Mustela Bébé {Christmas Giveaway #3}

When it comes to the children's skincare, one of the brands that I keep coming back to is Mustela.

This love affair started when Noey was a wee newborn. He was small and he was perfect... and he had cradle cap. Being a new mom (and therefore anxious about everything), I desperately wanted to get rid of it, but didn't know how. Then one day I spied the Mustela Foam Shampoo for Newborns which is formulated to prevent and eliminate flakes associated with cradle cap. I grabbed a bottle to use and within a few days, his cradle cap was gone! I have been a fan ever since. Doesn't hurt that I like the scent of it, which made my little newborn smell even more like a baby.

When Meips came along, I immediately bought a bottle of Foam Shampoo for her and she never had any issue with cradle cap.

As the kids have grown (they are now 5 years old and 2.5 years old respectively), we've moved on to using other products in the Mustela Bébé line, with my favourite being the Dermo-Cleansing. I like it so much that I even put my name to it in the recent Mustela advertisement, which you might have seen in magazines such as Yong Parents. So yes, you should believe me when I tell you that I love the stuff!

Needless to say, I was thrilled when Mustela contacted me to review some of their products. Mustela has recently launched their new formulation for their Mustela Bébé products, the result of some 10 years of research. These products now include a special new active ingredient they call Avocado perseose,which has been shown to actively aid in the preservation of the skin's cellular resources and reinforce the skin barrier. 

I had a chance to try out some of these products and here's what I think:

1. Dermo-Cleansing

As I mentioned earlier, this Dermo-Cleansing is one of my favourite products. I must admit that I have a preference for head-to-toe washes for the kids and I've found this to be one of the most effective at cleaning while leaving skin soft, supple and smelling fresh. I started using this more when Meips came along as she has more sensitive skin than Noey does, making it more critical to use products which are gentle on skin. It's good on hair too. If you've seen Meips' hair, you'll know that it's really lovely -- it's soft, fine, and falls in a perfect bob all on it's own. (Yes, I have hair-envy!) Mustela Dermo-Cleansing is one of the products that keep it looking that way. We previously tried a couple of other mainstream kids' shampoos that unfortunately made her perfect hair tangled and hard to comb. Not Dermo-Cleansing. I also like that it comes in a pump bottle, which I always prefer as you can use it with one hand while holding on to a wriggly kid in the other!

Compared with the old formulation, this new formulation feels less thick and more liquid. The smell is also slightly different, but fortunately, it appears to work in the same great way. It also continues to be paraben-free and phalate-free, and contain no phenoxyethanol. Aside from skin sensitivity, these preservatives have been linked in recent years to more serious effects like skin skin and breast cancer. The fact that Mustela products do not contain these is a comfort to me, leaving me free to use these on my children.

2. 2-in-1 Hair and Body Wash

I had took the opportunity this time to try the 2-in-1 Hair and Body Wash to see how it compares with the Dermo-Cleansing. I was told that the 2-in-1 Hair and Body Wash has essentially the same ingredients as the Dermo-Cleansing, but has been formulated such that it lathers more and has more cleansing power. While safe to use on a newborn, it is recommended for older kids who are more active and perspire more. I found the 2-in-1 Hair and Body Wash much thicker than the Dermo-Cleansing. "It's got a more milky texture," said my 5-year old professional product reviewer. He's right, and I've found that a little of this goes a long way. It's got a different, stronger smell than the Dermo-Cleansing and I still haven't decided which I like better! But it definitely keeps the kids clean and smelling great for longer, which is probably a good thing. Unfortunately this does not come in a pump bottle so is a little more fiddly to use. But this is going to be my go-to hair and body wash going forward.

3. Hydra Bébé

This was the first time that I was trying the Hydra Bébé body lotion and I really liked it. I don't regularly use moisturising products on the kids (lazy mummy alert!) and it is partly because the kids don't like them. Meips would run away every time I take out the body lotion, and when we travelled and the dry air made body lotion an absolute necessity, it was a daily struggle to get her to let me slather it on. I wish I'd tried the Hydra Bébé body lotion earlier as, as it turns out, she actually doesn't mind it at all. Now whenever I tell her that we need lotion, she'd obligingly go fetch the Hydra Bébé and let me put it on her. I think it has to do with its light and non-greasy texture, which is quickly absorbed by the skin. She feels comfortable and therefore doesn't object. I've found that it is effective for soothing and calming her skin irritations as well.

4. Very High Protection Mineral Cream

Sunblock is critical when living in a part of the world which enjoys sunshine all-year-round like we do in Singapore. I slather it on when the kids go outdoors for prolonged periods of activity in the sun, and especially when we head down to the pool. Which is very often when you're my kids! This Very High Protection Mineral Cream with SPF 50+ has become our first-choice of sunblock. Honestly, I usually prefer spray-on sunblock as I've found it the easiest to apply. But I took a liking for this sunblock after Noey used it for swimming and I discovered that it is really water-proof and sweat-proof. I could still feel the sunblock on him after he was done with his hour-long swim in the pool, which I thought was mighty impressive. It does leave a white-ish cast on the skin but at least I know that my kids are getting full broad spectrum protection against UVA and UVB rays even when in the water. This is particularly important to me since they often go swimming under the hot sun. It spreads fairly well for sunblock. Not as easily as lotion obviously, but it still manages to remain light enough to spread smoothly and not have that cloying sticky feeling. Thumbs up from the kids!

Thanks to Mustela, you now have the opportunity to try this out yourself as I have Mustela Bébé products to giveaway! THREE WINNERS will each win TWO ITEMS OF THEIR CHOICE FROM THE ITEMS REVIEWED ABOVE! 

To stand a chance of winning this great prize, you MUST COMPLETE ALL THE FOLLOWING STEPS using the Rafflecopter widget below:

1. Be a fan of the Mustela Singapore Facebook Page

2. Be a fan of the Life is in the Small Things Facebook Page

3. Leave a comment on this blogpost telling me which two products you would like to win, together with your e-mail address.

You can also follow the additional optional steps in the Rafflecopter widget to gain more chances. (Do note that this giveaway is only open to Singapore residents. All entries will be verified before the winners are announced.)  

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck!

* The products reviewed in this post were sponsored by Mustela Singapore. All opinions expressed are based on my experience with these products and my experience as a long-time Mustela user, and remain strictly my own.

****************

Our giveaway of play passes to the Playful Elves Indoor Playground is still on -- don't miss it! Click here to enter if you haven't!