2014 Beauty Shortlist BABY Awards judge Samantha Hadadi shares some of her favourite products for keeping your little one(s) cool, calm and sun-protected (hats on!) during beach season.
(Entries for this year’s awards close on 31 August with the winners revealed in early autumn. Full details and the online entry form are HERE)
While the long, hot days of summer mean plenty of cocktails, sun, sea and sand, they also mean that we have to take extra special care of our skin.
However much we adore the feel of the sunshine beating down on our skin, we need to give our bodies lots of love and attention during the warmer months.
Of course, this is even more important for little ones, whose sensitive and delicate skins need extra protection. You see, however much we try to protect our precious bundles from harmful rays, some exposure to the sun is inevitable – and that’s why it’s handy for us mums to have a few hard-working tools in our bathroom cabinets.
And with most kids enjoying lots of outdoor play and splashing around in the pool in the summer, we need better products than ever before.
Here are a few of my favourite summer products to care for baby’s skin on the beach, through summer and beyond.
We could not be more thrilled to have beauty and health food writer, natural beauty fan and mum of two Sam Hadadi back again to help judge our Baby Awards judge this year…find out who’ll make the final three in the 18 awards categories on Friday 10 October!
The cult Konjac beauty sponge is back!
This time it’s the Baby Face Sponge Sam’s been loving (there’s a large Baby Bath Sponge too)
Wash off all that ice cream and sticky sun cream with this 100% natural baby sponge made from konjac fibre (a type of Asian potato!) Konjac’s Baby Face Sponge is ideal for cleansing new babies’ delicate skin without having to resort to cleansing products. It also happens to hold 10 times its weight in water so it makes hair washing a piece of cake.
The uses of Lucy Bee’s extra virgin, organic coconut oil are endless! Not only do I love to use it as a healthier alternative in cooking and baking, but I also find it makes a terrific treatment for all types of skins (just try it as an eye make-up remover – you won’t look back!)
Since Lucy Bee coconut oil is 100% natural, it’s perfect for delicate skins and is safe to use right from birth. Warm it between your palms to use as a baby massage oil, or add a few spoonfuls to baths to moisturise and protect delicate skin.
What’s more, Lucy Bee is the perfect ‘after sun’ as its fatty acids mean it nourishes and protects the skin like nothing else. It’s also a fantastic treatment for cradle cap and eczema.
NEAL’S YARD REMEDIES BABY BALM
Loved by babies bums, made in England, and suitable for newborns upwards!
Exposure to the sun can lead to dehydrated, parched skin – particularly on delicate areas, such as knees and elbows. This wonderful Baby Balm by Neal’s Yard Remedies will help you to wave goodbye to those dry spots on both baby and you, as it protects and calms thanks to its array of moisturising ingredients.
The balm is full of natural goodies such as beeswax, olive oil, coconut oil and shea nut butter, which can be used on the face, body and bottom (both big and small bottoms!)
GREEN PEOPLE BABY WASH & SHAMPOO
We crowned Green People’s Baby Wash & Shampoo as a winner in last year’s Beauty Shortlist Baby Awards – and for good reason! As a scent-free wash and shampoo, it helps to keep tears at bay and is perfect for washing the most precious of skins.
Perfect for washing off chlorine and sand after a long, hot day on holiday, this baby wash will also nourish and moisturise. Oh, and speaking from experience, it’s also fantastic for pregnant women who can’t stand the smell of fragranced washes…
LOVE BOO NO KNOTS DETANGLING SPRAY
A day at the beach means plenty of tangled tresses – and we know for a fact that getting a comb through those knots is no fun for us parents! This Love Boo Detangling Spray is a miracle-worker for easing knots and leaving hair more manageable.
With papaya, coconut and argan oil, it also leaves hair super shiny and glossy – a must-have for mums too!
BURT’S BEES BABY NOURISHING OIL
Baby massage is a lovely gentle way to soothe and calm babies before bedtime and it can ease colic and help parent and child to bond (skin-to-skin contact releases oxytocin, the feel-good hormone). This 98.03% natural Baby Nourishing Oil is one of the best around and softens and smoothes skin after a day spent in the sun. Made with apricot, grape seed, wheat germ and sunflower oil and rosemary, this little wonder is packed with ingredients to protect and nourish precious skin.
Add a capful to a warm bath or pamper baby with a gentle après-bath massage.
Which products for little ones have you been loving lately, or swear by as a new mum?