Are all your products really organic?
It's a sensible question, especially in light of the many products claiming dubiously to be natural or organic. Mama uses 100% certified organic herbs in all her teas, unless there isn't a certified organic option to be had. Many are certified by QAI as "100% Organic," and some are certified as "Made with Organic Ingredients" which means they contain over 70% organic ingredients. Each product has as many organic ingredients as we can pack into it, but some essential ingredients aren't available as organic yet.

But, what does "organic" really mean?
It means that the plant was grown with respect for the earth, the soil, the farmer and you, the consumer. Organic farms adhere to strict standards, growing crops without the use of harmful pesticides or the usual dose of toxic chemical fertilizers.

Why aren't ALL of your ingredients organic?
Simply put, some ingredients just don't exist in an organic form, such as Vitamin E oil, and some ingredients are not available certified organic. Sometimes the herbs we use are not cultivated, they grow in the wild and are harvested with respect for sustainability and the integrity of the plant population. Since Mama is a member of United Plant Savers, we do our best to support practices that ensure healthy population of herbs growing in the wild. You will see these herbs listed as "wild harvested."

Do you use lanolin, SLS, parabens or other synthetic preservatives?
No, and we never have.

If you don't use synthetic preservatives, what do you use to preserve your products to make sure they are safe and free of bacteria and mold?
Our herbal bath and compress mixes are sealed in UV coated amber jars to protect the delicate herbal goodness in the leaves and roots from the light, and to help them resist temperature changes. Our oil-based products, salves and massage oils don't contain water so they don't need a preservative to keep out the unpleasantries that can grow there. Instead they need antioxidants like natural Vitamin E to keep the oils and essentials from becoming oxidized. Lotions, on the other hand (or knee, or elbow), are made by emulsifying (blending) oils and water. And because of their rich, natural ingredients, they can become a perfect medium for nasty bacteria or mold. To combat that, our natural preservative system is an organic alcohol extract of skin healing and moisturizing herbs. Beneficial to you, and naturally preservative too!

I have an expired product - will it hurt me, or my baby?
We stamp a Sell By date on all of our products as a freshness guide for our resellers and customers, but this isn't an expiration date. To be sure of the quality of our products we keep a sample from each batch of each product we make. Some products in this sample inventory are over five years old and are still just fine! That said, you should always use your own best judgment, if it smells "off," don't use it. You can extend the life of oils and salves by making certain they stay cool and out of direct sunlight. So, don't store Earth Mama Angel Baby(r) products on a windowsill or in the trunk of your car and they should be fine for at least a year past the Sell By date.

I need to know if your products will irritate my or my baby's allergies.
You are the best judge of what is safe for you and your baby. You know your body best. Please refer to our ingredients to see if any of your known allergens are in our products. If you have specific questions or concerns about product safety, allergies or ingredients, it is always best to consult with your Midwife or Naturopathic Doctor or another trusted healthcare professional who is knowledgeable about the use of herbs during pregnancy and when breastfeeding a baby.

I am vegan, are all Mama's products vegan and cruelty-free?
Yes they are, certified vegan in fact! We use no animal products, like lanolin, and our balms are made using plant based wax instead of beeswax.

Why are there little white specks in my Natural Nipple Butter and Angel Baby Bottom Balm?
The white specks are shea butter and may appear in both the Angel Baby Bottom Balm and Natural Nipple Butter. When shea butter is cold, it solidifies. When it is warmed by contact with your skin, it should quickly melt and become a soft consistency again. Products made with natural ingredients like herbs and essential oils may vary in appearance across lots and final product batches, as they have no yucky additives to create false consistency.

Is Angel Baby Bottom Balm good to use with cotton diapers?
You bet! In fact, we've received wonderful feedback from you - our customers - saying that it is the BEST with cloth diapers!

Do I need to wash the Natural Nipple Butter off my breasts before breastfeeding my Angel Baby?
No, it's safe for both you and your angel baby. Read my ingredients!

Why did my Angel Baby Shampoo & Body Wash turn cloudy?
It's because during shipping it just got too cold. When the temperature drops, the natural fatty acids in these products begin to solidify and appear cloudy. Just pop your Angel Baby Shampoo & Body Wash into a cup of warm water and it will clear right up. Cloudy or clear, it will lather up and clean your pure, organic angel baby naturally!

How do I heat my Booby Tubes™ if I don't have a microwave?
One of our intrepid Mama's Helpers took this question on, and took some Booby Tubes™ home for a little experiment in her own oven. The results were terrific - as long as you don't forget to take the Booby Tubes™ out of the oven! Preheat your oven to the lowest setting (that was 170 degrees on Mama's Helper's oven), place your Booby Tubes™ in an oven-safe dish, away from the heating element, and heat them for 10-15 minutes. After 15 minutes they don't seem to get much warmer, so that seems to be all the time they need. Please set a timer and keep a very close eye on them while they are in the oven! One advantage of the microwave is it shuts off automatically, so with a regular oven you'll have to be more diligent.

How do I clean my Booby Tubes™?
Just wipe the outside 100% organic cotton with a damp cloth. It is important that you don't submerge them in water (or put them in a washing machine) as they are filled with flax seeds and if they get wet, they may sprout (really!!)

Why do you use plastic jars? Why don't you use glass jars?
Our commitment to honor the earth and her valuable resources extends to our packaging as well as our natural and organic ingredients. We are even the proud recipients of the BRAG (Business Recycling Award Group) for our green practices, and we are always looking for ways to better what we do. At this point, the plastic PET bottles and jars we use are the safest containers for both our products and our customers. Our containers are colored to keep out harmful UV rays. The PET we use is the most readily recyclable and the safest plastic manufactured. Our products were originally packaged in glass, until we found out a woman was cut opening a jar of Natural Nipple Butter that had broken in transit. The last thing we want to do is hurt a mama with sore nipples! And we know that containers can end up bumping and slipping around changing tables and bathrooms, and can end up in little mouths too, so we choose to package our diaper cream, nipple cream and baby oil in tumble and teething resistant plastic jars. Our opinion is that glass presents a much bigger safety concern than plastic. And as always, we're looking for the safest, purest way to keep mamas and babies happy!