Child’s Farm: A Safe Skincare Range for the WHOLE family?

Oh me goshh! Do you feel it? The nip in the air? Well, actually never mind nip, we’re talking full on icicle hands and toetsies already over here! Winter seems to have come early! And with it, so has my kids extra dry skin. (Anyone else on my winter skin vibes?) But this year, I’m feeling far more prepared to help their little sensitive skins survive the season. In fact, I’ve been trying out quite a few products this year, and thanks to the wonderful folks at Child’s Farm who arrived in SA last year, we were able to give their products a good test run!

In this day and age, the awareness about what we put into AND ONTO our children’s bodies has become greater and greater. Everyone is looking to ensure that they’re using products that contain only the best and most natural ingredients. However, the reality of South Africa’s social-economic state is such that not everyone can afford the price tag that so often comes along with the superb products. And here is where I think Child’s Farm opens itself up to becoming more accessible to more folks of South Africa.

What must be very clearly noted is that Childs Farm is not organic. However, 98% of their ingredients in all their products are all naturally derived.

And, in summary their products :

· Have zero artificial colourants

· And very importantly contain no parabens (Parabens are a type of preservative used to prolong shelf life in many health and beauty products by preventing the growth of mould and bacteria within them. They are believed to be able to penetrate the skin and remain in the tissue, and are believed to disrupt hormone function by mimicking oestrogen. And with that have come many theories about it possibly causing cancer.)

· Contain no Sodium Lauryl Suplphates (It’s what’s used in products to make it foam up, but is also a known skin irritant. It strips the skin of its natural oils which can cause dry skin, irritation and various reactions such as itchy skin and scalp, eczema and dermatitis.)

· And no mineral oils (mineral oils are made from petroleum, which as you should know by now is a big no-no for skin.It clogs pores and whilst it supposedly keeps whatever hydration the skin already has, it actually gives your skin nothing. Also it has a high risk of containing toxins. So you definitely DON’T want this in your skin products.)

Child’s farm understand the importance of ensuring that none of these skin baddies go into their products. This is why they do contain organic essential oils. (because not all essential oils are created the equally, so their choice of organic is always your best bet)

Now, when our family first started using it, you’d remember how I raved about their fragrances: And if you’ve followed my other mom bloggy friends, you’d know that so did they. So now weeks later, let me assure you right now, we are NOT exaggerating! All of their products have absolutely divinely delicious fragrances that make you either want to EAT it, or bury your face in the bottle just to get your kicks! Seriously, the happy, fruity scents makes me want to gobble it up! 🙂

And whats more is that the WHOLE family can use their entire range. So yes, even though some of their products will say newborn, the truth is ALL their products can be used on your newborn and up. Meaning, even mom and dad used it too – can you blame me, though? The stuff smells so freakin’ tasty!

And here’s my verdict on the various products on offer:

3 in 1 Swim shampoo:

Im very paranoid about the drying effects of chlorine on my childrens’ hair with their weekly swim lessons. Whilst my girls both have healthy, easy to maintain hair, it can get a bit fly-away, especially in the front. There are one or two shampoos that I’m currently loving for their hair, but when it comes to swim days I was still worried if I was doing enough to ensure no damage was being done. Enter Child’s farm 3 in 1 – shampoo, conditioner and body wash. Smells of strawberries and (organic) mint, and leaves their hair obviously clear of all chlorine.(it’s usually dull looking when the chlorine hasnt been removed well enough)

Now, I think the first time, daddy used too much product on their hair (yes, he washes their hair), as he was trying to make it foam. But after explaining to him that it doesn’t have to foam for it be working, he cut back, and sure enough their hair was clean and glossy without feeling stripped of moisture. (Ps. Child’s Farm uses Lauryl glucoside which can be used as a foaming agent, and deemed as “safe for use” by Safe Cosmetics Database.)

However, in the weeks that followed, I found that even with proper “dosage”, my girls’ hair was quite fly-away afterwards (a bit more than usual)and I didn’t notice any improvement in making their less tangly post wash. In fact, their hair was a little more tricky to comb through before blow drying when using this shampoo.

What is nice is that this product can be used on their body as well – because even skin needs to be rid of the chlorine! And as can be expected, the girls were super excited about the smell alone.and gave their personal thumbs up.

Me, however, whilst happy to know that their hair and skin is rid of chlorine, I’m not happy about the way my girls’ hair looks after.

The newborn lotion for sensitive skin

So all my kids for some reason, develop a dry patch or two in their early weeks of life, and these dry patches tend to become more visible come the cooler months like March, April onwards. So, for four weeks, I diligently used the lotion for almost every nappy change and bathtime on my Remy boy (I don’t bath my baby every night – as newborns’ skin don’t need it).And whilst it didn’t completely remove his dry patch, it absolutely did improve the state of it, and no doubt kept the rest of his little chubby thighs beautifully soft and moisturized.

It didn’t aggravate his already dry skin, or cause any sorts of rashes. It really did keep his skin soft and feeling moisturized.

Shampoo for sensitive skin

I used this one on Yuriko-Mae and Remy-James, and am pleased to say that firstly Yuriko’s hair, which is curly, felt beautifully soft afterwards, and tangle free! Granted her hair is pretty easy to maintain even with the curls, this shampoo kept it shiny, soft and manageble without affecting her skin.

Then secondly Remy-James who’s had cradle cap for some time now, has defintely shown an improvement after three washes. In fact, its’ almost gone.

Hair and Body washes

Each of my big girls chose which hair & body wash they wanted based on the scent.(suprise-surpise!) Morgan-Lee went for the Black Berry and Organic Apple, and Pax went for Organic Sweet Orange. Both of which contain argan oil. (Which by the way, Im a big fan of!)

Now, as they’ve grown up, both of them no longer have their dry patches that used to plague them as babies. However, come winter time, I noted that we had to be careful what products we used on them – not only in terms of moisturizing post bath, but cleansers too. Now, granted, our kids do not suffer thankfully from eczema or other severe skin troubles, they still tend to have drier skin, and have had history of dry patches. Any time we used poor quality products, we’d see it in their skin within a week of use immediately. Now after a month of consistent use, I can safely say that these products have worked well on my little girls’ skin. It didn’t aggravate or cause any reactions, and left their skins feeling quite neutral – which is a good thing.

Now the one thing I DO want to bring up is the Parfum. It’s quite clearly, and responsibly listed on their ingredients list. So, if your skin is of the sensitive type that reacts harshly to parfum, then you may need to proceed with caution. You know your skin. (however, I found their unfragranced baby wash over here at Clicks)

Also if you have specific skin problems that require special or specific treatment, or even products that need prescriptive or professionally recommended products to treat a particular skin issue, then do not confuse Child’s Farm with that. As in, Child’s Farm products won’t “cure” or take away your medical skin issue or act as a substitute treatment, however in my opinion, is gentle enough to not aggravate it.

The best way I would put this is that whilst Child’s Farm may not be beneficial for eczeme prone skin, it IS certainly suitable. It is gentle and mild enough to enjoy. And is certainly well priced! In fact, I think it’s a great bang for your buck, and am not surpised as to why it performed so exceedingly well in the UK!I have no doubt it will do well here on our home soil too.

Child’s Farm is available at Clicks, Takealot and, as I’ve heard, will be expanding to other retailers in the near future.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m gonna crack open a bottle of Sweet Orange body wash, and just sniff it for a while.

Please note: I was sent these products to trial, and to provide my unbiased opinions. I was not paid to write this, and the opinions here are honest and all my own, as always.