Focus on Natural Baby and Child Skin Care

My little Z isn't a baby anymore, he's three, but he'll always be my baby 😍. From birth he had very dry skin and at around six months he had a horrendous nappy rash that was complicated by a fungal infection. It took me until last year to realise that all the crap I was putting on his body was what was causing the problems. Garbage like Johnson and Johnson baby wash flared the eczema up in the first place and paraffin-based prescription creams just exacerbated it.

He's got a bigger stash than his mummy

When you have a baby, it is likely you are flooded with meaningful donations of Johnson and Johnson gift sets. I mean, they're the experts, right? They make gentle and reliable stuff and your baby is safe, right? How do you think they came to the conclusion that their No More Tears baby shampoo is as they claim? By dripping it into rabbit's eyes of course. And did you know about the  lawsuits by women with ovarian cancer in the US from using baby talc down below for decades? I bet you didn't, but J and J have forked out millions in compensation. Not exactly the actions of an innocent company. Their baby bath products are loaded with SLS, PEGS and Parfum and their talc causes cancer. No mother should be using their toxic products.

One of Z's milder flare-ups earlier this year

After waking up to what was in the products I was using on my son and myself, and after discovering to my horror about animal testing in China and realising that many brands I used were testing on animals, I donated all the unopened stuff I had and threw away the rest, including prescription drugs. Incidentally, the same week I threw away Z's prescription baby bath, I received a letter from the local area drugs review committee telling me they would no longer be prescribing it as there was no evidence that it worked! There you go. I needed no more proof that I was doing the right thing in moving to natural products.

My first priority was to make sure that nothing I used contained SLS as I began to be convinced that this was responsible for the state of Z's and my skin. The products below have helped me see that with the right skin care regime, mothers can help their babies and children without resorting to nasties.


EARTH FRIENDLY BABY CALMING SHAMPOO AND BODYWASH

Before I started shopping online for natural products, this and Weleda were the only options open to me at Tesco. I started with this and it's lasted me most of the year. Z's skin started to clear up very soon when I combined this with Balm Balm (below). I took the miracle to be at the hands of Balm Balm but I think I shouldn't underestimate the role using a baby wash without SLS and other nasties has also played.

This product is 99.2% natural and 50.7% organic, vegan, with recycled packaging and certified by ECOCERT, which I would say is very good for £4 from Tesco. It cleans hair and body well and Z says it smells like flowers. I like that it contains lavender as it is perfect to use before bed. It does contain palm oil though which I am trying to avoid.

Ingredients:

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice *, Aqua (Water) , Cocamidopropyl Betaine , Sodium Cocoamphoacetate , Disodium Lauryl Sulfosuccinate , Lauryl Glucoside , Coco-Glucoside , Glyceryl Oleate , Sodium Chloride , Decyl Glucoside , Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil *, Sodium Benzoate , Citric Acid , Potassium Sorbate , Citrus Nobilis (Mandarin Orange) Oil *, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract *, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Flower Extract *, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract *, Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Leaf Extract *, Tussilago Farfara (Coltsfoot) Leaf Extract *, Urtica Dioica (Nettle) Leaf Extract *, Citrus Paradisi (Grapefruit) Peel Oil , Tocopherol , Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides Citrate , Limonene

You can view the range here and EFB products are available at Tesco, Amazon, Waitrose, Boots, Mothercare and more.


BALM BALM BABY BALM/FRAGRANCE FREE BALM

 Although these two products are sold under different names, they have the same ingredients - just five, shea butter, sunflower oil, beeswax, calendula and jojoba oil - and are Soil Association and Leaping Bunny certified. I blogged about this product here where I basically declared it as the saviour of our skins. It's still in heavy rotation in my house.
It's worth showing below what my manky leg looked like before I stopped using products containing SLS/MI/MCI and started using Baby Balm and a natural body wash.

3 May

29 May

Ingredients: Butyrospermum parkii (shea butter), Helianthus annuus (sunflower oil), Cera alba (beeswax), Calendula officinalis (calendula oil), Cimmondsia chinensis (jojoba oil).

You can buy Balm Balm products from Love Lula

BABY BOO BAMBOO

This was an amazing find in Homesense and one which isn't for sale in this country. Despite repeatedly emailing the company to ask if they plan to retail over here, I've never had a reply. It's a lovely thick lotion and the bottle lasted ages.

Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Glycerin, Distearyldimonium Chloride, Cocos Nuefera (Coconut) Oil, Cetyl Alcohol (Natural), Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Isoprpyl Palmitate, Caprylic/Capric Triglycerides, Bamboo (Bambusa Arundinacea) Extract, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Hydrolyzed Milk Protein, Hydrolyzed Oats, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Cranberry (Vaccinium Macrocarpon) Fruit Extract, Pomegranate (Punica Gradatum) Extract, Natural Fragrance (Parfum), Sodium Benzoate, Gluconolactone.

It's worth noting that despite the company saying this product is vegan, the ingredients listed on the website state there is hydrolyzed milk protein in this. However, in my picture of the bottle I used, this isn't present on the ingredient list.

Here's their website.

NOM NOM BABY SKINCARE RANGE*

This is a lovely range which is vegan, Soil Association and COSMOS certified and has no essential oils or tree nut oils. I reviewed it here.

Baby Bath ingredients:

Ingredients – Aqua (filtered water), Citrus aurantium amara (orange blossom) flower water*, Coco glucoside, Helianthus annuus (Sunflower) seed oil*,Vegetable glycerine**, Calendula officinalis (Marigold) flower extract*, Aloe barbadensis (aloe vera) leaf juice powder*, xanthum gum (derived from corn), citric acid, dehydroacetic acid, benzyl alcohol. 

*from organic agriculture **organic origin 82% Organic

Baby Butter ingredients:

Ingredients– Butospermum parkii (Shea) butter*, Cocos nucifera (Coconut) oil*, Helianthus annuus (Sunflower) seed oil*, Simmondsia chinensis (Jojoba) seed oil*, Oenothera biennis (Evening primrose) oil*, Calendula officinalis (Marigold) flower extract*, Tocopherol (Vitamin E from sunflower)

*from organic agriculture  99.5% Organic of total. 100% natural origin

Baby Oil ingredients:

Ingredients – Helianthus annuus (Sunflower) seed oil*, Cocos nucifera (Coconut) oil*, Borago officinalis (Starflower) seed oil*, tocopherol (Vitamin E from Sunflower)

*from organic agriculture

99.5% Organic of total. 100% natural origin

You can view the range here. Note that although the baby range is vegan, the pregnancy perineum massage balm contains beeswax.

MIA AND DOM SOOTHING SKIN SALVE*

I reviewed this lovely handmade, organic salve here in April and was very impressed. A thick, dark green salve containing a whole range of skin goodies which worked extremely well on Z's eczema.

Ingredients: Safflower seed oil, Sunflower seed oil, Castor seed oil, Tamanu seed oil, Beeswax, Marigold flower extract, Vitamin E, Rose hip seed extract, Lavender Essential oil, Roman Chamomile Essential oil, Rosemary leaf extract.

You can buy the salve at Love Lula and Mia and Dom. Mia and Dom's organic ingredients are certified by the Organic Farmers & Growers (OF&G) UK certifying body.

BENTLEY ORGANIC BABY LOTION

Bentley Organic are a Soil Association certified company with a good range of budget products that I intend to try in the future. This one is vegan and 94% organic.

Ingredients:

Aqua (Water), Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil*, Coco Nucifera (Coconut) Oil*, Cetearyl Glucoside, Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe Vera) Leaf Juice Powder*, Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Kernel Oil*, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter*, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract*, Anthemis Nobilis (Chamomile) Flower Oil*, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Flower Oil*, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Oil*, Pelargonium Graveolens (Rose Geranium) Flower Oil*, Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Peel Oil*, Citrus Medica Limonum (Lemon) Peel Oil*, Tocopherol, Xanthan Gum, Levulinic Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Citrus Aurantium Amara (Bitter Orange) Extract, Citric Acid, Linalool*, Limonene*, Parfum (Fragrance)*

 * Certified Organically Grown Ingredient

Unfortunately this was a really disappointing product. It was thin and watery and did nothing for Z's skin. I stopped using it half way through the bottle as he also hated how cold it was on his skin after his bath, bless him. Their baby oil looks good, however, and I would try that one.

BENTLEY ORGANIC BABY WASH 

This one is vegan with 85% organic ingredients. I've only used this a few times so far but it's a nice-smelling wash which hasn't left Z's skin dry. I'll review it properly once I've finished the bottle.

Ingredients: Aqua (Water), Decyl Glucoside, Lauryl Betaine, Betaine, Xanthan Gum, Glycerin, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract*, Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe Vera) Leaf Juice Powder*, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil*, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Oil*, Pelargonium Graveolens (Rose Geranium) Flower Oil*, Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Peel Oil*, Citrus Medica Limonum (Lemon) Peel Oil*, Alcohol Denat*, Limonene*, Linalool*, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Fruit Extract, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Extract, Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Fruit Extract, Citrus Tangerina (Tangerine) Extract, Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Seed Extract, Citric Acid, Lactic Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate * Certified Organically Grown Ingredient

You can buy Bentley Organic baby range at My Pure or their website here

SAY IT BABY SOOTHING BABY BOO BOO BALM

Say it Baby are a baby gift company and I happened to find two of their products on Ebay. It was quite strange to find that they've got this range when they're not a dedicated skin care manufacturer but I soon discovered it was manufactured for them by The Soap Co Ltd, a Leaping Bunny approved brand. This balm is delightful. It's a thick, white, kind of grainy balm which you need to take time melting between your fingers, but then it goes on very nicely. It only has four ingredients but there is no info on the manufacturer's website as to whether these are organic.

Ingredients: Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Nut Butter, Prunus Amygdalus (Sweet Almond) Oil, Cocos Neucifera (Coconut) Oil, Cera Alba (Beeswax). 

You can buy the balm here

SAY IT BABY ORGANIC SLEEPY BABY BATH SOAP

This is a soap I haven't tried yet but will review in course. This came with the balm and now I've checked the ingredients, I don't know how happy I am about the use of palm oil in it. 

Ingredients: Sodium Pam Kernelate, Aqua, Decyl Dlucoside, Sodium Palmate, Sodium Cocoate, Glycerin, Sucrose, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Citrate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Citric Acid, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Linalool   

You can buy the soap here

SHEA MOOTI BABY'S EVERYTHING BODY BALM

Here is another one I haven't tried yet (what can I say, my son has a skin care stash like his mummy😁). Shea Mooti are one of those several companies that was started by a mum looking for natural skin care for their children (I do like these stories and so admire these women). They use ethically sourced shea butter from Ghana and have a nice-looking baby range. Looking forward to trying this. 

Ingredients: *Cocos Nucifera (Coconut), Cera Alba (Beeswax), Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), *Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Coco Nucifera, Gardenia Tahitensis (Monoi) Oil, *Calendula Officinalis, Helianthus Annus (Calendula) Oil, Citrullus Vulgaris (Melon) Seed Oil, Oryza Sativa (Rice Bran) Oil, Avena Sativa (Oat) Oil, *Lysolecithin (Lecithin), *Amaranthus Caudatus Extract (CO2), *Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) (Amaranth) Seed Oil, Tocopherols (Vitamin E). *Organically produced ingredient.

Note, not suitable for vegans as it contains beeswax.

Buy here

BALM BALM FRAGRANCE FREE BODY OIL

Another lovely Balm Balm product made from evening primrose oil, peach kernel, rosehip, jojoba and calendula oils. It's very nice to use on Z after a bath, is silky smooth and absorbed quickly. It doesn't leave any oily residue on clothes. It's also less farting about than body butter at bed time when he is giddy with tiredness and won't stand still for any massage.

Ingredients: Prunus Persica Kernel Oil, Oenothera biennis Oil, Simmondsia chinensis Seed Oil, Rosa canina Fruit Oil Calendula officinalis Flower Extract.

You can buy the oil here

NATURA SIBERICA LITTLE SIBERICA BABY OIL

Another one in the stash yet to be tried! I've heard such great things about this ECOCERT budget-friendly brand that I had to get in on the act.

Ingredients: Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil*), Octyldodecanol, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil*, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Linum Usitatissimum Seed Oil*, Oenothera Biennis Seed Oil*, Borago Officinalis Seed Oil*, Pinus Sibirica Seed OilWH, Tocopherol, Melaleuca Alternifolia Oil*, Citrus Medica Limonum (Lemon) Peel Oil*, Pelargonium Graveolens Oil*, Citral**, Limonene**, Geraniol**, Linalool**, Citronelool** (* Issued from organic agriculture, ** Natural components of essential oils, WH Wild harvested Siberian plants` organic extracts)

You can buy the product here

Let's not forget the role of clothes washing products in skin problems. I switched to Leaping Bunny certified brand Ecover a number of months ago and I am happy with it. For a non-bio, it also has good cleaning power. A concentrated bottle is £9 at Tesco and while this is expensive, it does provide 42 washes. It's very often discounted to around £6 too.

See the brand here and read their animal testing policy here

In summary: Z is used to his twice-daily skin care routine now. He likes to ask me which product I am going to put on and refers to nearly all his potions as 'Baby Balm'. 😃 I've loved the journey of trying these wonderful products which have healed his skin and I intend to bring him up appreciating nature, what it can do for him and of course what he can do for it. I feel empowered that I took control of my son's and my own skin care issues.

It makes me feel very sad that people are still choosing cheap, mass-produced crap for their children that is so damaging to their skin and I hope my little corner of the internet can better inform parents to examine their choices and make the right ones in the future.

Although after saying that, the final word needs to be about affordability. A couple of these products I got as samples for review, the rest I bought. I didn't pay full price for some as they were from Ebay, plus others I got were budget ranges. I accept that sometimes parents' skin care choices have to come down to money and that the supermarket brands may be available for £1-£2, but I do believe that natural and organic skin care can be affordable for everyone with savvy shopping and I know this because I'm on a budget too. Making a natural choice doesn't have to cost the earth. Ranges like Earth Friendly Baby are £4-£6 and they are big sizes too. Little Siberica and Bentley Organic are also purse-friendly and many of the sites below have good offers on all the time, often with free postage.

You can buy organic and natural baby and child skin care from the following sites:

Love Lula

My Pure
Big Green Smile
Onlynaturals -10% off order with code BBFB10
Ethical Superstore
Planet Organic
Live in the Light
Lucy Rose
Naturally Better You

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*This sample was sent to me for PR purposes. I wasn't paid for my review.