Chicco Mum n Baby Eau De Cologne Review

Chicco Mum & Baby Eau De Cologne was my baby's very first fragrance. I had bypassed it many times at shopping malls but never bought it. At that time I had apprehensions about baby perfumes that the fumes may irritate the baby's throat. Then I remember reading it was 'alcohol free' and I bought it when my baby was 2+ years. 

Somehow the very first sniff of the fragrance did not impress me much and I was like I wasted INR 500 on this!!!

In truth, Chicco Mum & Baby Eau De Cologne is the most beautiful fragrance after a baby's natural scent. I have also worn it sometimes in summers, of course, it is for the mum too :) When you open any new perfume, the fragrance is quite powerful and you may not like it. But after it has been exposed to some air, the true fragrance comes out. Same had happened with me.

The fragrance is a mix of sweet and tangy notes. It is very refreshing and very different from adult perfumes. It is perfect to be worn in any season. A Cologne's staying power is supposed to be 1-2 hrs but this one is as good as a perfume. The scent stays the entire day and even after the clothes have been washed, you can smell it. One 100 ml bottle lasted us quite long even with daily lavish use.

CLAIMS: 

• Pure, simple, safe. For a perfumed hug between mum and her baby. Dermatological tested. Keep out of the reach of children.
• Safe from 0+months.

THE TRUTH:

Honestly, I had read somewhere that it was alcohol free but IT ISN'T. It contains the same basic ingredients present in any other kids perfume: Water, Alcohol Denat and Fragrance. It does not contain any color, the perfume is transaparent. However, it additionally contains PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, which raises a concern on its safety. PEG-40 is highly unsafe when it comes in contact with broken or damaged skin. So be it the baby or the parent, never ever let this or any other perfume come in direct contact with the skin.

It comes in a sturdy heavy glass bottle with a plastic screw cap. The cologne comes out of a small hole in the dart. While they have not provided a pump bottle for safety purpose, the hole is sufficiently big and a lot of perfume flows out if not handled with care. This is where it sometimes flows on to my skin.

For babies, it is a better idea to dab perfume into their clothes first and leave them for some time for the liquid to evaporate and then put on the perfumed clothes on the baby.

Quantity: 100ml

Price: INR 499
Up to 20% discount is available on different websites from time to time. Always compare the prices before buying. Not seen discounts offline.

Availability: Easily available in big kids stores which sell Chicco products. Available online on many shopping portals.

Himalaya Herbals Baby Lotion review

Himalaya Herbals Baby Lotion

This is a review of Himalaya Herbals Baby Body Lotion. It contains Olive and Almond oils to nourish and moisturize baby's skin and skin-soothing ingredients like licorice and country -mallow.

Himalaya Herbals Baby Lotion

Quantity and Price:
40 ml for INR 45
100 ml for INR 68
200 ml for INR 115
400 ml for INR 215

Shelf Life: 3 yrs from Mfg Date

Availability: You can buy online from Flipkart.com, Amazon.in, Firstcry.com, Babyoye.com etc. Also available easily in local pharmacies/chemist shops.

Description and Brand Claims:

Enriched with Almond oil and Olive oil, this quick absorbing daily use lotion nourishes and provides long lasting moisture to your baby's delicate skin. Regular use keeps your baby's skin soft, supple and protected.

100% Herbal Active Ingredients Hypoallergenic
No Harmful Chemicals
Mildness tested for baby skin

THE TRUTH:

It is replete with preservatives. Contains both Methyparaben and Propylparaben. Also contains Pehnoxyethanol. Phenoxyethanol also acts an anti-bacterial or anti-microbial in skin care products. 

According to a warning by the FDA of 2008 "Phenoxyethanol is a preservative that is primarily used in cosmetics and medications. It also can depress the central nervous system and may cause vomiting and diarrhea, which can lead to dehydration in infants" (source Wikipedia). It is classified as toxic or harmful for products for use around the mouth or on the lips. It is allowed only up to a 1% concentration in Japan.

It is impossible to avoid such chemicals as they are present in every skin care product for kids or adults. Just do not use any product continuously for very long and do use natural moisturizers like Avocado or Olive oil in between. Avocado oil softens skin like a dream.

Himalaya Herbals Baby Lotion Ingredients:

Olive Oil/ Jaitun Tail / Olea Europaea: Olive oil restores skin moisture and nourishes dry, damaged and rough skin. It is rich in Vitamin E, which provides anti-oxidant benefits. It improves skin elasticity and is again helpful in skin conditions like psoriasis.

Sweet Almond Oil / Prunus Amygdalus Oil: It is a light non-oily oil which gets very easily absorbed into the skin. It moisturizes and softens the skin.

Glycyrrhiza Glabra / Yashtimadhu / Licorice / Mulethi: Licorice soothes and repairs irritated skin and also has skin whitening benefits. It helps fight skin problems like dermatitis, eczema, and psoriasis. Also helpful in healing and reducing painful cold sores. This ingredient makes this lotion perfect even for adults with very dry painful skin in winters.

Country Mallow / Bala / Sida Cordifolia: Improves skin texture and glow. Thus it makes skin supple.

Guduchi / Amrit / Tinospora cordifolia: Guduchi helps soothe chronic skin irritations like psoriasis and eczema.

Disclaimer on bottle: "Natural herbal formulations tend to change color over time. However, the product efficacy remains unchanged." But I did not experience any color change in the lotion. That may occur when you store it for really really long. We finished it with daily use within 1-2 months of buying.

It is a herbal formulation and like all Ayurvedic products, the package says 'Ayurvedic Proprietary Medicine'.

My Experience with Himalaya Herbals Baby Lotion:

Himalaya Herbals Baby Lotion is a rich white lotion of medium to thick consistency. It is not runny and is ideal for winters. Though it can be used in summers too as an after-sun lotion. It smells like real rose and the fragrance is very soothing and natural. In fact all Himalaya Products smell great though I am not sure if the fragrance is from natural ingredients. It is nowhere mentioned on the pack.

Despite being thick, Himalaya baby lotion absorbs very easily, leaving the skin soft, supple, nourished and beautiful. It provides great moisturization and you don't really need to reapply except may be at night or after washing baby's skin. It never caused any irritation or reaction on the skin. However, if you notice any signs of allergy, please discontinue using immediately.

It feels very cool on the skin, just like prickly heat powders. It's skin soothing benefits and great ingredients makes it ideal for adults too. Adults with bith healthy or dry, damanged weeping skin can use this lotion.

This lotion has three preservatives added and I haven't seen any brand at least in India, mention the concentration/amount of preservatives used in a formulation. Personally this is a concern for me. I do not recommend long term continuous usage of any product repeatedly on baby's skin. So I keep rotating between this and several other lotions. I prefer using products with least preservatives.

But when I compare this lotion with high end brands like Mother Care or Aveeno etc, those have the crappiest of chemicals and have many many more preservatives than Himalaya products. Therefore, Himalaya baby lotion competes with many other costlier international brands in terms of quality and price.

Nonetheless, this lotion is extremely good and does what it claims. The whole Himalaya range of baby products is very affordable. So it is true value for money. You won't regret buying it.

Chicco Baby Moments Body Lotion Review

This is a review of Chicco Baby Moments Body Lotion from Chicco's newly launched 'Baby Moments' range.

Quantity and Price:

Available in 100 ml, 200 ml and 500 ml packings at Flipkart, Amazon, Babyoye, Firstcry etc.

• INR 109 for 100 ml
• INR 199 for 200 ml
• INR 399 for 500 ml

I was looking for Chicco's Soft & Moisturizing Baby Lotion which my baby has used many times before. It was really good. But suddenly it is missing from online stores, so I bought this one.

Comes with this Press Open lid

Chicco Baby Moments Body Lotion is white in color. The fragrance is very pleasant and same as the Chicco Baby Moments Rich Cream, but thankfully this one does not smell like egg later on, like their Baby Moments Rich Cream. We have been using it daily for almost a month now.

INGREDIENTS:

Some of the ingredients are the same as the Baby Moments Rich Cream. Phenoxyethanol is a less harmful preservative chemical as compared to parabens, but it is not safe to be used around mouth or lips. It is a known skin irritant even in small concentration and a neurotoxin in higher concentrations.

In Japan, the concentration of phenoxyethanol in cosmetics and skin care products is limited to 1%. It also acts as an anti-bacterial or anti-microbial agent.

CLAIMS:

Parabens Free
Hypoallergenic and Clinically Tested
Contains Vitamin E
Safe to use right from birth (0+ months)
Dyes and alcohol free

The consistency is fine but it contains water (I know other baby body lotions which contain water too). When I apply this lotion to my baby's body, I feel more water and less cream.

It is non oily and contains sweet almond milk. Being water based and non-oily, it is suitable only for use in Summers and less cold months only. It does not provide the rich moisturization required by baby skin in severe winters.

It does not easily absorb into the skin. Earlier I used to massage and massage to blend it into baby's skin but it still won't absorb. I have learnt that if I apply and just leave it, it gets absorbed on its own in a couple of minutes.

Their discontinued Chicco Soft Moisturizing Body lotion used to be exceptionally good for winters.

UPDATE: I had bought this lotion for use in winters and it didn't provide adequate moisturization in severe winters. I haven't repurchased this lotion or tried it in summers yet, but Chicco Baby Moments Baby Powder and Chicco Baby Moments Rich Cream are great and we are using them from last 2 seasons.

Hushbabies.com Shopping Experience Review

NOTE: This is an outdated post. Husbabies.com has closed down and is no longer into business.

This is a review of the kids online shopping site hushbabies.com, which is based out of New Delhi, India. You can shop in INR or USD currencies through they take international orders only in special cases (details below).

WHAT I LIKED ABOUT HUSHBABIES.COM

Hushbabies.com offers a good variety of baby products at great discounts. I have compared their prices with other online businesses and found them really good. The packaging of items is really rich and impressive (see pictures further below). There are great offers going on continuously, which you can check through their Facebook page or by subscribing to their promotional newsletter through their website.

They also hold a GOODNIGHT sale between 10 pm and 6 am every night where 20 items are offered on great prices. The items keep changing every 2-3 days.

REWARD CASH POINTS: Another great feature I found was besides the discount, you also accumulate some cash points when you shop. I don't know (haven't checked) the exact calculation, but they did show my points at checkout and I could use a good number of those points to further discount my first bill. Wow! The remaining points are still in my account and will add up with my next order.

Hushbabies.com has a Toll Free number 1800-102-2297, which they do not advertise but is mentioned on the order box. Otherwise you can contact on +91 9250792507 or email support@hushbabies.com. The phone is sometimes very busy but emails are answered promptly.

My first experience with them was spoilt a little by the courier company but I am satisfied with all other aspects of the business. Read to know what happened!

MY SHOPPING EXPERIENCE WITH HUSHBABIES.COM

As this was my first order with them, I ordered only 3 items which I urgently required. I called them up in advance to check on the courier service and they offered Blue Dart and DTDC. Since I wanted Blue Dart (DTDC being the worst service here), they asked me to email the order number with the request for courier of my choice. I did that.

Dec 5, 2012: Order Placed

Dec 8, 2012: Partial order received

Dec 12, 2012: Remaining order shipped

Dec 21, 2012: Remaining order received

I was very happy to receive my order exactly in 3.5 days through Blue Dart, along with my Hoopos.com order. But when I opened the box, I found only two items. It was mentioned in the attached paper bill that a part of the shipment will be sent later. THEY SPLIT MY ORDER WITHOUT INFORMING ME! 

I called up customer care and was told the item is temporarily not available and will be shipped in approximately 8 days. They shipped it exactly one week later from the first shipment date and I received an email with the tracking number. 

When I did not receive it for 5 days, I called them on Dec 17 and was told it is still in transit. I called again on Dec 19 and the guy said it has already been delivered on the 15th??? WTH!!! I gave them a good piece of my mind and asked them to check and call me back as I had not received the remaining order.

They took further 3 days for the investigation. In the meantime, I received a few calls 48 hours after my complaint and they were waiting for the proof of delivery sheet. I had demanded they send me a scanned copy of the signature of the person who received my order.

On Dec 21, I wrote them a sting email. The missing item was for < Rs 200 but it became a question of my integrity when they kept asserting I have received it already! 2 hours after my sting email, the DTDC guy came to deliver my order. Despite requesting and confirming in advance, they sent the 2nd part of order through DTDC!!!

I received the order from DTDC and refused to sign till he first showed me the sheet, where according to them I had received the order on Dec 15. The man made numerous excuses and I gave him a good verbal thrashing. DTDC has done this to us many times before, so I never shop from any business that ships only through DTDC.

Anyways, I informed hushbabies.com about the courier guy and they were shocked. At every step DTDC kept telling them they delivered when they did not. It took 9 days to receive my remaining order and total 16 days from order date.

A SWEET RESOLUTION FROM HUSHBABIES.COM

A particular person from hushbabies.com team has been assigned to my account. They have put a note in my account to ship all future orders through Blue Dart only (they better do that!). For split order problem, the lady said I can check with her in advance before placing the order and if anything is about to go out of stock, she will block one for me. That's really sweet of them and I am happy with the resolution.

PACKAGING:

Impressive and very sturdy. I have saved both the cardboard boxes to store other stuff :)

Nicely laminated!

See the cute lamination!

Hard cardboard box

Each item was further sealed to ensure it reaches you untouched

SHIPPING

• They ship only within India, but it is mentioned in their Shipping Policy that they do consider international orders sometimes as a special case, provided you contact customer care in much advance. You can shop in INR or USD currencies.
• Also they do not ship to certain areas in West Bengal, but always check with Customer Care first.
• Free shipping on all orders above Rs 249.
• Rs 50 shipping charges for orders below Rs 250.
• Standard shipping takes 3-7 days like all other online businesses.
• Expedited Shipping: This is an additional feature where you can pay to get  your order delivered in 2-3 days through express shipping. Both shipping options are shown at checkout.
• If you are in a remote area, you may face problems with this business because of courier. So, before placing an order with any online shopping site, always contact customer care first, to check the delivery options in your area.

SCOPE OF IMPROVEMENT

Besides the courier incident, I have heard other customer complaints about items going 'temporarily unavailable' and then shipping them late. Some businesses clearly show the quantity left for each item and if something goes out of stock, where many people are ordering simultaneously, your order should not be processed.

Hushbabies.com has no such provision. They take all the orders and check the quantity later at the time of shipping. So if a customer needs something urgently, this will make a very poor shopping experience. Definitely a scope of improvement when there are so many other businesses in competition. Also, they should inform the customer immediately when splitting an order.

I will shop again with them to see how they deliver on the promises of service they have made me, before completely striking them off my list. I am happy with all other aspects of the business.