Need advice on California Baby products

[Wondermom]

I want to try the California Baby products for my 4-MO who just got diagnosed with eczema, but am confused about which to use. The Calendula cream looks like a nice thick cream that will rub into the skin, but it's got a fragrance ingredient. The Super-Sensitive lotion has no fragrance, but seems thin.

BTW, here's how I plan to use the CB product: in consultation with the pediatrician, I'm going to slather DS2 with Aquaphor at night, in conjunction with a prescription (cutivate, steroid) lotion during flare-ups. But I need an allergy-friendly lotion for everyday/daytime use--thus the CB inquriy. (After using the Aquaphor a few times at night, I'd definitely like something less greasy for day).

Also, FYI--Ped. said she'd heard good things from parents about Triple Paste's Triple Cream, but after looking at the ingredient list in comparison with CB, I'd prefer the more natural ingredients in CB.

[Melaine]

We use the Calendula cream on any kind of dry or irritated spot of skin (the girls do have mild eczema that flairs periodically) and it works great for us. I think it is more for spot treatment.

[Wondermom]

Thanks. Maybe I should use the Calendula cream for only spot application with the thinner lotion for all-over body.

Thoughts anyone?

[firemama]

I used to nanny a little boy who had eczema and his pediatrician recommended a mild soap and lotion by Cetaphil. This IMO was not a good recommendation because it has parabens. His mom tried it and it did nothing for his eczema. Then she tried California Baby Tea Tree & Lavender (with fragrance) and it still didn't work (maybe the unscented sensitive skin one would work, but she gave up and didn't try it). California Baby is an okay company, I question some of their ingredients...

I think your best bet would be to try Little Twig Bodymilk: Extra Mild Unscented. It is certified organic, paraben free, fragrance free and mineral oil free. I've never tried it on a baby, but it seems like a nice thin daytime lotion. I registered for these bath/lotion products for my soon to be baby. The ingredient list is on littletwig.com and it sounds like the least irritating.

Another option instead of Aquaphor (IMHO this isn't good either, petroleum is not good for any age or anybody) would be Mustela Stelatopia moisturizing cream. It says 'for dry and eczema prone skin' on the bottle. On their website mustelausa.com, it says it 'limits the need for use of corticosteroids by up to 75%'. His mom and I eventually tried this for him and it helps a lot. It is thick and a little greasy so it would be good for a nighttime cream. This is also paraben and fragrance free. (It's sold at Babies 'R Us and Buy Buy Baby too!)

Good luck! These are just my opinions - I am a self-proclaimed lotion and ingredient junkie! :)

[Katigre]

I would research the ingredients in all of those products on skindeep.com (including aquaphor) before putting them on a baby's skin...the skin is our largest organ and absorbs all of those chemicals. Many of the ones in those products are endocrine disruptors and the younger you are, the more vulnerable to their long-term effects.

Sometimes they are needed for eczema (I suffer from it myself and there are times that nothing but the steroid will help) but I have found that by changing my diet I am able to go years between steroid cream usage because my flare-ups are much reduced compared to how they were when I was eating a lot of food I was sensitive to.

What have you eliminated/changed in your diet (if bf'ing) or baby's diet (if formula feeding) to help reduce the eczema outbreaks? What about the laundry detergent/fabric softener, scented products in the home, bath products used on baby and others in the household?

[Wondermom]

What have you eliminated/changed in your diet (if bf'ing) or baby's diet (if formula feeding) to help reduce the eczema outbreaks? What about the laundry detergent/fabric softener, scented products in the home, bath products used on baby and others in the household?

I just got the diagnosis for DS2 yesterday and have been doing all the research I can, since I'm not familiar with eczema. I am breastfeeding exclusively, so I'm about to cut out dairy as the first/most typical dietary item to see how that goes. I also just ordered Charlie's Soap and dryerballs for laundry so we can put everyone on the same detergent. Prev. just used Dreft for baby and Tide for rest of us.

I've never been an ingredient junkie, but I was yesterday when researching. I did look up the various products that I saw recommended on the threads on SkinDeep and SafeMama, plus Drug-something-site. I had not seen any prior recs for Little Twig, so thanks for that Firemama. Will look into it.

I grew up in a household where no one had any allergies/sensitivities, so this is all new to me. We thought DS1 had an allergy to mango when he tried his first baby foods, but he's grown out of it and had negative tests for all the other common allergens, so I've not been vigilent about this sort of stuff. DS2 is taking me into new territory, so I appreciate the help from those of you who've been there.

:love5:

[longtallsally05]

At the suggestion of a friend, I tried the CB diaper rash cream on my DS and he howled, cried and kicked like crazy until I wiped it off. I think it stings his bottom (which is red and rashy, hence the need for diaper cream). There is a lot of fragrant essential oils in CB's diaper rash cream. It smells great but just because something is made with natural ingredients doesn't make it mild/non-irritating. DS doesn't have that reaction when I put Aquaphor on him as an alternative. I want to go back to using Triple Paste, but I can't seem to find any in stores around my house. I must look further afield. DS never had diaper rash until he started eating lots of table food and began pooping much more frequently. I don't always notice right away when he's poopy and it is just burning up his skin. With Triple Paste I finally got the skin to heal over, but it is very sensitive and gets red instantly when he poops. Poor child...

[MontrealMum]

The only CA Baby items I use on DS are the sunscreen, shampoo, and some of the bubble baths. He's allergic to calendula so that rules out all their eczema products for him. One of the major natural soothers of eczema is oatmeal (I suffer from it myself, so I know a lot about it). You can try oatmeal baths, as well as Aveeno lotion. I prefer the adult version, the baby one has too much extra "stuff", surprisingly, IMO. Lots of moms like Aquafor here, though it's hard for me to get the real stuff, being in Canada, so I'm not as well versed in it.

With a kiddo with eczema it's a delicate balance between the "bad" EWG products, things that set off allergies (these often go hand-in-hand w/eczema) and more natural items. Unfortunately the herbal ingredients in "safer" and natural products can also trigger an allergic reaction and eczema in someone who's sensitive to it. You've got to do a lot of trial and error :(

Calendula is a fairly common allergen as it comes from marigolds and lots of people are allergic or sensitive to the marigold plant. Unfortunately, it's in lots of baby diaper rash and regular cremes (CA baby, Weleda, and IIRC is in some of Burt's Bees as well).

[crl]

I used to nanny a little boy who had eczema and his pediatrician recommended a mild soap and lotion by Cetaphil. This IMO was not a good recommendation because it has parabens. His mom tried it and it did nothing for his eczema. Then she tried California Baby Tea Tree & Lavender (with fragrance) and it still didn't work (maybe the unscented sensitive skin one would work, but she gave up and didn't try it). California Baby is an okay company, I question some of their ingredients...





Good luck! These are just my opinions - I am a self-proclaimed lotion and ingredient junkie! :)

Just curious, which CA Baby ingredients do you question?

Catherine

[Wondermom]

Thanks for all the responses. As a follow-up, we've been using a generic version of the cutivate (steorid) cream that the pediatrician prescribed (very sparingly and only on the bumpy portions of his skin), and then slather Aquaphor all over at night under his PJs. I wanted a less sticky lotion to use daytime, and so the inquiry about CA Baby.

Initially, I thought this cutivate/aquaphor combo made a huge difference, but I'm now thinking that it was ALSO our use of generic Zyrtec that made the biggest difference (2 ml 1x a day--at bedtime). We misplaced the syringe we used for the Zyrtec, and I had to go out of town for 2 days, so DS went without the Zyrtec for 4 days straight. The eczema came back with a fury. We put him back on the Zyrtec this wekeend (along with the cutivate/aquaphor combo), and it's MUCH improved again.

On the CA Baby, I was questioning the calendula and other "fragrant" ingredients, so I went with the "sensitive" baby lotion. I've NOT actually used very much of that. My pediatrician sister-in-law sent me a bunch of trial-sized lotions, and I've really liked the Triple Paste-made Triple Cream. It's thicker than the CA Baby lotion, and just ever so slightly greasy feeling. I've also been using the CA Baby "sensitive" baby wash, but I don't particularly care for the frangrance of that. Someone told me about Little Twig, which is NOT in the Skin Deep database, but I'm probably going to try once we run out of the CA Baby wash.

[firemama]

Just curious, which CA Baby ingredients do you question?

Catherine

I question CA Baby ingredients because they use parabens. I avoid these like the plague. I have heard they are not bad in small quanitites, but when I first started researching ingredients, they are in almost everything. They just don't belong in beauty products and there are other natural ingredients that are better.

They also use essential oils, which are not bad at all. I just don't think they're good for little ones. It's almost like unnecessary fragrances that irritate their skin.

And even the California Baby 'Super Sensitive' products have parabens. So that is why I don't like their products. It's a great concept and they are headed in the right direction. They don't use sodium lauryl sulfates or petroleum, and their other ingredients are good. Just not the parabens.

[pantrygirl]

I question CA Baby ingredients because they use parabens. I avoid these like the plague. I have heard they are not bad in small quanitites, but when I first started researching ingredients, they are in almost everything. They just don't belong in beauty products and there are other natural ingredients that are better.

They also use essential oils, which are not bad at all. I just don't think they're good for little ones. It's almost like unnecessary fragrances that irritate their skin.

And even the California Baby 'Super Sensitive' products have parabens. So that is why I don't like their products. It's a great concept and they are headed in the right direction. They don't use sodium lauryl sulfates or petroleum, and their other ingredients are good. Just not the parabens.
Hi.

I'm curious, can link to information regarding this? One of the reasons I chose CA Baby was because on its site and the skindeep site, parabens are not listed. From the CA Baby site, "* At the beginning of 2005, California Baby® reformulated all products and removed parabens from our ingredients. Please note that we are still updating our labels so some reformulated products may have labels that do not reflect this change. Our products are run in small batches and turnover very quickly. We feel confident that our products in the marketplace are paraben free."

Thanks.
:D

[firemama]

Hi.

I'm curious, can link to information regarding this? One of the reasons I chose CA Baby was because on its site and the skindeep site, parabens are not listed. From the CA Baby site, "* At the beginning of 2005, California Baby® reformulated all products and removed parabens from our ingredients. Please note that we are still updating our labels so some reformulated products may have labels that do not reflect this change. Our products are run in small batches and turnover very quickly. We feel confident that our products in the marketplace are paraben free."

Thanks.
:D


The California Baby website does not list their ingredients (that makes me suspicious), they only list what they do or don't have. I found an ingredient list on drugstore.com, (so maybe these are old bottles with old formulas?)

Here's a couple links of ingredient lists that I found:

http://www.drugstore.com/products/prod.asp?pid=54794&catid=11936

http://www.drugstore.com/products/prod.asp?pid=151263&catid=11936

Maybe they did change their formula, but the essential oils/fragrances are too much for my taste.

[sunshineandme]

DS used to have eczema on his face along with KP spots. he has that on hi arms too. After reading a thread here, I stopped washing DS' face with the body wash I used during bath, and ever since it all disappeared from his face! I definitely think it's not washing his face with anything other than plain water that helped. The KP bumps on his arms are still there, but I haven't tried not using the wash there. I do let the shampoo run onto his face once in a while - in case there's some serious gunk there, it'll come off. Also, the first few months of life, we mostly used different kinds of oils on DS - he had really good skin then....sigh...

[ett]

The California Baby website does not list their ingredients (that makes me suspicious), they only list what they do or don't have. I found an ingredient list on drugstore.com, (so maybe these are old bottles with old formulas?)

Here's a couple links of ingredient lists that I found:

http://www.drugstore.com/products/prod.asp?pid=54794&catid=11936

http://www.drugstore.com/products/prod.asp?pid=151263&catid=11936

Maybe they did change their formula, but the essential oils/fragrances are too much for my taste.

Those ingredient lists are out of date.