Bath time is a highly anticipated activity in this house.  Not least by myself (what frazzled mum doesn’t love a good soak in the tub?), but of course, the littlest man himself.  It may be a daily ritual but with a menagerie of flashing frogs and half a dozen rubber ducks, it’s always a heap of fun.

*PR GIFTED / CHILD’S FARM

Bath time wasn’t always this enjoyable, for me anyway.  When Reuben was younger bath time used to stress me right out – trying to steady a slippery newborn with one arm and wash with the other, my back, still mostly hurt from childbirth and SPD, couldn’t cope with the bending over and kneeling on the floor, and manoeuvring the baby bath with and without water was a total nightmare.  So once Reuben was able to sit on his own and it freed me somewhat, bathing my little one thankfully became more than a necessary means.

Now Reuben’s baby bath has moved into the big bath (because he loves to splash more than my bathroom floor appreciates it) – and sometimes we even have mummy and baby baths together – the water fun is very much amplified!  And what’s water good at doing?  Going everywhere.  And while Reuben can’t stand water running into his eyes, it certainly helps when the bubble bath is tear-free.

In Reuben’s first year we’ve so far tried quite a few baby skincare brands.  In the early weeks, Reuben was cleansed with simple water, but wanting something harder working (and sweeter smelling) I started to introduce products.  Some were too harsh for his new skin, making him a little inflamed and sensitive, while others have been gentle enough to use but contained ugly sounding chemical ingredients.  Where babies’ skin is concerned, as natural as possible is the safest and best option, and when a product is as nice to use as it is effective, it’s all the better.

Sensitive skin-friendly children’s skincare brand, Child’s Farm, sent us three of their lovely products: body wash, shampoo and moisturiser.  I’d already been using some of Child’s Farm newborn baby range, so I was fairly familiar with their stuff when we came to try these products, it was just a treat to be able to move onto the yummier scented bottles!

So what did we try?  Full size 250ml bottles of: Hair and Body Wash with Organic Sweet Orange, Shampoo with Strawberry and Organic Mint, and the Cocoa and Shea Butter Baby Moisturiser from the baby range.

The hair and body wash is a brilliant all-in-one cleanser.  It has a beautiful fresh fruity scent making it perfect for an energising wash and brush up, so I mostly use it for Reuben’s morning wash: face washing, hand washing, bottom washing and freshening up those sweaty sleep suit toes!

The bubbles are very soft and voluminous and the more you swish up in the water, the more foam you get.  I don’t like the water too frothy when I top and tail but if it’s going in the bath, it’s great for bubbly fun.

The naturally fragranced sweet orange scent smells pure and unoffensive.  Just strong enough to smell but not overbearing.  Reuben’s hair and skin dries to a soft touch, and doesn’t have any stickiness even if he’s come out of the bath covered in foam.

The shampoo is Reuben’s most invigorating hair cleanser, but it’s by no means a cold minty blast like adult mint products can be.  It smells delicious!  With the softness of fresh strawberry and just a light hint of mint, it’s a yummy mocktail treat for the hair.

Like the body wash, the shampoo has a foam that gently lathers but rinses super fast leaving his hair soft and easy to comb.  As much as I do try to avoid it, Reuben’s shampoo often trickles into his face, which he panics about, but there’s never ever any tears.  So, thankfully that mint isn’t a stinging sensation.  And amongst the natural ingredients there’s even argan oil (something I like my own hair treatments to contain!), which I’m sure Reuben’s moisturised hair is attributed to.

The moisturiser is a softly fragranced body lotion that’s a real treat to use.  With a silky texture and subtle baby talc scent thanks to the luscious shea and cocoa butters, it melts into the skin with no residue and leaves the skin feeling fresh and replenished.

I love using this moisturiser because it’s simple yet feels like a premium treat – and it’s great for using in massage because it doesn’t absorb too quickly.  I smooth it into Reuben’s skin after his daily evening bath and something he particularly enjoys is his foot massage!  I pump a little moisturiser, warm it up in my hands and slather it onto his feet, concentrating on the soles of his feet, massaging with slow, deep circular motions.  It really helps him wind down and chill after an energetic bath.

Something random that I like about the Child’s Farm products is the lid style of the washes and shampoos.  You have to press down on one side of the lid so the other end pops up, which is great for deterring kids from opening bottles.  Reuben does like to play with the bottles on his changing table, and by play I mean pull them off and attempt to eat them.  I worry about him sticking lids and bottle caps in his mouth so I’m glad I don’t have to worry about him getting hold of the Child’s Farm stuff.

Anything that makes life easier and less of a stress is a winner with me.  A range of baby skincare that’s near enough completely natural (98%), kind to the most sensitive of skins and is a joy to use, gives me peace of mind, at least at the end of the day.  It’s cringe-worthy corny, but it’s true – a happy baby makes a happy mum, and who can argue this little face doesn’t love his bath time?!

What’s your favourite baby skincare brands?  Do you look for natural ingredients and sensitive skin compatibility?  Do you like scented products or prefer them fragrance free?  I’d love to hear in the comments below.