Is Sunniemade Safe for Babies and Kids?

Short answer: yes!

One of the questions we get asked is whether Sunniemade products are appropriate for babies and kids. And we get it — when you're choosing what goes on your little one's skin and hair, you want to know that it will be both non-toxic and non-irritating for little bodies.

Rated for Safety

The good news? Our shampoo bars, conditioner bars, bar soaps and lip balm are formulated to be gentle enough for the whole family, including babies and kids. In fact, all of our products are rated 1–3 out of 10 on EWG's Skin Deep database, with 1 being the lowest hazard rating.

For reference, Johnson & Johnson's Baby Wash & Shampoo is rated a 3. EWG evaluates products based on factors including the safety of their ingredients, data availability, and potential hazards such as carcinogenicity and endocrine disruption.

So while no ingredient or personal care product can be guaranteed to work exactly the same way for every person, our low EWG ratings are one more piece of information you can use to feel confident about what's going onto your family's skin and hair.

Sensitive Skin Considerations

The next question is whether our products are non-irritating. There's two things to consider here:

• While we carefully select ingredients with safety and skin sensitivity in mind, everyone's skin can react differently to different ingredients — especially fragrances. Our products use only natural fragrances, but they are not fragrance-free. If your little one's skin is sensitive to essential oils or other natural fragrances, you may want to consider a fragrance-free alternative.
• Our bars are not tear-free. And that's not because they're too harsh. It's because making a truly tear-free shampoo requires a level of dilution that isn't possible in a concentrated bar format.
  
  

Tear-Free Bathtime

“Baby shampoo” and “tear-free” formulas aren't necessarily synonymous with being more natural or gentler.

To make a shampoo tear-free, liquid formulas are typically heavily diluted so that if the product gets into a child's eyes, the concentration of the ingredients is very low.

Shampoo bars work differently.

They're concentrated by design. Instead of starting with a bottle of liquid shampoo that's mostly water, you wet the bar, work it into your hands or hair, and create the lather yourself.

That means we can't simply make a Sunniemade shampoo bar “tear-free” by using the same approach as a liquid baby shampoo.

So, while we can make a gentle formula, we don't make a tear-free claim — and we don't want to pretend otherwise.

But aren't bars more likely to get in your eyes?

Actually, we find that using a bar can make bath time a little easier to control.

With a traditional liquid shampoo, it's easy for a pump or squeeze bottle to dispense more product than you intended. Then there's the shampoo running down your child's forehead, dripping into their eyes, or ending up everywhere except their hair.

With a bar, there's no bottle to tip or pump.

You can:

Because the product goes from bar → suds, rather than pouring directly from a bottle, you have more control over how much you're using and where it goes.

And, as any parent knows, less mess is always a win.

Bar soap is especially easy for little hands.

We also love bar soap for kids because it puts them in charge without giving them a giant bottle to squeeze.

Little hands can grab the bar, lather it up, and wash themselves without accidentally pumping half a bottle of body wash onto the floor.

It's simple, tactile, and there's no packaging to knock over or spill.

Plus, every time they use a bar instead of a plastic bottle, that's one less plastic container needed for their bath routine.

Family-Friendly Formulas

We created Sunniemade around the idea that everyday personal care shouldn't require a compromise between what's good for you and what's good for the planet.

Our formulas are made with plant-powered ingredients and are free from things like artificial fragrances and dyes, parabens, and phthalates. They're also vegan and cruelty-free, with plastic-free packaging.

And our EWG Skin Deep ratings give you another layer of ingredient transparency: our shampoo and conditioner bars are all rated a 2 or 3 out of 10.

That's comparable to — and in some cases better than — products specifically marketed for babies.

Kids + Sunniemade FAQ

Is Sunniemade safe for babies and kids?

Yes. Our formulas are designed to be gentle enough for the whole family, including babies and kids. As with any personal care product, avoid contact with the eyes and rinse thoroughly with water if product does get into the eyes.

Is Sunniemade tear-free?

No. We don't make a tear-free claim for our products. That's because true tear-free formulas rely on a level of dilution that isn't compatible with the concentrated nature of a bar format.

Can kids use shampoo bars?

Absolutely. Shampoo bars can be especially easy for kids to use because they eliminate the need to pump or squeeze liquid product. Start with a small amount of lather and help younger children as needed.

Are Sunniemade bar soaps good for kids?

Yes. Bar soap is a simple option for little hands because there's no bottle to squeeze, spill, or accidentally over-dispense.

What if shampoo gets in my child's eyes?

Our shampoos aren't tear-free, so we recommend taking the same care you would with any shampoo: keep it out of the eyes and rinse thoroughly if it gets in them.

Why don't you make a tear-free shampoo bar?

Because a tear-free claim requires a formula to be sufficiently diluted to reduce irritation if it gets into the eyes. Shampoo bars are concentrated by nature, so we are unable to make this claim.

Good for you. Good for them. Good for the planet.

We believe kids' products don't have to live in a separate category from the rest of your bathroom. Our products are appropriate for the whole family — little humans included.