The array of baby products available can be daunting for parents. With each passing year, more options become available, while at the same time, those options all seem to blend with their promises of eco-friendliness, safety, and much more.
Ultimately, the decision to choose certain products over others comes down to trust: Do you believe that what you’re exposing your baby to is safe while also effective? Will the products you’re choosing make your life as a parent easier and give you that peace of mind you’re seeking? Are they also kind to the environment?
These are the questions that most likely led you to this article, in search for answers about the safety and effectiveness of your baby’s diapers. In an era where transparency reigns supreme, the need for thorough understanding and assurance in the products we use for our precious bundles of joy has never been more crucial.
The Truth About Disposable Diapers
Charcoal-enhanced. Biodegradable. Do any of these buzzwords sound familiar? Behind the flashy marketing and lofty promises lies the responsibility to dive deeper into what exactly makes up your baby’s diapers. After all, what touches your baby’s delicate skin deserves nothing short of unwavering scrutiny and understanding.
Ultimately, most of the revolutionary industry enhancements you read about lack real substance. They rely on trends instead of rigorous research to vie for your attention, hoping that the newest marketing tactics draw you in for a purchase. For example, think back to when you started hearing about charcoal in your household products. If toothpaste comes to mind, you’re not alone.
At Parasol, we deeply value the feedback from our parent community regarding their experiences with our products, their desires for improvements, and any issues they encounter. We collaborate closely with manufacturers to explore innovative material upgrades, always with a focus on sustainability—from ensuring affordability to guaranteeing effectiveness. We develop prototypes, conduct laboratory tests, and engage real users for testing, continually refining our products before launching them to gather more feedback. This cycle is repeated tirelessly.
It’s rare for a company of our size to upgrade its diapers five times in eight years. Although it's a time-consuming and costly process, this dedication to improvement is precisely why many Parasol parents return with their second, third, or even fourth child. Trust is built over time through visible efforts. Our parents see each enhancement and know that we are committed to delivering the best for their families.
In this article, we want to provide you with a complete material breakdown of our diapers, explaining each layer and ingredient so you know top to bottom, inside and out, what you’re putting on your baby when you pick Parasol. If you end up having questions as you read the article, we encourage you to write them down and then send us a message using that little chat popup on the bottom right. Now, let’s begin.
Material Breakdown of Parasol Clear+Dry™ Natural Disposable Diapers
In the image below, you’ll see the various layers of our diapers from top to bottom.
Layer One: Top Sheet
This is the soft material that makes first contact with your baby’s skin when you unfold a diaper.
Parasol's top sheet is crafted from ultra-soft hydrophilic nonwoven fabric, designed to enhance airflow and maximize porosity for optimal absorption speed. Renowned for its quick-drying properties, our top sheet effectively traps moisture below, maintaining dryness, providing skin comfort, and preventing leaks. The nonwoven fabric is made with polypropylene, a safe material found in all diapers. Moreover, our top sheet is free from BPAs and phthalates, which are often found in many other diapers.
Layer Two: Absorbent Inner Core
In the image below, you’ll see a roundup of the components that make up the inner core.
This is the magic component that keeps your baby’s waste inside the diaper. Parasol’s innovative dual-core has three high-performing materials:
- Dust-free tissue that works as a wrap around the core.
- Innovative super absorbent polymer (SAP) paper, designed to absorb liquid and expand into a gel-like substance. Parasol utilizes two types of SAPs in its dual core design. The layered SAP paper at the top enhances absorption speed, while the bottom SAP mixed with wood pulps maximizes absorbency capacity. Capable of absorbing 800 g+ of liquid within seconds.
- Fluff wood pulp helps to distribute SAP evenly and provides a cushion for the baby’s comfort. Our wood pulp is totally chlorine-free and FSC-certified (sustainably harvested through the Forest Stewardship Council).
Layer Three: Breathable Film and Back Sheet
In the image below, you’ll see a more detailed image of the outside of Parasol diapers.
The breathable outer film holds the baby’s waste inside the diaper, and it’s also where you’ll see the printed designs.
The polyethylene film is plant-based and made up of 2000+ micropores to ensure consistent breathability. Similar to polypropylene, polyethylene is known to be non-irritating and safe.
Next, our water-based ink contains no dyes, which can often include heavy metals.
Lastly, our wetness indicator is free from harmful chemicals such as quaternary ammonium compounds (quats), halogenated organic compounds, and others. Instead, we use bromophenol blue, which naturally reacts with the acidity of your baby’s waste to indicate wetness.
Additional Diaper Features That Prevent Leakage and Blowout
The Leg Cuff and Closing Tabs
The latex-free leg cuffs and closing tabs gently hug around the baby’s body and are designed to secure the waste in a diaper and avoid leakage and blowouts. To prevent the cuff from getting too tight and leaving marks, the Parasol diaper was designed with extra elasticity in mind to keep your baby comfortable.
Waistband
This touches the baby’s lower back. Parasol’s high-rise 180° waistband comes equipped with an 8-strand super retractive elastic designed to secure the waste in a diaper and prevent leakage from the back.
Most blowout incidents happen when babies are sitting down. With the retractive waistband fastening system, our diaper adheres to the baby’s lower back softly, leaving no space/gap between the baby's skin and the diaper, reducing the chance of a blowout.
We utilize Lycra® elastic fibers, which are certified STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX®.
Making More Informed Choices for Your Baby
|
Ingredient |
Explanation |
|
Phthalates |
Commonly added to various components of diapers to increase the flexibility of the material. Known endocrine disruptors and have also been linked to reproductive issues. |
|
Chlorine |
Used for bleaching pulp placed in the diaper core to enhance whitening and claims of higher absorbency. Is known to potentially cause breathing issues while also contributing to taking diapers a long time to decompose. |
|
Alkylphenol ethoxylates and Formaldehyde |
Used in plastics as well as in glues for adhesive properties. Known endocrine disruptors as well as toxic fume emittance that can be inhaled. |
|
Fragrances and Dyes |
Fragrances are vague and can encompass thousands of chemicals, many of which can cause asthma, dermatitis, and other issues. Dyes used for coloring can contain heavy metals including lead. |
|
Parabens |
Used to avoid mold and bacterial growth, they can cause reproductive effects. |
|
Latex |
Latex is an ingredient in rubber-based polymers and can cause skin irritation. |
|
Tributyltin (TBT) |
This is a chemical used to prevent bacterial growth, but it is not biodegradable in our environment. |
Ultimately, you don't need to be an expert, but it's crucial to be aware of common ingredients in many disposable diapers that could harm your baby. Parasol diapers are free from all the harmful ingredients listed in the table above, giving parents peace of mind that they are using safe, non-toxic, and non-irritating diapers on their baby's delicate skin. Below, you will find our certification information and test reports for Parasol diapers.
Parasol Product Certifications
In addition to being free from harmful ingredients, Parasol diapers undergo rigorous testing to meet strict industry standards. These include:
- Dermatest® Excellent Seal: Our diapers are crafted from plant-based materials and are free of chlorine, alcohol, dyes, chemicals, fragrances, lotions, parabens, phthalates, preservatives, latex, heavy metals and many more. This prestigious certification from the Dermatest ensures the utmost care for your baby's delicate skin.
- Hypoallergenic: Babies and adults alike can suffer from skin sensitivities, and with the skin being our largest organ, ensuring that the products you buy are gentle on the skin is a must.
- PETA Cruelty-free: Parasol products are not animal-tested, and we pledge never to test on animals.
- OEKO-TEX® Standard 100: This is considered as the standard for ensuring textiles do not contain harmful substances. As stated on their website, “If a textile article carries the STANDARD 100 label, you can be certain that every component of this article, i.e. every thread, button and other accessories, has been tested for harmful substances and that the article, therefore, is harmless for human health.”
- Sustainably sourced Wood Pulp: Our diapers are crafted from innovative materials and utilize FSC-certified wood pulp.
Aligning with William Arthur Ward’s famous quote, “If you can imagine it, you can achieve it.” Parasol has initiated a pursuit toward creating lighter, cleaner, and more sustainable diapers. Everything from packaging to transportation is specifically chosen to reduce our carbon footprint while ensuring safety and reliability.
From the inside out and top to bottom, we’re committed to using the safest ingredients all-around in our diapers and all our other products, too. As the only diaper with RashShield™ protection, it’s our priority to ensure your baby’s delicate skin is treated with the ultimate level of care.
You are doing a great job as a parent, and we are here to help make things easier and more convenient for you. Try our diaper samples for your little one to experience the difference today, or get started with a subscription that you’ll be excited to see on your doorstep every month.
Further questions? Our diaper experts are here to help. Chat us using the messaging feature in the bottom right corner, or visit our FAQ page for more information.