Your LIFE: The Natural Way to Keep Baby Clean
MORE and more parents are opting for a ‘greener’ lifestyle for their young ones – which is reflected in the rising number of natural toiletries on the baby market.
We asked five mums to try out a range of environmentally- friendly products – and reveal the chemicals you really should be avoiding.
Neal’s Yard
THIS organic skincare company offers a holistic approach to health and beauty and aims to use the best-quality natural ingredients while avoiding ‘nasties’ such as parabens and sodium laurel sulphate.
Available at: Regent Street, Leamington or www.nealsyardremedies.com
Products tested: Baby Barrier (pounds 12/pounds 6.75), Pure Baby Oil (pounds 5.75), Mother’s Balm (pounds 15). Verdict: Gorgeous is the overriding response to all these products.
The creamy baby barrier was a huge success. Smells lovely and natural and really helped with nappy rash.
The fragrance-free baby oil was also a big success on dry skin, sinking in beautifully.
Our mums also gave top marks to the packaging which looks absolutely fab in baby’s room.
Organic Babies
GREEN PEOPLE uses organic plant oils, herbal infusions and essential oils in all their products and the range is certified organic.
Available at: www.greenpeople.co.uk
Products tested: Mum and Baby Moisturiser (pounds 8.69), Soothe and Calm baby balm (pounds 8.69), Baby Salve (pounds 3.25).
Verdict: If you prefer your baby products a little less scented this is a great range – and a great price too.
The baby salve is only a small tube and the contents are a little runny, but it works wonders. It cleared up Mia’s red ‘teething face’ pretty much over night.
The creamy moisturiser is nice and light with a subtle scent of lavender. It is a lovely consistency, not at all greasy, and sank well into Noah’s skin – who also loved the massage he got.
The soothing balm is quite wet on contact but easy to apply. And it managed to clear up a nasty bout of nappy rash for little Ava- Grae.
Burt’s Bees
THESE products are made with natural herbs and essential oils. They contain no preservatives, chemicals, or artificial colours, and are gentle enough for babies’ sensitive skin.
Available at: John Lewis, Waitrose or www.myburtsbees.co.uk Products tested: Baby Bee Dusting Powder (pounds 6.99), Apricot Baby Oil (pounds 10.50), Buttermilk Lotion (pounds 11.95).
Verdict: The smell of these products is absolutely beautiful. After a bath the golden-coloured baby oil smooths on to skin wonderfully and will make your little one smell gorgeous.
Followed with the buttermilk lotion, it’s a really good duo for tackling dry skin.
And for those who don’t like to use talcum powder the dusting powder is a great alternative. It’s very soft, doesn’t feel synthetic and Noah loved playing and having mum rub it in.
Spiezia
THIS Cornish-based company offers 100 per cent organic skin care and is certified by the Soil Association.
The herb and oil-infused range is available at: www.spieziaorganics.com Products tested: Baby Room Fragrance (pounds 16.60), Baby Massage Oil (pounds 19.50), Baby Nappy Salve (pounds 12.50).
Verdict: The dark purple glass packaging is wonderful and perfect if you want to splash out and treat someone.
The nappy salve was a particular success – it’s a rather odd solid balm which turns runny on touch and it’s only a small jar, but it works really well and sinks in rather than sitting on baby’s bum.
Ava-Grae found the massage oil worked wonderfully on her scalp, as a cure for cradle cap.
The oil can also be used in the bath – a few drops in Kasey- Mai’s evening bath left her skin really soft and she later drifted into a calm sleep.
And for yummy mummies who really want to splash out, the herby room spray sets the scene for bedtime.
Expensive but gorgeous.
Crabtree & Evelyn
THESE naturally-inspired products are all paediatrician and dermatologist tested and approved.
Available at: Judith Shakespeare’s House, Stratford, www.crabtree- evelyn.co.uk, John Lewis Products tested: Pudy Cat Comfort Cream (pounds 8.50), Sunny bunny Silky talc-free powder (pounds 8.50).
Verdict: The packaging is a really big attraction for these products, really cute artwork which even appealled to our young testers.
The silky talc-free baby powder has a lovely, delicate smell of fresh flowers and is soft and gentle on the skin.
The cream is lovely and rich and brilliant on baby’s bum. Definitely two to invest in.
Beaming Baby
MADE with pure ingredients that are free from harmful chemicals, preservatives and animal testing. The range is certified organic and enriched with plant extracts.
Available at: www.beamingbaby.com Products tested: Organic Babycare Bubble Bath (pounds 3.99), Organic skincare Baby Lotion (pounds 3.99), Organic Babycare Shampoo Bodywash (pounds 3.99), Organice Skincare baby wipes (pounds 2.99).
Verdict: These are a brilliant price and perfect for everyday use if you can’t afford to really splash out. The baby lotion is created for sensitive skins with organic aloe vera and natural orange blossom.
Unfortunately it doesn’t smell much like orange blossom. But it is soft and gentle and a little goes a long way, leaving the skin very soft.
The delicately-scented wipes are great if you don’t like the chemicals contained in regular brands and the bubble bath is lovely and mild, yet bubbles up well.
The shampoo and body wash is very mild, if a bit too runny, and didn’t irritate eyes. Excellent on sensitive skin.
Cellex-C
THIS new range boasts the best science and the best all-natural ingredients but with no harsh chemicals. Ingredients include the wonderful sounding puffabel, soybean oil and aliphatic waxes.
Available at: www.cellex-cuk.com 0845 740 2214
Products tested: Diaper Rash Ointment (pounds 30), Aqua-Vernix Baby Moisturiser (pounds 33).
Verdict: The moisturiser is really creamy and rich but sinks into skin really easily. The price could prove a little offputting but it cleared up Mia’s rough skin in two days where others have failed miserably.
The nappy cream is very strange. Feels and smells like putty and is quite difficult to apply. But it does the trick on stubborn nappy rash.
Halos & Horns
LAUNCHED by young mum Leila Wilcox, this range claims to offer affordable fun without the nasty chemicals. The range is being expanded this autumn to include sun care.
Available at: Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons.
Products tested: Halo Baby Bath (pounds 3.49), Kids Zingy Orange Hair & Body Wash (pounds 2.99), Toothy Fruity Toothpaste (pounds 2.29).
Verdict: The beauty of these products is they are so readily available.
Ava now exclusively uses the baby bath which mum says is kind to her dry skin and Mia is a huge fan of the tasty toothpaste – which has made brushing her teeth less stressful for mum.
The Zingy wash is a great all-rounder. It doesn’t lather up very much but left Ava-Grae’s hair and body squeaky clean.
OTHER TESTERS
Noah Eardley, age two (above), with dad Matt.
Ava Knight, age three.
What to avoid
YOU might be surprised to learn that your average babycare product contains a whole cocktail of chemicals.
They are all tested and within safety guidelines – but what about when the chemicals are mixed?
Many parents just don’t want to take the risk any more, so what should you be looking out for?
1 SODIUM LAURYL SULPHATE (SLS) – is used for its foaming qualities, but it is a caustic cleanser that can cause irritation to the scalp, eyes and skin. There is also some evidence to suggest reproductive effects and damage to liver, lungs and immunesystem.
2 PROPYLENE GLYCOL – alters skin structure, allowing other chemicals to penetrate deeper into the skin. Linked with eczema and dermatitis. It is also found in antifreeze.
3 PARABENS (METHYL, PROPYL, BUTYL, ETHYL) – this preservative can cause allergic reactions and skin rashes. May alter hormone levels, possibly increasing risks for certain types of cancer.
4 UREA – a primary cause of contact dermatitis.
5 SYNTHETIC COLOURS/FRAGRANCES – both linked to skin irritation and allergic reactions. Certain colours have been linked with attention deficit disorder and hyperactivity.
6 CONTAMINATED LANOLIN – used for its skin soothing and softening properties, lanolin is a common skin sensitiser that can cause allergic reactions, such as skin rashes, when it contains traces of inorganic substances.
7 MINERAL OIL – a derivative of crude oil, it forms an oily film over skin to lock in moisture. But it traps in toxins and hinders normal respiration by keeping oxygen out. This can exacerbate skin disorders such as eczema.
Also available:
Little Me Baby Organics, available from Boots.
Prices start at pounds 4.49
Waitrose baby range. pounds 2.49 each
Daniel Galvin Jr Organic Baby range, available from Waitrose, prices from pounds 3.49
Nature Bio wipes, available from Boots, Tesco, Sainsbury’s. pounds 2.45
Dr Greenfingers. A range of natural healing products. Available at supermarkets, prices from pounds 3.95
Earth Friendly Baby, available at health food stores.
Prices from pounds 2.45
Weleda, available from www.weleda.co.uk. Prices from pounds 1.80
Have you turned to organic products in pregnancy and motherhood? If so, what do you recommend? Let us know: Write to Mums’ Week, Features Desk, Coventry Telegraph, Corporation Street, Coventry CV1 1FP, e-mail features@coventry-telegraph.co.uk
(c) 2007 Coventry Evening Telegraph. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.