My eldest daughter (aged six) has a Christmas/birthday list that has about five different named make-up sets on it. She already has quite a bit of the stuff already (I have never bought her any myself) and last weekend spent loads of her own money trying to win a nail polish set on the tombola at a Christmas fayre. Her four-year-old twin sisters don’t own any, but use their big sister’s; sometimes with permission, but usually without.

I certainly don’t make a big thing of putting on make-up and my whole routine takes less than five minutes, so where has the obsession come from? Should I be worried that they’ve all taken to preening themselves in front of the mirror and that the younger two are always banging on about wanting to wear ‘beautiful dresses’?

Two in Three British Mothers Allow Daughters Under 8 to Have Professional Beauty Treatments

Yesterday I received a press release, which simultaneously reassured and alarmed me. The headline: Two in Three British Mothers Allow Daughters Under 8 to Have Professional Beauty Treatments. This reassured me that their behaviour is probably pretty harmless comparatively-speaking, but professional beauty treatments for the under 8’s, really? I think I was in my early twenties before I had my first professional manicure, let alone anything else.

The release, based on research from The British Association of Beauty Therapists and Cosmetologists (BABTAC), went on to say that a third stated that their child underwent professional beauty services ‘regularly’. Apparently three-quarters of those who did let their daughters have treatments said that they improved their child’s confidence levels. How very sad.

So where do I draw the line? Currently my eldest is allowed lip gloss and nail varnish for parties (she dabbles with eye shadow, but I don’t let her leave the house with it on) and the twins are allowed just nail varnish for parties.

What I’m struggling with is where experimenting, being a bit creative and having fun crosses into more worrying territory; a territory where girls are completely obsessed about their appearance and are actually using make-up and demanding beauty treatments to feel better about themselves.

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A week after his return I was sent some samples from Swedish eco-organic skincare brand Estelle & Thild: a baby shampoo and conditioner from its Baby & Child Collection. So, I have been using its baby shampoo instead of Chicco for the purposes of this review.

Baby shampoo and conditioner

Like the Green People brand (see review here), this range was also developed by a mum, and was inspired by the baby soft skin of her children (Estelle and Mathilde). The Baby & Child range is certified organic and100% free from perfume and fragrance oils, which often cause irritation and allergies. This means they are fantastic for babies and children with even very sensitive skin.

I’m quite a sucker for packaging and my first thought was how gorgeous the two products looked. They would make a wonderful gift.

The shampoo lathers up beautifully. It is £13.80 for 200ml, but I did find you needed a lot less than with any other shampoos I’ve used, so you can apply sparingly. I asked whether it was ok if it got into the kids’ eyes and was advised  – like with most products – to avoid the eye area. It’s not actually billed as a ‘no tears’ formula. With three of them thrashing about in the tub it did end up in their eyes, but we had no stinging issues as the product is so mild and gentle. It rinsed out well and left their hair looking shiny.

My eldest daughter’s hair has only just got to the length where it requires conditioner, so I have no brand loyalty as yet. The Estelle and Thild conditioner is £14.70 for 150ml, but again you only need the smallest amount; a lot less than the other brands we have tried so far. It leaves Sofia’s hair wonderfully soft and manageable. I have also used it on my own hair and was very happy with the results. The conditioner has quite a thick consistency, which is very nice but makes it a bit difficult to get out of the bottle even when it’s full. Like the shampoo, it rinses out well and doesn’t weigh the hair down.

I have to say I miss not having any fragrance. This is a very personal preference and if you have children with sensitive skin this product is going to win hands down over something that has a nice fragrance but uses chemicals to achieve it.

In addition to the Baby & Child Collection, the company also produces a number of other ranges. I will certainly be checking out their Rose Otto – Age prevent one!

View the whole collection at: Naturisimo.

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The company produces an extensive range of natural products and is one of the biggest names in organic beauty in the UK. It was, however, started by a mum that wanted to alleviate the symptoms her 2-year old was suffering from eczema and skin allergies.

Soothing baby salve

As my daughter Sofia (aged 4) suffers from eczema in Spring and Summer. I was sent their Soothing Baby Salve (£12.00 for 100ml). It is specifically for dry or irritated skin and suitable for those prone to eczema. It is marketed for babies – it can also be used to treat nappy rash – and can be used all over the body as a general moisturiser. However, it is perfect for toddlers and beyond (I’ve even slapped on a bit of it myself).

It has a gorgeous lavender smell. The texture looks like it’d be really oily but if used sparingly rubs in wonderfully. If you do use too much it will sit on the skin though.

It doesn’t claim to clear up eczema, but we found that it really did soothe it. It took the inflammation and redness down. Sofia reported that it stopped the itching, so we’ve ditched the steroid cream she was using for now.

I’ve used it on a few dry patches on one of my twins (21 months) and there was an almost immediate improvement. I suffer with very dry hands so I used it as a hand cream. I applied rather too liberally, so it was a bit greasy. However, it worked a treat. My hands that usually resemble gnarled twigs, were super soft.

Sun Lotion

The second item we were sent was their Sun lotion medium 30 SPF (£20.00 for 150ml) from the Organic Children range. It is formulated with organic aloe vera, edelweiss, avocado and chamomile. It is free from Parabens, artificial perfumes, petrochemicals or colourants and is environmentally friendly.

Key points

• Offers 97% UVB protection (the rays that cause burning)
• High protection against UVA and UVB rays
•  Suitable for sensitive skin and prickly heat
• Soothing and non-greasy
• Water repellent but non pore-clogging
• Contains 84% organic content

The natural UVA filter that’s used in the sun lotion lasts for a minimum of two hours up to a maximum of four hours. However, it’s advised that you re-apply every two hours and after swimming.

The sun lotion definitely did the job for us. It was very kind to sensitive skins and there was no sign whatsoever of irritation on application. I really liked its consistency. It wasn’t all runny like many we have tried yet it rubbed in really well, very quickly and left no trace on the skin. I also liked that it was fragrance free as I do find some lotions a bit sickly.

My children don’t tend to spend prolonged periods outside, so two hours protection was ample for us (we then re-apply when we’re about to go back in the sun). For those intending to stay out all day, having to re-apply more frequently than with the more standard SPF50 may be a bit tiresome. However, higher SPFs can lull you into a false sense of security prompting less re-application than is actually required.

Green People produces a number of ranges including adult skincare products, hair care products, make-up and men’s products.

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