales await us next week?

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TTYL,
Jennifer @ Sway