Kevin Ewell is the Director of Research and Innovation here at Honest. For the past 3 years, he’s led our team of chemists, clinical scientists and toxicologists in developing our new products and assessing them for performance and safety.
As a parent of three kids and one of the key people behind our innovation, Kevin has a unique perspective on how and why we do what we do. This week, he gave us an in-depth look at the new diaper.
How was this diaper made to be gentle on baby’s skin?
We’ve really upped our game when it comes to being super absorbent. Being able to absorb 17x its weight in fluid is one of the most important aspects of the new diaper because whenever your baby goes to the bathroom wetness against the skin can really start to not be so good for that baby. These new diapers feature advanced leak protection , and are softer — it’s fantastic. And, the improved fit makes for a more underwear-like feel.
One of the other best things about the new Honest diaper is the new acquisition distribution layer (ADL), which gives you a more even distribution of liquid. So, you don't get a bunch of sagging in one location of the diaper. This really helps make it more comfortable to wear and also helps the skin stay dryer for longer because when the baby does go to the bathroom it really gets absorbed quickly and evenly throughout the diaper.
Tell us about the new True Absorb™ Core.
Absorption rates are really important for the day-to-day use of the diaper. When you see that our diaper that holds 17x its weight in fluid, you know that the average amount of wetness that will go into the diaper will get absorbed and the moisture will get wicked away from the baby’s delicate skin — that really makes for a lot great experience.
Every parent has experienced seeing that last diaper in their diaper bag when they’re stuck at the grocery store and had that freak out moment. With this super absorption, Honest is speaking to those times and saying we’ve got you covered.
What exactly has changed about the fit?
We’ve upsized the diapers, so they are more in line with what you see in the market. But, one of the best things we see in the fit is that it’s snug around the hips and the legs especially in the cuff areas, so you get less leakage.
Did your experience as a parent inform any of the decisions and innovations that were made with this new diaper?
Being a parent really makes you picky. Night after night trying out the diapers with my kids, I got so intimately familiar with the touch and feel, how the diaper unfolds and how the elastic waist fits. We take all of that into account — even down to how loud the Velcro is because when your baby is sleeping at night you don’t want to wake her up. Getting all those pieces and fitting them together really takes you out of the lab and into the real-world scenario that all of our customers are using these diapers for.
How were you able to create a high-performing, comfortable diaper that lives up to the Honest Standard of ingredients?
One of the biggest things that we believe here is no compromises. We have to have our Honest Standard — that’s a given. We work really hard with our research and development partners to make sure that we comb through every single aspect of the diapers. Not only am I in charge of our Research and Development team that helps put together the ingredients and the pieces of the diaper, but I’m also in charge of the Claims and Clinicals team that helps assess the safety of the diaper. We do a lot of clinical testing, a lot of in-home use testing and then our in-house toxicologist goes through and combs through all the components to make sure that we’re delivering a product that meets our standards.
What made Honest decide to make innovations to their diaper?
At the core, Honest is a research and development company we really want to push the frontiers of safe-for-you products. And this is our response to the industry: to say that healthy-and-safe-for-you products don’t have to be bland, they can be innovative. We see a lot of room in the space for our scientists to get to push the frontiers of what’s possible.
What do you love most about the new diaper?
The biggest thing in the end is that these are fantastic diapers that we’re really proud of and that you can be proud of too. Being able to pull these out of your diaper bag at the park and see these awesome prints and really cool colors and knowing that it’s not just a pretty face it’s actually a diaper that works.
We aim to provide you with the most honest and credible information possible. This article was reviewed for accuracy by The Honest Team and its internal technical experts.
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