One day after my daughter was born, the pediatrician entered my hospital room with a grave warning: “your baby has sensitive skin,” she said. Duh, I thought. Don’t all babies have sensitive skin? No, apparently my cherub – who’s skin was noticeably flushed on various areas of her body – suffered from skin sensitivity as an actual condition. Today, nearly 18 months later, she still flushes easily on her cheeks. However, I’m happy to report her skin is far less sensitive, and touch wood hasn’t been plagued by issues like eczema or contact dermatitis when various lotions and potions are spread over her tender loins. That said, from birth I used only plain, fragrance-free aqueous cream on her skin (and to wash her with too), but now I’m happy to bath and wash her hair with gentle washes and shampoos and use a range of lotions and moisturisers on her skin. I still lean towards products free from fragrance as perfumes used in skin products are well known to cause skin sensitivity, whether your skin is naturally sensitive or not. However, I’ve sometimes used washes with fragrance and I’ve yet to notice a rash appear.
As a beauty journalist – and relatively new mother – I’m encouraged to see various never-before-seen baby brands and ranges now available on our local market, giving the old guard a run for their money. I’m all about choice: the consumer needs it, and especially mums who want what they want for their babies and toddlers’ skincare needs. Enter Dove’s new Baby Dove collection, a range that’s impressively comprehensive in its fullness – think head-to-toe washes, a stand-alone shampoo, moisturising lotions, wipes, a nappy cream, a baby bar (soap), and a petroleum jelly. Two ranges make up the collection; a moisture-rich one and a sensitive one. I trialed them both on my daughter (I would have stopped if her skin had showed the slightest bit of reactive sensitivity, which it didn’t) and the results are in. Firstly, loads of choice – yay to that – and secondly, efficacy, easy-to-use packaging and no skin issues after use. Read on…
I’m a fan of wipes, and so is my daughter as they provide hours of entertainment pulling them free from the packet. Both the Rich Moisture Baby Wipes and the Sensitive Moisture Baby Wipes (R31.99 each for 50 wipes), did the job and weren’t overly wet (in other words, didn’t leave her bottom soaking after application which sometimes can happen). If this does occur, and you apply a barrier cream too quickly without drying the bottom first, the skin remains damp and susceptible to nappy rash.
After Candice-Lee showed me the range, I actually went out and bought the Sensitive Moisture Head to Toe Wash (R38.99 for 200ml) because I wanted to use it on Poppet immediately. Perhaps it’s because I’m a lazy mother, but I love a body cleanser that I can wash her hair with too.
There is a stand-alone shampoo in the collection (Rich Moisture Shampoo, R49.99 for 200ml), and I’ve tried and love it, but work smart not hard I say! However, this is my advice: if you notice your tot’s hair is dry (like it needs conditioner), use the shampoo. In the formula are mild surfactants (cleansing agents) at low levels, meaning that this is not a shampoo packed with scary detergents normally found in hair cleansers for adults.
When I’m striving for a “Mother of the Year” award, I massage Poppet with a dollop of moisturiser post-bath. As we live in the drought-stricken Western Cape, her bath resembles a puddle (which we share) and I find if I use a heavy-textured cream afterwards she doesn’t enjoy the tacky feeling on her skin and moans. The Sensitive Moisture Baby Lotion (R48.99 for 200ml) is perfect for her and wonderfully absorbent. But I may very well switch to the Rich Moisture Baby Lotion (R48.99 for 200ml) in the heat for summer if her skin gets very dry as our weather pattern is sadly so lacking in moisture.
Lastly, the Rich Moisture Nappy Cream (R34.99 for 45gr) is currently being toted around in Poppet’s nappy bag. I’ve tried many nappy creams in her near-18 months on this planet. I do have my favourite, I’ll be honest, but this one effectively helps protect baby’s skin from redness by creating a barrier that helps shield the skin from irritation. It is certainly up there with the very best I’ve tried.
Bottom line? Gift this product set – or certainly elements of it – to a friend who’s about to have a baby. Mix and match products in the collection. Go with the wash from sensitive range for when baby has just been born and then the moisture shampoo for when he or she is a little older and has a gorgeous head of hair. That’s the beauty of this collection; there’s fantastic choice and you can really get what you – and baby bug – need!
Written and reviewed by Helen Clemson
Baby Dove is available at Clicks stores nationwide, supermarkets and select pharmacies.
