Child’s Play – Naturally Clean

Little Innocence and A'Kin

I’m a new mum and have a son Luke, who is now 5 months old. While I’m shopping, I find myself lately looking at the back of packaging to see what the products are made of (or what’s not in them)… sulfates, YES. Parabens, NO. Fragrance YES, chemicals NO! …..

As a chemist, I have to giggle when I see the words “Natural”, “Organic” and especially “Chemical Free”, as my definition of these words are vastly different to the creators or marketers of these brands, but this is a conversation for another Blog!

What I do love however, and support totally is the philosophy or “story” behind many of these brands. Everyday mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, aunts, uncles, grandparents etc, using children and nature as the inspiration of many new and exciting skin care brands.

What I appreciate even more, especially because I’m a cosmetic chemist, is the difficulty in creating products that are totally “Certified Organic” and developing them to look, feel and smell appealing.

One particular brand that has achieved this successfully is “LITTLE INNOSCENTS”. What a great name, great colours and “scents” to match… The green Hair & Body Wash Liquid was my favourite. It smelt so refreshing and Luke didn’t mind it either!

So their philosophy is to provide a totally 100% certified organic skin care range for babies and toddlers, especially if they have sensitive and problem skin. This range claims Hypo-allergenic and “suitable for even the most sensitive skin types”, however I didn’t really see anywhere on the product or the website that the products were professionally tested on sensitive skin. The range does have a fun look and minimal ingredients, which I am a BIG fan of!
Beware …. Some essential oils, although “natural”, can still cause irritation!

Another product that I absolutely LOVED was the A’KIN Peaceful Calming Mist. Made by our dear friend in the industry, Will Evans. This product sprays on so nicely and does not deposit oily droplets on the skin. Everything is solubilised well … so no need to “shake before use”! It is truly refreshing and calming at the same time. Lavender and Chamomile have such special powers on the mind and skin … don’t you think? !

The packaging is also great and the nozzle doesn’t clog up.

One of the neatest ways of reducing your environmental impact is to support your local manufacturers and while we don’t share the concerns of these brands around the safety of chemical ingredients we do agree that a minimalistic and more natural approach can have long-term environmental benefits. That paired with the fact that both of these brands are local make for two must-try ranges.

Think global, act local and love your little one this Easter

Rita Sellars