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Maclaren’s New Beginning Products - Personal Care for a Healthier Start?
Janelle Sorensen
Wednesday, September 09, 2009
Famed British buggy company, Maclaren, recently launched a new line of organic mom and baby care products. According to the company:
The Maclaren beginning holistic personal care products have been carefully created to meet the emotional and physical needs of mothers and babies during this important life stage. We select natural and organic ingredients, as well as 100% pure essential oils to restore harmony and stir the senses, in proportions that are safe for use during pregnancy and infancy.
The beginning range fulfils the aspirations of all new mothers — the very best for their baby, from the very beginning.
Their intentions seem pure, but do their products live up to the claims? Here’s what I found from reviewing a sampling of products sent to me.
First of all, the packaging utilizes very little plastic, which is always a plus in my book. Most of the products are housed in cardboard cylinders with subtle coloring – simple and elegant. The packaging makes the product seem special, and I think personal care should feel special (especially for new moms and babies) – so again, another design plus. And, none of their products contain synthetic perfumes, artificial colors, petroleum derivatives, sodium lauryl sulphate, parabens, TEA, DEA, or animal ingredients – so, clearly they are a safer option than most of what you’d find at your local drug store or super mart.
Here are specific thoughts regarding some of the different products.
Protecting Nappy Change Balm ($12)
This mostly organic balm smells soothingly of lavender and rubs easily into the skin leaving it silky smooth.
Ingredients of concern (according to Skin Deep):
Stearic acid, glyceryl mono stearate, and benzoic acid – which are all rated as low-end moderate hazards. Though, I’m not sure if there’s a distinction between the animal and plant derived ingredients. Maclaren uses the plant-derived versions.
Benzyl alcohol – is rated as a moderate to high hazard depending on usage. Again, I don’t know if the concern applies in this situation, but it’s wise to know what’s in your products – even if you don’t know the exact risk.
The package recommends using it for every change, but I’m a big proponent of reducing consumption to save money and conserve natural resources. You can get away with much less. If you opt for a product like this, try limiting it to overnight use.
Supporting Belly Balm ($32)
Without adequate testing, I can’t tell you if this balm really helps reduce the appearance of stretch marks, but it does rub into the skin nicely and smells delicately of citrus and rose.
It also contains the same ingredients of concern listed above and says “not recommended during first trimester” so I’m not so sure how comfortable I would be rubbing this product on my belly twice daily during my baby’s most vulnerable period of development.
Soothing Delicate Soap ($7)
This extremely natural and mild soap has jojoba moisturizers, soothing aloe, and calming lavender. I couldn’t believe how silky it felt both during use and after my daughter’s skin dried. Two thumbs up for this soap.
Comforting Room Mist ($16)
This pump spray, again, has the calming scent of lavender. I love the concept behind it, too. It’s not simply promoted as a way to improve the smell of a room. They instruct you to keep it with you, so when you are in a foreign space, you can spray it and your baby will associate the smell with home – immediately feeling calmer. What a great tip.
Still, I see benzoic acid and benzyl alcohol listed as ingredients on this product, too.
Connecting Massage Oil ($24)
This almost entirely organic oil smells of rose and citrus and rubs nicely into the skin (unlike some massage oils that are simply, extremely oily). The directions instruct moms to use daily for self-massage, but I think someone else should be rubbing this delightful oil on the new mama.
Overall, I think these products are definitely much better than most, but like almost everything, they still have some room for improvement. One of the best qualities is the subtlety of the scent. We have a pretty fragrance-free home, so I’ve become increasingly sensitive to the smell of even essential oils. These products had just enough of a scent to please without overwhelming the senses. (Still, for sensitive populations, the lavender or limonene could pose an issue.)
Interested in trying Maclaren Beginning Products? Enter the TodaysMama giveaway!
Posted by crunchy domestic goddess (amy) on 09/14/2009 at 11:12 AM
i also reviewed these products, but enjoyed reading your take on them (as another green blogger) too. :)
Posted by abbie on 09/10/2009 at 11:51 AM
These sound really great. I shall have to look for them in the UK…
More comments:
Posted by Christani on 12/03/2009 at 11:54 AM
I think these products are definitely much better than most, but like almost everything, they still have some room for improvement. One of the best qualities is the subtlety of the scent. We have a pretty fragrance-free home, so I’ve become increasingly sensitive to the smell of even essential oils.