Reviews by Arti Chhatralia, Alice Ellerby, Saffia Farr, Anela Paparevic-Felegyhazi and Alex Turner
Baby Soap
This soap is handmade on the north coast of Ireland in small batches, using Irish spring water, sweet almond and starflower oil. The soap comes beautifully packaged with a simple card wrap listing the ingredients. The branding is great, with the name of the company stamped into the soap should you want to reorder. We have tried a few baby soaps over the last two years, but this by far gives the best lather. It smells great, looks great and works great! We will definitely be looking at the rest of the range for our family and as gifts. AT
£10
Activity Mat
This is a very versatile playmat. It has a diameter of a metre, so it’s a really useful size, but it folds up in a matching carry bag to be 47cm x 27cm x 27cm. The mat feels big enough for a baby to roll around or play on or, when they’re little, to lie on and have tummy time or to kick their legs. It is made from memory foam with a waterproof cover, so you can use it outside, and the padding does feel really thick and comfortable. Then there are the range of interchangeable and machine-washable covers with lots of different designs and non-slip waterproof backing. It really does feel as though everything has been thought of, creating an incredibly useful and portable mat. SF
£89.95
Huggee Knitted Sweater
This 100% organic sweater is a new favourite in my baby daughter’s wardrobe. It is super soft, warm and most importantly washes very well in the washing machine. It has retained its softness and shape after multiple washes, with no bobbling in sight. Knowing that Bomull Baby is a small, British business, born out of a fellow mum’s desire to create eco-friendly and safe products for her daughter, makes me all the more keen to support it, especially in this economic climate. I am delighted to have discovered this gem of a baby brand, and look forward to adding to our Bomull Baby collection. It will be great for gifting too! I was also pleasantly surprised by the very affordable price points. AC
£21.00
Zinc and Calendula Cream
As an ardent clean skincare enthusiast who uses only clean, non-toxic products on my own skin, it has been important to choose all-natural products for my baby daughter’s incredibly delicate skin. This is a deliciously rich cream that I have used to sooth her 5-month-old skin whenever she has ferociously scratched it. Within 12 hours of application, her skin is clearly quenched and there is a noticeable reduction in redness and soreness around her nose, eyes and cheeks. Only a tiny amount of the rich cream is required each time and it has become my post bath go-to for soothing (often multiple!) scratches on her face and legs. I will keep this on hand in case of any future perioral dermatitis issues too, as it seems to be a miracle-worker for generally dryer skin concerns. Made with pure plant oils, beeswax, mineral ingredients (zinc) and homegrown herbs. Unfragranced. Suitable for infants and those with very sensitive skin. AC
£10.95 for 30ml
Calendula Body Cream
Weleda Nappy Change Cream was one of the first purchases I made before my baby was born, as the brand fitted the type of products we wanted to use. This body cream is really well absorbed and non-sticky. It is great for getting rid of any red patches caused as the weather gets colder. The fragrance is really light, and it smells just as it should with the ingredients used (it contains organic sesame oil and extracts of organic calendula). I really love this cream which nourishes and protects delicate skin. AT
£9.50 for 75ml
www.weleda.co.uk
Wildwood Lipa Baby Wrap
My Rowan Bay wrap has become my favourite wrap for carrying my 2-year-old toddler. The carries I use most with it are Half Jordan’s Back Carry and Shepard’s Back Carry. It was very soft when it arrived and required almost no breaking in. The cotton is smooth – very soft and pleasant on skin – while the silk has nubs which give the wrap a fair amount of grip. Sometimes tussah silk can feel scratchy, but this wrap doesn’t at all. It doesn’t have too much bounce either and that makes it perfect for carrying toddlers. It pleats nicely on the shoulders, doesn’t dig in at all and is comfortable. It is easy to wrap with, though perhaps for a complete beginner it would be a bit hard to tighten properly due to its grip, but you would soon get the hang of it. Although the weave is dense, the material is breathable and suitable for high temperatures, even in multilayer carries. I’m expecting my second baby in a month so I will soon be able to use it with a newborn too. It’s the most beautiful wrap I have ever owned, with a simple design and in beautiful colours. APF
Size 6 (5m) £270
Summer Garden Crayon Set
This is the most gorgeous box of 26 crayons, in rich and sumptuous colours, moulded into the shapes of leaves, flowers, bugs and a robin. The crayons are really chunky – perfect for small hands to grip and strong enough to withstand firm pressure without snapping. My daughter, who loves small world play, enjoyed playing with the creatures, the flowers and the leaves as she coloured. The different shapes also make interesting marks on the paper, encouraging experimentation, and can be used as play dough stamps too. The crayons are handmade to order in a workshop by the coast in West Wales. As much of the process as possible is plastic-free, and the crayons come carefully boxed in 100% recycled and recyclable packaging. Each crayon is a beautiful object in itself. You really can tell they are made with love. AE
£14.00
Snowdrop Doula
I contacted Snowdrop Doula because I found myself alone in Lancashire as I’d had to leave my ex-partner, home and friends in London. I was staying with my mum temporarily while I tried to find my own flat, which I was having great difficulty with. The combination of not having a home, financial difficulties, no partner, no friends nearby, having previously suffered a miscarriage and having anxiety and depression, were difficult for me, and I was scared of losing the baby. I contacted Beth and thank goodness I did. She changed my whole experience. She supported me emotionally, became a friend, helped me with things the baby would need that I couldn’t afford, offered to be at the birth, visited to help with breastfeeding, and she even helped me with my move back to London after the baby was born. All I kept saying is that Beth was an angel, because that’s what it felt like. My pregnancy was, unfortunately, difficult and stressful, but Beth made it less stressful, and there aren’t really words to say what that meant to me. No one should be alone when pregnant. I wish all the women who find themselves alone can be put in touch with an angel like Beth. S
Reusable Pouches
These are great. The side opening has a really sturdy resealable strip, and the expandable side means you can get a lot in them! My little one loves that he can use them by himself, relatively mess-free. The fun print and labelling on the back make them super easy to personalise and make note of the contents. We will be using these lots for snacks while out and about, and also for a fun way to eat at home and in the garden too. Each pouch holds up to 140ml of thick, liquid food (ie purees, yogurts). BPA-, phthalate- and PVC-free. Freezer and dishwasher safe. AT
£10 for 4 pouches
These Natural Baby reviews are published in JUNO Magazine Early Spring 2020, issue 71. Find out more here.
OUT NOW Early Spring, Issue 72