When I was pregnant and decking myself out with essentials for baby, I purchased a heap of big-brand supermarket baby soaps, oils, powders etc. When proudly showing my nursery off to my neighbour, I was shocked when she told me to reconsider my skin care choices because the ones I had chosen where entrenched with active chemical ingredients and weren’t safe or gentle for the skin of a newborn. Niavely, I had assumed that companies which had been around for so long, designed for babies would have developed their products by now to be paraben free and safe for the skin of babes. Apparently not. I decided to just use water to bath Finn in for the first few months and avoiding all unnecessary creams/lotions/oils until I had done some research. I’ve now found a company that I’m happy to use and recommend for baby skin care – Little Innoscents. You can find out more about them in this post and I’ve contacted them for you to get a product pack to giveaway to one lucky reader!
Baby skin is less tolerable than adult skin
The epidermis, or the outer layer of a baby’s skin is 20-30% thinner and therefore less resilient than an adults skin. Most early childhood complaints and skin issues can be prevented by using natural products. At its most basic, chemical absorption can irritate, sensitise and destroy skin tissue.
Why I like Little Innoscents
- Australian made and owned – Antonette (Director of Little Innoscents) began making the products in her kitchen at home and spent 10 months perfecting the ingredients. Antonette began this quest after she searched endlessly for baby products that were chemical free and found herself disappointed to find such a limited number of products, which were often difficult to find, too expensive, or offered misleading greenwashing marketing strategies to persuade you to buy something that wasn’t all what it said it to be.
- Cruelty Free
- Australian Certfied Organic – NB: Most of the baby products are certified organic with ACO 11 out of 13. The sunscreen and mineral powders are natural because they are mineral based and are not recognised as organic because they are not plant based. They have varying decrease of organic content between 75 – 99%, not every ingredient in the products are certified, such as emulsifying waxes and preservatives, these are natural and on the organic registered as allowable input.
- Biodegradable packaging
- 100% natural, free from any synthetic ingredients, Parabens, SLS or SLES, Petro Chemicals and GM (genetically modified) material.
My favourite products for Finn
Baby Wipes
These wipes are designed to enrich and soothe, they’re the softest ones I’ve found. They are free of alcohol, artificial fragrance, colours, parabens or phthalates. Blended with plant based ingredients and infused with soothing Aloe Vera and Vitamin E they are soothing and the cloths are strong.
Cost: $6.50
Solution Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Glycerine, Glyceryl Caprylate, Potassium Sorbate (Preservative), Coco Glucoside (Conditioning Surfactant), Aloe Vera (Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice), Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Citric Acid.
Mineral Powder
Most powders on the market are made of Talc. Talc is toxic and related to the potent carcinogen asbestos. Our mineral powder using Australian White Clay provides a high level of natural absorption and protects the skin from nappy rash and skin irritations.
Little Innoscents mineral powder is completely talc free and 100% naturally pure and free from toxins, providing long lasting protection against moisture that can cause odour, itching and chafing. It’s hypo-allergenic and gentle enough to be used every day. With the fresh scent of organic spearmint and lavender essential oils, it leaves Finn clean, fresh and comfortably dry. Australian White Clay provides a high level of natural absorption and protects the skin from nappy rash and skin irritations. Good for any areas of the body that require absorption of excess moisture, including chafing-prone areas like between the thighs, under the chin and arms.
Cost: $8.99
Ingredients: Kaolin (Australian White Clay), Lavender Essential Oil* (Lavandula Angustifolia), Spearmint Essential Oil* (Mentha Spicata). *Denotes Certified Organic
Paw Paw Balm
Most paw paw balms on the market use petroleum jelly or Vaseline, which although it feels like it is moisturising, it is actually a sealan, which means moisture is trapped underneath the skin, rather than evaporating off skin.
The Little Innoscents Paw Paw Balm is filled with nourishing beeswax, shea butter and calendula and most importantly Australian organic paw paw to heal and hydrate the skin. You can use it as a lip balm, nappy rash ointment, insect bite relief, after sun care, cracked nipples and everything in between.
Cost: $7.95
Ingredients: Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil*, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter*, Cera Alba (Beeswax)*, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil*, Carica Papaya Fruit Extract, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Cherry Coconut Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract.
*Denotes Certified Organic
Massage Oil
Traditional baby oil is made up of Mineral Oil and Propyl Paraben derived from petrol. There is nothing natural and gentle about that!
Little Innoscents Massage Oil contains nutrient rich oils of Sunflower and Jojoba nourish and hydrate the skin while relieving discomfort caused from dry and itchy symptoms caused from psoriasis, dermatitis, eczema and cradle cap. Sometimes I use it to calm Finn down with a therapeutic massage session. You can also use it to help alleviate stretch marks during pregnancy (although I didn’t) to help improve the skins moisture by softening, protecting and reconditioning.
Cost: $12.99
Ingredients: Sunflower Oil (Helianthus annuus)*, Jojoba oil (Simmondsia Chinensis)*, Spearmint Oil (Mentha viridis), Sweet Orange Oil (Citrus aurantium dulcis)*, Lavender Oil (Lavandula angustifolia), Lemongrass Oil (Cymbopogon citratus),
*Certified Organic by ACO
Winter Blues Vapour Balm
The most common ingredient in commercial vapour balms is turpentine. The turpentine is then bleached with petroleum jelly and put in a jar!
The Little Innoscents Vapour Balm helps ease congestion naturally. It is free from nasty petroleum oils and formulated using certified organic oils and butters. It is gentle enough to use from birth. Made from natural Beeswax, Certified Organic Shea Butter and infused with essential oils of Peppermint, Lemon, Eucalyptus and Rosemary, this fresh and zesty balm absorbs gently into the skin to melt away discomfort and restlessness. The unique combination of organic ingredients brings warmth to the body and helps alleviate nasal congestion as well as other cold symptoms such as coughs and runny noses.
Cost: $10.99
Ingredients: Sunflower Oil (Helianthus annuus)*, Shea Butter (Butyrospermum parkii)*, Beeswax (Cera alba)*, Avocado Oil (Persea gratissima Oil)*, Spearmint Oil (Mentha viridis)*, Wintergreen Oil (Gaultheria procumbens), Lemon Oil (Citrus medica limonum), Lavender Oil (Lavandula angustifolia), Rosemary Oil (Rosmarinus officinalis), Eucalyptus Oil (Eucalyptus globulus), Peppermint Oil (Mentha piperita).
*Certified Organic by ACO
BABY SKINCARE PACK GIVEAWAY
This competition has now closed, thanks to everyone that entered. Congratulations to the winner – Sarah Rose Hill.
Win one of each of my favourite Little Innoscents products (Baby Wipes, Mineral Powder, Paw Paw Balm, Massage Oil, Winter Blues Vapour Balm) valued at $47.42 by:
1) Following me on Facebook and like my last two posts; and
2) Comment below with your Facebook name & who you would like to give these products to or use these products on and why.
Most interesting answer wins. Competition closes midnight 15 February 2017. Winners contacted via email and announced on this post.
Amy Darcy
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