Kudos named #1 diaper on I Read Labels For You

At Kudos we've always been on a mission to make the safest disposable diaper for baby's sensitive skin, momma earth...and your white couch. That's why we were so honored when we discovered that Kudos was named the #1 safest diaper on the market on Irina Webb's site, I Read Labels For You. In this interview we dive deeper into how Irina analyzes baby products like Kudos, and what motivated her to start her site.

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Q: Thank you so much for doing what you are doing to raise awareness as to the safety of the products parents use each day. For those who are not as familiar with I Read Labels For You, can you tell us a little bit about it and what your primary goal with the site is?

A: I Read Labels For You provides information, resources, and tools for busy consumers to make informed purchasing decisions about products they use on their bodies and at home.  I know that shopping for non-toxic products can be time-consuming and overwhelming.  We provide a number of different free services and paid services to make this process easier, less stressful, and more enjoyable.  The services include free blog posts, listings of vetted products for safety in the Shop section of the website, newsletters, rating list e-books, product reviews by email, and phone/Zoom consultations.  We also offer a membership site which has a wealth of resources, which is a close-knit group of consumers who share and pool their collective experiences.  We call this the Savvy Consumer Circle.  

Q: The story behind the creation of I Read Labels For You is deeply personal.  Can you tell us more about what motivated you to start the site?

A: My 9-year old son believes that he is the founder of the company!  He was definitely an inspiration for I Read Labels For You.  When I was pregnant with him, I started putting together a baby registry and fell into the rabbit hole.  It took me a whole month to decipher the ingredients of a single baby shampoo.  I was puzzled by the fact that so-called organic and natural shampoos had unpronounceable chemicals as ingredients.  I ended up studying the whole market of baby shampoos.  After that, I moved on to sleepwear and diapers.  One day, my husband, seeing how passionate I was about baby product research, suggested that I should write a blog and share my findings with other parents.  He signed me for a 2-day web design class.  I put together a website and published my first blog post.  And I never went back to my bank job.  Instead, I used my financial analyst’s skills to analyze diapers, baby wipes, shampoos, hair colors, body lotions, etc. 

Q: Walk us through your process for analyzing a brand. For example, when you set about to analyze Kudos diapers, where did you start?

A: Over the years, I have developed a 5-step process for looking into a product. 

First, my team and I survey the whole industry in which the product is produced.  In other words, I first read as much as I can about the industry to see what the popular brands are in that particular industry segment. 

Second, I learn as much as I can about manufacturing processes to understand how the products in the subject industry are made.  Additionally, I try to get to the bottom of things such as how unlisted contaminants may be introduced into the products, and what harmful by-products may result from a certain manufacturing process.

Third, I proceed to study the ingredients or materials of each product in question.  So, when I found Kudos diapers, I had already completed the first two steps.  In other words, I had the benefit of knowing how other major diapers are made and how Kudos diapers compare with all the other diapers on the US market.  I analyzed Kudos diapers on 10 different criteria, including the topsheet, acquisition layer, absorbent core, backsheet, bleach, dyes, fragrance, lotions, manufacturing location, and certifications.  According to my comparative analysis and in my opinion, I believe that Kudos diapers are the safest diapers I have analyzed.  Well done!

Fourth, I discern the safest options available to manufacturers of the products in question, and, if needed, I contact manufacturers for more information.  In this case, my Savvy Consumer Circle member contacted you and asked for all the necessary information for me to complete the analysis.  Thank you for providing her the information!

Finally, I typically get the product and test it for an extended period to learn whether it is practical and of good quality, and how I like it.  Sometimes, this step is modified and I do not use a product myself and rely on feedback from people who have tried the product.   Since I do not have a baby, I have not tried your diapers and my Savvy Consumer Circle members provide me with honest feedback.

Q: What sort of impact has using non-toxic products had on your life? 

A: I believe that the fact my family and I have very low exposure to environmental toxins has played a crucial role in our health.  My father died of metastatic cancer at the age of 57, my brother got cancer at the age of 57, my mom had a number of health challenges, and I was affected by two autoimmune conditions, so gene-wise, I am on notice to take optimal care of my health.  However, the science of epigenetics gives us a lot of hope.  Epigenetics practitioners tell us that we are not controlled by our genes.  Instead, we have a lot of control over how our genes are expressed.   And reducing exposure to potentially harmful chemicals plays a crucial role in that.  As a result, I was able to recover from Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis and live a full and energetic life while recovering from the other autoimmune conditions that could have been disabling.  I wrote the story of my health challenges and recoveries in my blog posts. 

In addition, knock wood, our family has been very fortunate over the years.  We rarely get sick.  My son has no known allergies, and is not plagued with a lot of the food sensitivities that worry the parents of his friends.  We consider ourselves very fortunate, and are very appreciative, but fortune favors the prepared, and we have taken a lot of steps to reduce our exposure to environmental toxins, which I believe helps a lot, and in ways we may never fully know.

Q: What changes would you like to see most in the baby good industry?

A: I would love to see more helpful government regulations and meaningful certifications so we consumers do not have to work so hard to figure out which products are safe for our precious babies. 

Q: If new parents want to learn more about your recommendations, where can they go?

A: They can visit my website https://ireadlabelsforyou.com, type the keyword for whatever product they seek in the website’s search engine, and/or visit the Shop section of the website for products and brands vetted for safety:  https://ireadlabelsforyou.com/shop/  In addition, to receive ongoing exclusive discount codes, inspiration, and support, it is a good idea to sign up to my emails at https://ireadlabelsforyou.com/subscribe/.  And new parents who are Instagram users can find me on Instagram @irina_ireadlabelsforyou.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to talk with you!  I have a passion for helping parents, especially new moms, for whom everything is new, learn about truly non-toxic options for their families, and this has been a wonderful opportunity to do so.