Stuff Parents Need

Easing the chaos in the nest, one find at a time.

Safeguard Your Family’s Skin with Baby Mantra!

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Review by Alanna Peters

Like Tiffany, I do my best to avoid chemical cleaning products in my home, especially in products used for my family’s skin and hair. I want to make sure that I’m not covering our skin with harmful carcinogens! I was thrilled when Baby Mantra asked if I’d be interested in reviewing their 100% natural skincare line. Baby Mantra is chemical-free, cruelty free, dye free, toxin free and made with organic ingredients. What’s not to like, right?!

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Baby Mantra products are all Natural Products Association (NPA) Certified, and come in recyclable packaging. The products they offer are Newborn Shampoo & Body Wash, 3-in-1 Baby Bubble Bath, Shampoo & Body Wash, Calming Massage Oil, and Calming Lotion. Since it won’t be long before I’ll be cleaning my baby’s delicate newborn skin, I was sent a bottle of Baby Mantra Newborn Shampoo & Body Wash.

I tried the shampoo & body wash first on myself. To be honest, I wasn’t really impressed with the way it worked for me. First of all, I had a really hard time getting the pump to actually dispense the product. Once I finally got it started I put it on my loofah and could not get a lather at all. I had to keep adding more and more to be sure I was actually getting enough product on my body. The instructions say to use a quarter-size amount in your palm, so that may be the way to go rather than using the loofah.

I also tried the shampoo & body wash on my 3 year old daughter, and again, I was not impressed. I put it on her hair and felt like it wasn’t doing anything at all. I’ve heard that getting a lather is not necessary in order to get hair clean, but I sure feel like it helps. I have a hard time knowing what areas of the head have been washed if I don’t see a good lather! After my initial disappointment, I read the description of the Newborn Shampoo & Body Wash and discovered that it is advertised as a “low foaming” wash. While I wouldn’t recommend it for adults or older children, I do think it will be great to use on my newborn when she arrives. Since her body will be so tiny and she’ll have a lot less hair than my 3 year old, I can totally understand why a low foaming wash would be perfect for a newborn.

The wash itself has a nice, light scent. When I first smelled it I thought of Christmas trees but after using it in the bath I feel like it has more of a sage/lavender smell to it – love! I’m a huge fan of coconut oil so I also love that this body wash is moisturized by coconut oil and aloe. I will be putting the rest of my Baby Mantra bottle on the shelf until my baby arrives, but I’m definitely looking forward to using it on her! I’d also love to try the 3-in-1 Baby Bubble Bath, Shampoo & Body Wash to use on both girls once the little one gets a bit older.

If you’d like to give Baby Mantra a try, right now they are offering a 20% off coupon for all Baby Mantra products at Amazon.com. Use the code “RAD6BKJY” to get your discount! The code is valid from now until December 31st. To find out more about Baby Mantra, you can visit them online at www.babymantra.com. You can also find their products at Walgreens, Drugstore.com and Diapers.com.

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(Maternity Monday) Noodle & Boo Skin Perfecting Creme Review and GIVEAWAY!!!

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I’m 28 1/2 weeks into my pregnancy. I look like I’m about 36 weeks along. Seriously. Some would probably say I look 40 weeks pregnant! I’m super short and the baby has nowhere to go but out. This is also my second pregnancy, so my body seems to be quick to remember how to expand to make room. All this is to say that I’m one round lady these days, with no hope of shrinking any time soon!

So as my belly grows, my skin is stretching. And itching. LIKE CRAZY!!! I need relief, and if there’s a chance that a product might help with stretch marks, well that’s a bonus. I actually had been using a stretch cream product that I used the last time, and it did seem to work, but it had a critical flaw: it is SO greasy! Seriously, I have to not put any clothes on after applying this stuff for a minimum of 10 minutes…way too long!

For the past month, though, I’ve been using a product from Noodle & Boo (remember the review I did earlier for their fantastic super soft lotion?). It’s called Perfecting Creme. I’m just going to be up front about the negative of this product: it ain’t cheap! A 3.5 oz tube will set you back $42.00.

Now let me tell you why I think it’s worth it.

First and foremost, it isn’t greasy! Yay! But that doesn’t mean that it isn’t an AWESOME moisturizer. My belly feels so soft! It also helps tremendously with itching. And when you itch like crazy, you will do anything to get relief. This perfecting creme most definitely provides that relief.

Second, this pregnancy stretch marks cream contains a peptide compound that helps prevent and reduce stretch marks while naturally promoting the synthesis of collagen (that’s elasticity for your skin!). So far, I don’t have any stretch marks. I can’t promise that this product will keep them from appearing, but I do feel confident that it will at least help reduce their severity if I do get them.

Third, this stuff smells SO SO SO good. It made with cocoa butter and avocado oil, but if you ask me, it smells like sweetened almonds. It honestly brightens my mood when I apply it, which is a happy little perk.

I’m so glad I got to try this product. It isn’t something I would have picked up for myself, but now that I have used it, I would highly recommend it to other expecting moms. It’s worth it, and so are you! Be sure to check out the rest of their line, which includes lots of great baby skin careproducts.

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader is going to win a tube of Noodle & Boo Perfecting Creme! Woo hoo!

 

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(Maternity Monday) Luxurious Shampoo and Body Wash: PK Baby

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Did you know that it is known who actually coined the phrase, “bad hair day”? Credit goes to Philip Kingsley, who is actually one of the world’s most respected authorities on hair and scalp health. He is known for his luxurious line of hair care products, and he is proud to be launching a new baby care line.

The first product that has been released is Philip Kingsley Baby Shampoo and Body Wash. We have been using it on Darah for just about a month, now, and I have to say, I can tell a difference in how her hair looks! We only use natural, gentle products on her, and her hair has consistently been soft, but it’s even softer now! Also, she does have a little bit of curl in her hair, and the definition of those curls has become much more clear since we started using this product on her. I wasn’t dissatisfied with what I was using before, but I have to admit, PK Baby Shampoo and Body Wash has made a noticeable improvement!

I am also a big fan of the fact that it can double as a body wash. Darah is a squirmy worm in the tub, so it helps us a great deal if we are using the same product on her hair and her body. I feel comfortable doing this because it is paraben, SLS and SLES free and its fragrance (which is really nice, by the way) is non-allergen in content.

So what’s not to love? Well, I do have two hangups. The first one is the price. It is $28.85, although the bottle is quite large (500ml). I am willing to pay more for quality ingredients, but it is priced beyond what I would normally spend. Keep in mind that this is coming from a gal who likes to use vinegar and baking soda on her own hair; you may feel differently!

Also, the pump on the container is child proof. What’s embarrassing is that it’s also Tiffany and Tim-proof. After many days of attempts to open it, Tim did have success, but he can’t tell you what he did to get it to work. I’m all for smart pumps, but this one may be a bit too smart! 🙂

Philip Kingsley Baby Shampoo and Body Wash can be purchased here.

Have you ever used any products from the Philip Kingsley line? I’d love to hear about it; after seeing how well Darah’s shampoo works, I will admit that I’m quite intrigued!

Maternity Monday: Noodle and Boo Lotion Review and GIVEAWAY!!!

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One thing I wish I had taken the time to do more often with Darah when she was a baby was infant massage. There’s so much research out there indicating that this is such a great bonding activity for baby and parent. I was always so worried about whether or not she was cold that I didn’t massage her as often as I would have liked. I’m going to be more intentional about giving my little one lots of touch and ski-to-skin contact this time around.

I know this is a great thing for babies, and it is also a great thing for toddlers! Darah likes to “do lotion” after her bath or really most any time that I mention it as an option. She’s actually not an overly touchy child, but she loves a massage!

I try to make sure that I have high quality, hypo-allergenic and all natural products to put on her skin, and I’ll be even more diligent about that with the baby in its first year. Right now we are testing a product that we are really enjoying. It’s called Super Soft Lotion by Noodle & Boo. It smells fantastic; like a baby! It’s made with sweet almond oil and contains natural antioxidants. I find that it moisturizes Darah’s skin without leaving a greasy residue. I appreciate that because in the winter months, I do want to get her dressed quickly after her lotion time, and I don’t worry that this lotion will get all over her clothes.

Noodle & Boo products are made to be used on newborns and babies with sensitive skin, so there is no need to worry about potential reactions. Their baby skin care products are also formulated to comply with some of the most stringent consumer production standards in the entire world (those set by the European Union and Japan). I appreciate that a U.S.-based company goes above and beyond what our own country’s regulations require. That shows a true dedication to providing the very best and safest products possible.

One other great thing about Noodle & Boo is that they aspire to help children in need by donating a significant portion of their profits to different children’s charities. I love an organization that really gives back.

Noodle & Boo has a fantastic line of products that you and your baby are sure to enjoy. I highly recommend the baby lotion as a gift for your little one, or as an extra special baby shower gift.

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need winner will win a Noodle & Boo Super Soft Lotion!
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Angel Baby Shampoo & Body Wash Review and GIVEAWAY!!

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Bath time is a nightly ritual for Darah. She starts using sign language to ask for her bath around 4pm, even though bath time is right around 6pm. She loves it so much! Darah is very playful in the tub, and really enjoys splashing around, playing with tub toys and, knock on wood, getting her hair and body washed (we lucked out on that one!).

earth mama baby shampoo Earth Mama Angel Baby is a company that offers a splendid line of bath products for mamas and babies, all made from organic ingredients. I’ve tried their Happy Mama Body Wash (with a smell that even the pregnant ladies can appreciate!). For the past month, we’ve also been using their new Angel Baby Shampoo & Body Wash.

First and foremost, this soap works. Darah gets cleaned from head to toe with it, and it takes care of all the food and dirt that somehow manages to cling to her throughout the day.

Second, the smell is FANTASTIC! Some people avoid scented soaps for their babies because those smells are created using harsh chemicals. Not so with this product. It is scented with organic vanilla and organic orange oils. It smells like a creamsicle! I’ve tried several different bath products over the years (I really should say hundreds…I’m a junkie) and Angel Baby Shampoo & Body Wash is easily in my top 5 as far as smell goes.

Third, the pump formula is extremely convenient when we are bathing Darah. We can easily squirt out some foam right onto her body or her head and we don’t accidentally get too much product, as we sometimes do with more traditional bottles.

We love this product and I’d recommend it to anyone who wants the best for themselves and for baby, but who would love to have something scented on hand.

Buy it!: If you’d like to try the Angel Baby Shampoo & Body Wash, you are smart to do so. And getting for a discount is even smarter! use code Itsablog20 for 20% off! The 5.3 oz bottle is $10.95 and they offer a 34 ounce refill, as well!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need read will win a bottle of Angel Baby Shampoo & Body Wash! The contest will run until January 16th at 11:59pm EST when a winner will be selected using Random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to the winning notification before the prize is forfeited and a new winner is selected. Open to residents of the United States and Canada. Limit one entrant per person, please.

Mandatory entry: Tell me one product in your home that you want to replace with something less toxic, but haven’t yet. Why haven’t you?

My answer: I still have a closet shelf full of body washes that contain ingredients I have since learned are not so good for me or the environment. The frugal gal in me is reluctant to pitch them/donate them, though, since they are already paid for! But I’m not replacing them with other similar products. When they are gone, they are gone! And they are never used on Darah.

Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: Like Earth Mama Angel Baby on Facebook
2. Blogger love: Subscribe to Stuff Parents Need via RSS or email

Be sure to check out my other current giveaways, found on the sidebar of my home page.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary product for review purposes. The opinions expressed here are strictly my own.