The natural choice for baby skincare

I'm a bit of a sensitive so and so when it comes to my skin. In the last two years, I've developed psoriasis on my scalp, in and behind my ears and across my lower tummy, for which I have tried various treatment plans to get it under control and touch wood, the latest course of creams and solutions seems to be working. I've also had an unidentified allergic reaction to something I used on my skin which caused inflammation on my face and ears and a red rash to form from my head down to my arms. Seriously, I looked like I had severe sunburn on my chest and my skin was raised and bumpy. It may have been an ingredient in a new foundation I had tried at the time but we couldn't be sure. It took a while to clear up and it's an experience I've not wanted to repeat.

With all this in mind, I do worry that my son will inherit my sensitivity. He has a stork mark on his eyelid, which I too had as a baby, and he's had a spell of baby acne. All of which we know is normal but we are cautious about what we use on his skin. After all, nothing beats baby soft skin and we want to make sure we use products that will be kind and caring, protecting his gorgeous good looks.

So, in trying to avoid the Johnson's Baby monopoly on baby skincare, we came across  Weleda. Specialists in 100% natural skincare for more than 90 years, Weleda have a vast range of skincare solutions for adults and babies and promise that all their products are free from synthetic ingredients, non-natural preservatives, artificial fragrances or colourants plus they have never tested on animals - big brownie points all round then.

With credentials such as these, I was keen to try their baby skincare products on Ethan and was sent some sample sizes from the Calendula range, including the shampoo and body wash, lotion, oil and face cream.

Weleda uses extracts from biodynamically grown calendula flowers, which are known to soothe reddening of the skin, promote healthy skin development and leave skin feeling silky soft.

The shampoo and body wash is a nice thick cream when dispensed but quickly lathers into a milky solution when rubbed into baby's wet skin. I liked the consistency of this product as it felt smooth and didn't produce too many bubbles plus you don't need to use very much to wash baby from head to toe.

Once Ethan was nice and dry, we tried the oil next. A little of this goes a long way and it has quite a strong herbal scent but this was pleasant and the whole experience of rubbing this into his skin felt very soothing for us both. I'd recommend this for an after bath treatment before bedtime, whereas the lotion is a great choice for day time. Both moisturise delicate skin and leave skin velvety soft. Ethan didn't feel greasy to hold as the lotion is quickly absorbed and his skin looked as good as it felt.

The main product that I was keen to try on him though was the face cream. As I said, Ethan has had a little baby acne and his skin wasn't quite as soft as it had been. The face cream has a nice consistency to it, not too thick, and blends well into the skin with less again being more. Ethan doesn't mind me using this in him at all and it's another excuse to have some fun time playing with him, making funny faces and going 'boop!' on his nose. 

The best part for me was that within a couple of uses, Ethan's cheeks were feeling much smoother and now he feels almost brand new, like when he was born and I couldn't stop myself from stroking his face all day long.

 
The Weleda calendula range features all the different products you need to clean and care for your baby with skin loving, natural ingredients that cleanse and hydrate and most importantly, protect delicate skin. The more I read about the ingredients they use, the more I feel this is the best way to continue to care for my baby.

You can buy selected Weleda products from Boots, Waitrose, Amazon and independent health food stores and pharmacies but the complete range is available direct from their website, www.weleda.co.uk.

To give these products a try, the starter set is ideal as it contains five mini versions of the key calendula products so you can use these a few times and work out what is best for your baby. Priced £12.95, the set includes the following:

1 x 20ml Calendula Shampoo & Body Wash
1 x 10ml Calendula Face Cream
1 x 10ml Calendula Oil
1 x 10ml Calendula Nappy Change Cream
1 x 10ml Calendula Baby Lotion
Plus a pack of organic Calendula Flower Seeds (for you to grow your own burst of sunshine!)
All lovingly packed up in a handy recyclable EVA toiletry bag

And don't just take my word for it as this won silver in the Best Premium Baby Skincare category at the Mother and Baby Awards 2012. Weleda's products are also paediatrician and dermatologist approved - added reassurance so you know you're using the very best for your little one.

I'll certainly be checking out some of the other products from Weleda for my own sensitive skin, especially as the brand has a celebrity following including the likes of Jessica Alba and Alexa Chung. If it's good for them and good for my baby, it must be good for me too! If Ethan doesn't mind, I'll be nabbing some of the face cream for myself as it's been tested on skin prone to eczema and dermatitis - it's the natural choice.

* Note: I was sent small samples of the mentioned products free of charge for the purposes of this review. However, all opinions are my own.