Sanex Dermo Kids Bodywash and Foam Bath - Hypoallergenic and pH Balanced
Following babyhood, your child’s skin becomes plumper, giving it that beautiful, smooth appearance and purity that most of us adults envy. By now, their skin is fully active and well hydrated, and should be at its healthiest. However, according to well-known GP, Dr Sarah Jarvis : “At least one in six children gets eczema, and up to one in 12 GP visits relate to some form of skin condition. That’s over 250 GP hours or 48 days worth of surgery a year”
Children’s lifestyles have also changed with today’s kids spending over 90% of their time indoors, so the environments of their schools and homes have a dramatic impact on their health, including their skin. Seasonal changes, central heating, air conditioning and hot water can all cause discomfort, making your child’s skin more delicate and prone to itchiness. Other factors that can affect the condition of their skin include not drying properly after washing and the use of bar soap.
Here are some useful tips from Dr Sarah Jarvis’s tips to help keep your child’s skin healthy:
1. Heat, cold, too much exposure to water or a dry atmosphere (central heating dries out the air) can all make dry skin worse. So can wind – be especially careful with hands and faces, which are exposed to the elements
2. Avoid normal soaps and detergents for all children, but especially if they have dry skin. Both of these can strip the oils from your child’s skin, making it more prone to dryness and itching
3. Use a hypoallergenic soap substitute approved for children to wash their skin
4. Get into the habit of applying unscented or hypoallergenic moisturisers regularly. If you start early, your child may rather like having moisturiser massaged in
5. Your child’s skin is very vulnerable to the sun, and getting burnt hugely increases his risk of skin cancer in later life. It also dries the skin out. Always use a high factor (at least factor 30) sunscreen, and reapply it often, especially after swimming
The bods at Sanex have now created a new product based on their understanding of your child’s skin and how it works. It’s called Dermo Kids Bodywash and Foam Bath - a pediatrician approved, hypoallergenic and pH balanced formulation that actively works with your child’s developing skin to gently cleanse and help keep it healthy and nurtured.
Sanex Dermo Kids Bodywash and Foam Bath joins a comprehensive family of skin friendly bath and shower products for adults – all designed to actively work with your skin to help keep it healthy and naturally protected.
French Connection babywear launch fc:baby
French Connection, the fashion clothing designers, has announced the arrival of its first ever babywear range.
The capsule range which is being launched as fc:baby will include designs for both genders and will be available in five sizes: 0-3 months, 3-6 months, 6-9 months, 9-12 months and 12-18 months. The new baby clothes collection will be available from the end of August in select London and Manchester stores as well as from the French Connection website.
The new french connection babywear range will feature all in ones and full length bodysuits as well as bodysuits, tops, bottoms and hats all made in soft jersey for both style and comfort.
For the boys, the clothing comes in an understated palette of traditional blue or the option to go grey or white. Girls - as well as having the obligatory pink and purple clothes to choose from - can also take their pick from navy and white options.
Plain designs are also available for parents who want to give their baby a more discreet look, while star print pyjama tops can be paired with stripy trousers to give an alternative funkier look for infants who want to make an impression. Sleep suits with drawstring bottoms or elasticated waists and retro button-up detailing will be available in toned down stripes or bold and kitsch flower prints in crimson or grey.
In keeping with the classical designs, the fc:baby collection will also offer tops with thin horizontal stripes for boys and polka dot patterns for the girls for a timeless day wear look, along with stuffed toy rabbits in prints and fabrics from the range.
Creatures Baby and Toddler Bath and Body Toiletries
A new range of baby and toddler bath and body toiletries - Creatures - has been created using natural ingredients including remarkable Rooibos from South Africa. Rooibos (pronounced royboss) has been used for hundreds of years by the African “bush people” who realised its powerful healing properties when used in natural remedies.
The paediatrician-tested range combines Rooibos with other natural ingredients like camomile, lavender and aloe vera to create a gentle range of bath products that are PH balanced and hypo allergenic. It uses 100% natural fragrances and colours, and contains no parabens, petro-chemicals or sulphates, making it particularly good for children with sensitive skin, eczema or other skin conditions. None of the products are tested on animals.
The Creatures range features a sweet baby animal on each pack, with drawings by well-known children’s book illustrator John Butler. Each product also contains a different fun fact about the animals, which children will love, ensuring bath time is fun time.
With a beautiful baby elephant on pack, the range for babies is suitable for children aged one month to 14 months. The products are made primarily from Rooibos, aloe vera, lavender and camomile to cleanse, soothe and protect. The range includes:
- Creatures Baby’s Foam Wash (£9.50 for 420ml) – instant natural foam to lather up and gently cleanse away impurities
- Creatures Baby’s Shampoo (£8.50 for 300ml) – for a delicate hair wash that won’t cause tears or irritations; and
- Creatures Baby’s Balm Butter (£9.50 for 220ml) – enriched with Shea Butter, it’s perfect for massaging onto baby to soften, soothe and protect delicate skin.
The toddler range has been specially formulated for children aged 14 months to four years. Featuring an adorable baby giraffe or zebra on pack, the range includes:
- Creatures Toddler’s Body Foam Wash (£9.50 for 420ml) – for natural bathtime fun in a breath-easy formula as no synthetic bubble risers are used (it’s the clever pump that makes the bubbles);
- Creatures Toddler’s Shampoo (£8.50 for 300ml)– to gently cleanse and detangle the messiest toddler hair;
- Creatures Toddler’s Body Mousse (£9.50 for 220ml)– made with jojoba oil, this vitamin-rich, easily absorbed mousse protects skin year round from nasty dry patches; and
- Creatures Toddler’s Hand Wash (£9.50 for 420ml) – perfect for encouraging hand-washing after toilet visits but just as at home in the kitchen to clean up after finger painting.
All of the products are also available for purchase as gift sets in boxes featuring the animal illustrations. The sets include either all of the baby products or the toddler range and cost £35.
The products will be available from www.theworldofcreatures.com and www.cuddledry.com from 1 September 2009.
Coping with Baby Eczema
“When you see a newborn baby with cracked, red skin, who can’t sleep for more than half an hour at a time because he’s so itchy, you understand that childhood eczema for many babies and their families is nothing short of torture. To be told it’s ‘just’ baby eczema shows a deep misunderstanding of just how devastating this condition can be.”
Andrea Shell from Haslemere in Surrey discovered the heartbreak of baby eczema when her 10 week old son’s dry skin progressed to severe eczema that prescription creams and bath oils seemed to make worse rather than better. Dissatisfied with the help offered by doctors and an apparent lack of interest in uncovering the triggers for Josh’s eczema Andrea, an experienced veterinary nurse, embarked upon an intensive period of online research, reading medical texts, research papers and other parents’ experiences to better understand her son’s condition.
Armed with information, intuition and finding the answer in a ‘smelly vest’ Andrea worked out that her son was reacting to detergents. Josh’s skin is now under control and, barring the occasional flare-up , is generally eczema free.
With the launch of her new parent to parent website Itchy Baby Andrea shares her story and the fruits of her research with other families who have an itchy baby or child of their own. It’s been a labour of love for Andrea that has taken her from worried parent to eczema expert and, having self taught herself website coding and programming over the past 4 months, she now adds website design to her areas of expertise.
Andrea said: “The aim of Itchy Baby is simply to provide a place of information, support and community for the parents of babies suffering with baby eczema. It’s difficult to understand the distress and the impact of this condition unless you live with it.”
“I hope that many parents and carers of children with eczema will share their experiences to help us build a treasure trove of information, suggestions to reduce the symptoms and ways of coping that will be a real support to other families and their itchy babies.”
Big increase in the Second Hand Baby Product Market
Preparing for a new born baby is one of the most expensive things a person can do, especially at present when money is tight.
So how do you keep on top of costs and ensure you don’t over spend? By choosing to purchase second hand goods; according to a survey undertaken by www.preloved.co.uk, one of the UK’s biggest online classified ad websites. Over 300% more parents are buying second hand this year compared to the same time last year.
Preloved, which is free to buy and sell on, enjoys 2 millions unique visits every month from bargain hunters and people clearing their clutter.
In a survey of 1,650 new parents or parents-to-be Preloved.co.uk found that a staggering 89% had purchased more than three items second hand for their new born or impending birth.
- 67% of those stated that pushchairs/prams and cots have been their top purchases, with 23% explaining they had bought everything second hand.
- 73% found these items either online or using classified ads.
- Interestingly, 43% of those surveyed had also sold their own items before the birth of their child to make some extra money and also much needed room.
Those surveyed seemed unwilling to spend huge amounts of money, with people being more conscious of prices since the economic downturn. Preloved.co.uk themselves have noticed a huge increase in demand for second hand children’s items over the last three months, with enquiries having almost tripled when compared to the same period last year.
One couple surveyed had saved up £1,500 which they estimated would just about cover the cost of pushchair, cot, car seat, clothing, a month’s worth of nappies and feeding equipment. By buying second hand, the couple managed to reduce this amount to only £575.
Morrck Lightweight Baby Hoodies - Sun Protection for Babies
Travelling with a baby this summer needn’t be a sweat. The LIghtweight and Ultra Lightweight Baby Hoodies from Morrck help keep babies at the perfect temperature, protect them from the sun and get rid of the faff of constantly taking off or adding layers of clothing.
Baby Sleeping wearing Baby Hoodie
The ingenious Baby Hoodie - described by Radio 2’s Janey Lee Grace as ‘a fantastic product’ and which is rapidly becoming a must-have buy for new mums - is a hooded travel wrap shaped to fit into any standard infant car seat or pushchair. The safety harness feeds through a hole in the wrap, which means a baby can be wrapped or unwrapped as needed without disturbing them.
“Our lightweight and ultra lightweight wraps provide easy temperature control,” explains Isobel Thompson, co-founder of Morrck. “In chilly summer breezes or air conditioned cars and buildings, the sides are simply wrapped over the baby to keep them warm, and unwrapped if it gets hot again. They can also be used for sun protection as they cover the baby completely – including a deer-stalker style hood to protect the face - yet are lightweight enough to keep the baby at a comfortable temperature.”
Baby Hoodies mean parents can travel light with fewer changes of clothes, and as buggies will still fold up with the hoodie fitted in them, there’s one less thing to carry. Best of all, they’re so soft and comfortable that babies sleep longer and never need to be disturbed, regardless of temperature changes. It also acts as a superb carseat protector to catch those inevitable baby spills.
The Lightweight Baby Hoodie is made from an outer layer of 100% polyester fleece and an inner layer of easy-care polycotton gingham (35% cotton, 65% polyester). They are warm enough for the colder Spring and Autumn months, but lightweight and cool enough for the Summer. They come in blue and pink with matching gingham linings. Cost is £32.95 and come in sizes 1 (up to 6 months) and size 2 (up to 18 months.
Morrck Lightweight Baby Hood
The Ultra Lightweight Hoodie is made from two layers of 100% cotton jersey to provide a light wrap for the very hot summer months. The ultra lightweights come in baby pink/white, baby blue/white and cream/white in size 1 (up to 6 months) and in cream/white, turquoise/lime and fuschia/lime in size 2 (up to 18 months). Cost is £28.95
For more information on the Baby Hoodie and other products in the Morrck range, go to www.morrck.co.uk
Free Pelvic Floor Exercise DVD
Celebrity mum Ulrika Jonsson has recently spoken out about her experience of bladder weakness. Ulrika and leading women’s health organisations highlight the importance of doing pelvic floor exercises in order to prevent, and also cure bladder weakness.
A comprehensive guide to these vital exercises can be found on a DVD issued by TENA the leading brand for bladder weakness, called the Pelvicore Technique
Created by Professor Kari Bø, an expert in exercise science and physiotherapy, the Pelvicore Technique has been clinically proven to cure stress urinary incontinence in up to 70% of women2. The exercises will increase pelvic floor strength and core stability, tone the tummy and thighs, improve posture and improve your sex life.
Louisa, 29, has been following the Pelvicore Technique exercises for 3 months: “I’ve noticed that my tummy is much firmer and my confidence has increased enough to wear skirts to work instead of trousers. I don’t need to worry as much when I’m out with my friends that I might leak. I really do feel a lot more confident in myself.”
All women can get their Pelvicore Technique DVD for FREE by joining CoreWellness at www.corewellness.co.uk or calling 0845 300 6466.
Dad’s Losing Out on Choosing Child Names
Dads always lose out when it comes to making a final decision on naming a new addition to the family: according to a new study out today from BabyCentre, the UK’s leading parenting website.
The poll of 3,000 parents revealed that more than 62% of dads who took part in the survey claim their ideas were completely dismissed by their partner, with 8% of those saying EVERY single suggestion they made was ignored and leaving them to make-do with mum’s decision!
Admitting Defeat
31% of dads polled for BabyCentre admitted defeat and accepted a name which wasn’t their favourite. And a staggering 36% of all dads admitted they did this just to have an easy life!
But there’s hope
But there are optimistic dads out there: 15% felt that by giving in to their wife’s wishes it meant they would get to choose the name of any future children.
It’s all in a name
The research also revealed that choosing a name for a baby isn’t an easy ride for either parent: 22% fall out over the decision-making process. But once that new name has been chosen, a whopping 64% of parents thought their choice could contribute to their child’s success later in life.
And the moral of the story
According to BabyCentre… keep your choice of names close to your chest. Just under 20% of parents-to-be had to change their ‘naming’ plans after a friend or relative pinched the name in mind before they were able to use it. How irritating!
BabyCentre’s top tips for harmonious name choosing:
1. Both partners draw up a list of their favourite names. Swap lists and cross off the ones you really couldn’t live with. Stick the list of possible names on the fridge and live with them for a while. You may find you feel differently about each other’s choices as the birth draws near.
2. Why not have one parent choose the first name, the other the middle name.
3. Introduce a few “wild card” choices – hit the “surprise me” button on BabyCentre’s baby namer (www.babycentre.co.uk/babyname). With 16,000 names to choose from there’s bound to be one you agree on!
Organic Baby Bedding from The Little Green Sheep
The world of baby products and pregnancy is not somewhere you would expect to find two young male entrepreneurs, but Mark Nicholls and Paul Maurice aren’t fazed by a female dominated industry.
They are the founders of ‘The Little Green Sheep’, a premium organic baby bedding and mattress company based in the West Midlands region, now seen in some of the most exclusive baby stores in London and the UK.
The company creates and sells a range of baby bedtime products which help provide babies with a safe and natural environment in which to sleep and rest.
All of its organic mattresses and bedding products are handmade without the use of any harmful chemicals, and in particular pesticides and herbicides. This is not only more ecologically sound but also means parents can be reassured their babies are sleeping in a safe, natural environment.
Mark and Paul met at Aston University, where Paul graduated in Product Design and Mark in Marketing. Living together for one of their university years they quickly realised they both had an entrepreneurial spirit
The Little Green Sheep was formed in Redditch two and a half years ago, but didn’t start trading until the Baby Show at the NEC, Birmingham, in May 2007.
Now the company sells organic bedding, sleepwear, mattresses and night-time oils and balms from its website and in baby boutiques across London, while high street stores are also beginning to take a keen interest.
Originally from the West Midlands, Mark was keen to set up The Little Green Sheep in an area he was familiar with and somewhere close to family and friends. Being an online trader, he also felt a big city location was not overly important.
Both he and Paul have found plenty of support from the local council and organisations such as Business Link West Midlands, which provided free advice from experienced consultants.
“We knew we’d find it hard,” explains Mark, “but we also knew if we had the right products, the right brand and the right strategy it would succeed, so we focused solely on those three things.”
“We sourced the highest quality products to ensure customer loyalty, but also because we recognised word of mouth was crucial in the baby market.”
“We then spent a lot of time developing the branding of the company. It needed to be premium, memorable and trustworthy, yet still approachable. The Little Green Sheep ticked all of those boxes.”
But the question still remains, why babies? Both men admit it’s an unusual career choice.
Mark said: “Neither babies or organic products were my main concerns at the age of 23, but the more we looked into it, the more the two gelled so well together. We were stunned when we saw a complete lack of companies providing such a natural and pure service and variety of products.”
ENDS
TinyTalk baby signing classes
More and more young families are attending TinyTalk. It’s an organisation that offers classes in baby signing and singing, followed by playtime and refreshments and it appears to be a very winning combination. As one mother put it: “I think that mums have always been after classes with their babies, but now they are being much more choosey. I guess that we are all after the same thing though: a class that is good quality, good value and above all else, supportive of my family and good fun! TinyTalk offers all of this in bucket loads!”
The use of sign language with babies has been a growing trend since it was first introduced to the UK by TinyTalk, back in 2002. Basic signs and gestures, used alongside speech, enables babies to understand others better- and helps them to express themselves better, long before they can talk. The 2004 Hollywood movie, ‘Meet the Fockers’ (in which Robert De Niro’s character teaches his grandson to baby sign) highlighted just how mainstream baby signing was across the US. The UK is catching up fast, thanks to TinyTalk.
Katie Mayne, founder of TinyTalk, an ex-primary school teacher and a mother of two, explains the increasing demand for baby signing classes. “Babies understand and are able to communicate far earlier than they’re able to clearly pronounce words. Signing helps ease the frustration that can come from this, by giving them the tools to say exactly what they want and what they’re thinking about. It also gives children the confidence to make attempts to say words as they just feel so happy to be understood!” Families often report feeling a much closer bond with their children as baby signing provides a ‘window to their baby’s mind’, a way to have a much deeper understanding of them.
TinyTalk classes have gone from strength to strength over the last 7 years. There are now over 400 weekly classes across the UK, from Aberdeen to the Isle of Wight, to over 6000 families. In fact, such is the popularity of the fun and social classes that the 125-strong teaching team has now spread to Ireland and the United Arab Emirates, with TinySign classes also being taught in Australia and New Zealand.
As Mayne says: “With more mums needing to return to work, we’re delighted that our Teaching Opportunity is proving so popular. What we offer is quite rare- a chance to work with your baby alongside you (and no childcare costs to consider either!) Many mums just enjoy signing so much with their own babies that they are keen to ‘pass it on’, inspiring other families to reap the enormous benefits of baby singing. You also run your own business as part of a very strong, supportive team. You get the best of both worlds!
Being a TinyTalk teacher is not only worthwhile, financially rewarding and social, it’s very family-friendly too. The majority of our teachers take their babies to classes with them, so spend quality time with their little ones whilst working. They also have the flexibility to run their classes to fit around school, so they’re still available for their older children and their most important job- Mummy! For many mums who are returning to work, becoming a Tiny Talk Teacher is the ultimate lifestyle choice.”
So, when the going gets tough, the tough are off to TinyTalk- to enjoy their fun and supportive baby signing classes or to join their successful teaching team! To join them or for more information about the Classes or the Teaching Opportunity, visit the TinyTalk website: www.tinytalk.co.uk or ring 01483 301444.