Review: Pure Beginnings Toiletries
I'm quite fussy about the toiletries that I use on The Boy. With both of his parents having various skin sensitivies and eczema, it was almost guaranteed that he would have sensitive skin and as a result I tend to try and use natural or organic products on him, especially formulated for baby's delicate dermis.
When I was asked if I'd like to try a range of products that fit my criteria, I was more than happy to give them a go. Pure Beginnings are South Africa’s most trusted organic personal care brands. The range of eco and vegan friendly skincare pH-balanced products are manufactured to organic standards without the use of petrochemicals, parabens, synthetic fragrances, colourants and sulphated surfactants to care for little ones sensitive skin.
Which is good because I spent too long growing something close to perfection to have it marred by nasties!
Pure Beginnings products combine certified organic and native fair trade African ingredients that have been ethically sourced from Fair Trade Initiatives in Sub-Saharan Africa, with traditional herb botanicals. They are also endorsed by Beauty Without Cruelty (South Africa). More on the ethical note is that they are also accredited by Phytotrade Africa, a non-profit trade association whose purpose is to alleviate poverty and protect biodiversity in the region by developing an industry that is not only economically successful but also ethical and sustainable.
We were sent two products from the range to review:
Baby Bum Cream with Baobab (£10.15) and the Baby Wash & Shampoo with Baobab (£8.15)
Even though The Boy is now nappy-free during the day, he still wears a pull-up nappy for bedtime. I have recently discovered that he can be a little bit sore and have needed to apply a cream to soothe him. The Baby Bum Cream is not only an effective daily barrier cream made with baobab fruit extract and tea tree leaf oil, but can also be used to relieve sores, stings and bites, as it has natural anti-fungal, anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties. The shampoo and bodywash not only smells scrummy (I think it smells a little bit like rose Turkish Delight because of the rosemary and geranium) but is also effective on cradle cap, which is something that he can still be susceptible to from time to time.
There are three other products in the range: Baby Body Lotion with Baobab (£10.15), Bubble Bath (£7.50), and Berry Toothpaste (£3.60). Pure Beginnings can be found in most John Lewis department stores and online at johnlewis.com.
We were sent these samples for the purpose of the review. My opinion is honest and unbiased.
Flexibath (Review)
When we went on holiday at the beginning of August, I wrongly assumed that the family-friendly self-catering apartment we were staying in would have a bath in one of the two 'bath'rooms. More fool me! We ended up having to buy a big plastic tub from a supermarket for him to bathe in; it was neither practical nor comfortable.
When we were given the opportunity to review a Flexibath a few weeks later, I almost jumped for joy because we were due to spend the weekend in a chain hotel which I knew didn't have a bath. I cannot even begin to tell you how much of a stress-saver the Flexibath was! It fitted perfectly into the shower cubicle, filled up within two minutes and was compact. The accompanying bath toys were perfect to keep The Boy amused and entertained. It folded flat and stored easily in the car, taking up minimal space amongst the vast array of other items that such a small being needs!
Since that weekend a month ago, the Flexibath continues to be The Boy's bath of choice. He has a bath every other night and we used to fill the 'big' bath up with six inches of water; enough to cover his legs etc. and keep him warm but not too much to waste water. However, The Boy now chooses to have the 'little' bath 90% of the time. He has had no more than two baths in the 'big' bath in the past month.
For my inner eco-warrior, this is excellent news. We've measured and calculated the water. We fill the Flexibath up with 15 litres of water for The Boy, which provides the same depth of coverage as in the normal bath. The normal bath requires 60 litres of water for this!
So can you do the Maths? Over the past month, we have saved 630 litres of water!
The reasons why we love the Flexibath:
- it folds flat and is stored easily
- it uses a fraction of the water normally needed to bath a child
- it has a non-slip base
- there is a very-snug fitting plug to empty the water out (although we tend to scoop it out & water the house plants!)
- it's bright and attractive
- it is an essential for holidays!
As I've mentioned, Flexibath have introduced a set of bath toys to accompany the bath. These consist of a clear plastic shelf with suction cups for adhesion, a coffee/tea making set with colourful cups, jugs and a funnel. The toys which are soft and fun to play with, are made from the soft plastic used in the bath. They also work as probably some of the best bath toys that he's played with in the 'big' bath.
At only £29.95 for the Flexibath, and £13.95 for the bath toy-set I think these are essential additions for any trip, or eco-warrior who is conscious of the amount of water used at bath-times.
I was sent these items for review. My opinions are honest and unbiased.
Competition: Win Maclaren Beginnings Toiletries
I think it's really important to use mild toiletries to not affect my skin's natural balance, and this is never more important than when selecting products to use with The Boy. Therefore when the lovely Chloe from Baby Things 4 U asked me if I'd like to try a few items from the Maclaren Beginnings range, I jumped for joy!
I'd seen the range advertised on other people's blogs and knew it was good quality toiletries, I just didn't know how yummy smelling they would be as well. We were sent the Maclaren Beginning Purifying Bath and Shower Elixir for mums and the Maclaren Beginning Soothing and Delicate soap for babies.
Friday 29th July 2011 – 'Bubble Bath' (210/365)
Earth Friendly Baby & Kids
Back in February of this year, I had the pleasure of reviewing Earth Friendly Baby products. Since then I have tried a few other baby toiletry ranges but this is the only range that I continue to use, day in and day out. It is soft, mild, kind and is still the only shampoo to have cleared and kept away The Boy's cradle cap and eczema due to the key ingredients of chamomile and lavender.
When I was asked if I wanted to test out some more products alongside my favourites, I didn't hesitate to answer a resounding 'yes'. I was sent the EFB Organic Lavender Shampoo & Bodywash (my favourite product), EFB Organic Lavender Bubblebath (used every bath-time), Earth Friendly Kids Minty Lavender Shampoo & Bodywash, and Earth Friendly Kids Minty Lavender Handwash.
I hadn't tried the Earth Friendly Kids range before but was equally as impressed as with the baby range. The minty lavender products are fresh and cooling; perfect to bathe in after a long day's play in the garden in the summer heat. The handwash is used by all of us and leaves your hands smelling and feeling smooth and clean.
Saturday 7th May 2011 – 'Bubble' (127/365)
Competition – Earth Friendly Baby and Kids
I have recently been sent some of the products from the Earth Friendly Baby and the Earth Friendly Kids range to review. This is excellent news for us as The Boy has very sensitive skin, something he has inherited from his parents; both hubby and I suffered from eczema as children, him far worse than me, and I tend to have allergic reactions to many products.
My sister had given me a tube of their Organic Red Clover Diaper Care Cream when I first had The Boy and it is marvellous stuff. The smallest amount on nappy rash clears it up fairly quickly and without harshness from chemicals. So I was more than happy to receive a pack of Earth Friendly Kids Gentle Wipes and Organic Lavender Shampoo & Bodywash to review.
The Earth Friendly Kids Gentle Wipes (flushable and 100% biodegradable) are soft and thick, which is always great. I've tried a few supermarket own-brand wipes that are quite thin and almost a little gritty, so these were a 'refreshing' change. Nothing worse when dealing with certain nappies to have to use one that is too thin! I should point out that they are labelled as being 'ideal for toilet training and sticky hands' and not intended for nappies, but they do actually work. They are nicely fragranced containing 100% organic Aloe Vera which is also soothing for little sensitive bottoms!
The one that I really must rave about is the Organic Lavender Shampoo & Bodywash. We started using it hoping that it would help with The Boy's scalp as he appears to have recently developed a toddler version of cradle-cap, which is a complete mystery to me; he never had it as a baby! It is brilliant! As it is lavender it's soothing and calming to his scalp, and used just before bedtime it is very relaxing. All three of the washes in the range contain Chamomile ' as a key ingredient, because for centuries, Chamomile has been used for its gentle healing properties – ideal for babies'. It's a top-toe wash and only the smallest amount needs to be used as it is concentrated. This one I am a big fan of, and when we run out it is definitely going to be the one that we use as opposed to Johnson's Baby Shampoo. I am a convert!
The kind folk over at Earth Friendly Baby have offered up a few products for a competition. One of you lucky individuals can be in with a chance to win items from their Earth Friendly Kids range: the Zingy Citrus Bubblebath has a blend of organic extractswith an easy-pouring bottle while the Zingy Citrus Body Lotion is ideal for the whole family, has a skin nourishing formula and has an easy to use pump.
To be in with a chance to win these two items just tell me what your child's favourite bath-toy is in the comments box below.
Extra entries are available through:
– tweeting the following: I want to win Earth Friendly Baby products on @TheBoyandMe's blog http://www.TheBoyandMe.co.uk
– following me on twitter (@TheBoyandMe)
– subscribing to my blog.
Don't forget to tell me what you've done, or you'll only receive one entry!
Competition ends Saturday 19th February 2011 at 8pm.
Open to UK residents only.
The Winner: I assigned each entry a number and then used random.org to randomly generate a winning number. It was no. 44 which was HoniebUK. Congratulations!
Sunday 13th February 2011 – 'Splash'
Splash!
