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.