babyurbeautiful

This is a bit of a crisis, and I don't even mean the fact that I haven't showered for four days .. and counting.

Tints of Nature
Available from www.tintsofnature.com from £8.99
or in UK call: 01590 613490


I haven't really dyed my hair since getting pregnant with my first baby, just in case of any chemicals getting to the baby during pregnancy or breastfeeding. I am now pregnant again and still nursing, so still being extra careful but felt I needed a 'lift', so was looking for a really natural hair colourant.

Tints of Nature is a hair colourant that is as natural and organic as possible with the lowest levels of PPD pigments (p-Phenylenediamine an organic compound used in over 99% of all other permanent hair dyes and a known irritant) and no harsh chemicals. Tints of Nature colour contains up to 60% certified organic ingredients, natural extracts and contains no harsh chemicals and below minimum EU regulation quantities of PPDs (2% or less of the product depending on the colour shade) so is apparently one of the safest and healthiest ways to colour your hair.

However, the NHS recommends not using hair colour during the first eight weeks of pregnancy and not during the first month of breast-feeding. (The NHS issues guidelines on use of hair colour for pregnant and breastfeeding women can be found here: http://www.nhs.uk/chq/Pages/949.aspx?CategoryID=54#close).

I tried the semi-permanent colourant in Medium Chestnut Brown, which is quite similar to my natural colour. This is supposed to last 6-8 washes. I would say it lasted about 4 before fading gradually back to natural.

Before:

After:




I found it easy to use: it is a thick cream which you rub into your hair. It smells really nice and natural, no chemical smell, and doesn't stain the skin if you rub off any smudges quickly. My hair afterwards wasn't too different from my natural shade, maybe slightly redder, but the grey was gone (nice one!) and it looked nice and shiny.

My only grumble was that it coloured my bath water when my hair got wet for the few days after dyeing, and it also came off on my bath towel (although this wasn't a permanent stain).

The boyf took three days to notice I had coloured my hair! Not sure if that's just because I am preggers and have loast all sex appeal or because men just don't motice these things!

I would definitely try the permanent next time.

CB

Angela Langford produces a range of natural and organic skincare products which can be purchased online, at www.angelalangford.com.

Angela kindly sent me some samples that are safe for pregnant and nursing mums. I like the explanation of how she makes the ingredients work together on her 'about' page. Many other products claim to be natural and to have benefits but with no explanation of how and why! being 21 weeks pregnant and still breastfeeding my 20 month old, this is something that is important to me. 
The range looks lovely and is well presented with beautiful packaging. See below images of the lovely samples that arrived:







Bloom & Glow
Bloom & Glow can be purchased online from www.angelalangford.com for £22.55 and contains 100% natural ingredients, 88% of which are organic at source.  This product is suitable for Vegans.(That's me!)



Angela suggested this for me because of my spotty pregnant skin. She says it is great for treating skin that is easily inflamed and out of kilter. She actually developed this product for use in pregnancy when skin can be more sensitive, easily upset and may sometimes look a little lack-lustre.

I tested the face oil for a couple of weeks, and it seems to have really helped my hormonal pregnant skin. My only comment would be it's a little strongly scented for my personal preference as it is very 'flowery', but that's just a personal thing. the benefits definitely outweigh this! It doesn't leave the skin oily, and it only takes two squirts for the face and neck.


In Safe Hands
In Safe Hands hand cream can be purchased online from www.angelalangford.com for £17.50 and is suitable for vegetarians (and vegans like me who are ok with beeswax!)



It's a new mum curse I'm afraid, trying to make sure our hands are constantly germ free yet changing nappies and washing bottles every 2 seconds with no time to don the gloves!



Angela tells me that she has specifically chosen ingredients that will heal, nourish and soften hands, leaving them silky smooth and smelling wonderful too!  'In Safe Hands' features skin softening Rice Bran, Calming and soothing Marshmallow, Marigold & Evening Primrose Oils.

This hand cream is great, it sinks in easily and is non-greasy. It has a light but pleasant floral scent. I wouldn't use it as a healing cream for very chapped hands, but rather as a preventative for everyday wear and tear. It is a great size to throw in your handbag too

 (By the way, I mentioned above this is suitable for veggies but not vegans because it uses organic Beeswax.  I am actually vegan but still eat honey and use beeswax products as I made the decision that I don't believe it is the same as eating animals or dairy/egg products. Obviously a personal choice so wanted to make that clear for any strict vegans. All Angela's ingredients are 100% vegetarian friendly and other than a few products that contain organic Beeswax, they are also suitable for stricter vegans too.)

These products are quite pricey but last a long time, and as I said at least you know exactly what is in them, truly no nasties!

CB

Now as a mum-to-be I haven't experienced this yet, but am fully aware - and you should be too.
Lets discuss hair...and more frankly, hair loss.

During your pregnancy you'll have noticeably thicker and healthier hair (if a little brittle) during the anaphase but 16 weeks after birth you'll experience an alarming rate of hair loss - the telophase (terrible phase, we say).

You're not losing your crowning glory as such, i.e. the hair you already have, but over 9 months those 100 hairs you should normally shed per day don't. They stay put.

So you have this lustrous, glossy mane for 9 months - and then you'll get a shock in the form of losing a dramatic amount of hair - almost immediately after your newborn's arrival. And the more you stress or worry, the more you'll exacerbate the problem - so don't!

The reason I've done this post today is because I chatted to my hairdresser last week who regaled me with tales of how she was in tears as clumps of hair fell into the plug hole one day as she nonchalantly washed her locks. After her ordeal, she sprinted to her hairdresser friend sobbing her heart out....and they all laughed at her!

No, they're not mean, they just knew that is was simply a standard part of motherhood - post preggers baldness (I am joking here).

Seriously though, you won't go bald - you'll simply shed what SHOULD have been shed during pregnancy - and didn't. Most women experience their hair falling out in one go, so it does feel thinner - but actually it isn't, it's just returning to normal.

However, a huge number of women may not ever recover from their hair loss, like Kate Hudson, Selma Blair and January Jones - whose hair looks noticeably finer post bubba.























But the issue is not just losing hair. It seems even famous figures like our dear Kate Middleton's envy-inducing locks are looking a little lacklustre and fuzzy after birth. The world's most exemplary hair is now being critiqued for being less than perfect (you should have seen mine this morning). We forget she does not have Richard Ward on speed dial (erm..) and has a newborn shoehorned into her armpit - so we can forgive her for being ever-so-slightly windswept once in a while. NB: leave her alone!




















The problem is hair does become progressively drier during pregnancy (yeah, cheers) as hormones reduce the amount of oil our sebaceous glands produce - so you just have to ensure you have hair treatments, regular conditioning and a good session with the serum post blow-drying.

It seems a stark and harsh contrast to all the pains and aches and everything you've been through for 9 months, then the pain and endurance of labour - and the final cherry on the cake is the feeling you're losing your locks - but don't worry mummies, help is here.

Talking from a mum-to-be point of view, I've experienced the 'unruly' side of the coin, it's literally unmanageable - and my yearly brazilian blow can't help me now - as you're not allowed to have them whilst preggers!

So for now, just enjoy these hair-raising treats courtesy of BUBS...

Philip Kingsley PK4 Hair Soya Protein Capsules x 120, £18.70 feelunique.com

Encourage healthy hair growth with PK4 Hair Soya Protein veggie-friendly supplements. After 4 months hair should be massively improved - we love these effective hollistic alternatives to the usual gelatine based proteins for hair and will be gobbling them straight after birth!

DGJ Organics - Argan Oil Shampoo and Conditioner, £5.99 each Waitrose (nationwide)

Used together, these gorgeously natural products limit hair thinning, hair brittleness and may also help reduce hair loss. Newly launched (August) DGJ has done it again with his organic, amazing argan-oil formulated shampoo and conditioner, love - and purse friendly.

Phytocyane Shampoo, £11.50 Selfridges (nationwide)

With vitamin B6, grapeseed and bark extract, any fuzzy, unruly mum will love this shampoo to reinstate volume, vitality, dentsity and shine - well worth the splurge.

Aussie Aussome Volume Shampoo, £4.49, Superdrug and Boots.com

Limp is not often a word we associate with BUBS mummas, and certainly not when it comes to locks. There's often 3 for 2 deals on this wonderfully delicious scented (subjective) shampoo - specifically designed to give volume to fine, limp and lifeless locks.


LN x

When I was preggers I found that I could suddenly wear all the tight, stretchy dresses that had been gathering dust in my wardrobe due to not having a flat enough tummy to wear them. It was brilliant.

So good for Jennifer Love Hewitt for being a shining example of how to show off a baby bump. She looks fantastic in this tight black dress, though I think the black hair might be taking this slimming colour a little over the top. She looks a little washed out - Jen, try a warmer colour on your barnet!

 
 
 

I've tried a fair few baby products recently for this blog and the one thing that stands out for me is that the guilt-free ones - i.e. which have no parabens or similar nasties - never smell that good. Admittedly this is because they are usually fragrance free but I'll be honest, I want my baby to smell nice! I do, after all, spend a good deal of my time hugging and kissing her.

I'm sure many of you will read this and think that I'm being silly and should be celebrating my baby's natural scent. But the truth is, at 10 months, she doesn't have that nice baby smell any more. She either smells of the people who've been holding her that day or of the random dirt she's picked up by crawling around on the floor all day. Sometimes she smells of the food she's rubbed in her hair during meal times!  So yes, I at least want her to start the day smelling clean and yummy.

Anyway, I've discovered a brand called Halos n Horns, which has won loads of parenting awards. At the moment I've only used two of the products - the baby bath and the moisturiser - but I'm already hooked. So is Lucy as you can see from this pic!




















The baby bath doesn't create many bubbles, though that could be to do with our hard water situation, but it smells good and works nicely as a hair and body wash too.

Lucy loves the moisturiser, or at least having it massaged on her legs. It feels a little thin and takes a while to sink in, but once it does her skin feels lovely and soft. I just have to let her wave her legs around a bit to help it along.

Other products in the range include Gentle Bubble Bath & Body Wash for baby, Zingy Orange Hair & Body Wash for kids, Mango & Melon Mayhem Shampoo & Conditioner for kids, Berry Burst Shampoo & Detangler for kids and Toothy Fruity toothpaste.

All are free from SLS/SLES, parabens, phthalates, MIT, triclosan & propylene glycol.

You can buy the gentle version of the body wash from Boots.com for £2.99 and the moisturiser for £3.99.

Sept Stats
Weight: 62.4kg - YAYYYY!

~

With only just over 2 weeks left until my holiday I decided I had to turn to my old faithful eating regime to lose some weight. And it's already working after only 4 days!

There's no secret to it, it's dead simple. All I do is eat normal breakfast and a large late lunch, and then skip dinner, which is after all usually the most calorific meal of the day. But I make sure I'm never hungry. So if my lunch isn't big enough and I'm still hungry, I'll eat a snack as long as it's before 5pm.

I've also been much better about not eating naughty snacks in between meals. It was always tempting to pick up a choccie bar along with the shopping, but no more. Of course having zero spare cash helps in that regard and I would feel too guilty using our joint money to pay for snacks so this works out nicely.

So where as last Wednesday I was still hovering around the 64.5kg mark, I'm now only 62.4kg - and this was after breakfast and not having had a pony for at least a day!

Very happy indeed :-)

RL xx

I just read a hilarious forum thread on mumsnet where this woman was shocked to hear her young neighbour and her friend discussing the how their shower gel made them itchy when they used it to wash inside their bits.

Info:
WaterBaby is a vitamin and nutrient enriched drink that is designed as an alternative for the many women who struggle to take traditional tablet form supplements during pregnancy due to morning sickness.

I was really sick with my last pregnancy, so thought I would give it a try this time round, (even though I am not nearly so sick this time, thank goodness! It's a boy this time, last time was girl?) I also thought it was quite useful for me, because I can never remember if I have taken my tablet or not, (baby brain), whereas I can keep a bottle of this on my desk and sip it through the day!

The drink doesn't contain the full list of vitamins and minerals that the tablets such as Pregnacare do, but it contains the essentials- for example, each bottle contains the recommended daily allowance (400mcg) of folic acid, which is essential for fetal spinal development, especially in the first few weeks of pregnancy. (Some of the other vits and minerals in the tablets are not available in soluble form which is one of the reasons they aren't included). Apparently though, it is safe to take a daily supplement additionally, if you can stomach it! Do check this with your midwife. The full vitamins contained are: niacin, pantothenic acid, vitamin B6, folic acid, biotin, vitamin B12, a mix designed to support embryonic development and to replenish nutrients robbed from you by your growing baby during pregnancy and breast-feeding!!

WaterBaby is low calorie and contains only naturally occurring fruit sugars (sweetened with steviol glucosides, from the leaves of the stevia plant) and no artificial ingredients.

WaterBaby is suitable for pre-conception, pregnancy and breast-feeding.

Verdict:
Tastes a bit like Volvic Touch of Fruit, or a weak squash, rather than water. Also the stevia gives it a teeny bitterness to the sweet after taste. I have been sipping it all day but the big 500ml bottle seems to last ages, as I can't drink large amounts like I would pure water. I think if I was feeling really sick it might take even longer. I definitely think it would be easier than swallowing and keeping down a tablet when sick though.



Awards Received 2013:
 - Loved By Parents Gold Award, Best Maternity Innovation 2012
 - Loved By Parents Gold Award, Best Maternity Product 2011
 - Best New Functional Drink 2011, Worldwide Innovation Awards

Ingredients:
Water, natural fruit extracts, natural flavouring, calcium lactate, citric acid, stabilisers, gum arabic and glycerol esters of wood rosins, vitamin blend (niacin, pantothenic acid, vitamin B6, folic acid, biotin, vitamin B12) sweetener, steviol glycoside, zinc lactate, preservative, dimethyl dicarbonate

Available in Citrus (Care) or Cranberry (Bloom) flavours.

Where to buy:
Available from Chemist Direct £7.99 for pack of 8, or Amazon £14.99 for pack of 12

For more details visit: www.mywaterbaby.com

CB

During my last pregnancy I avoided wearing any nail polish at all, (and thus also using polish remover), to avoid any risks to my unborn baby. I am now pregnant again and still breastfeeding, but feeling very unglam, so wanted to look into alternatives to traditional nail polishes that are safe for mums-to-be and nursing mothers.

In 2006, some companies removed the top 3 nasties from their polish when lobbied by some consumer groups. However, these have still been found to be present in many nail varnishes. These 3 are dibutyl phthalate (DBP), toluene and formaldehyde. Phthalates like DBP have been  associated with developmental and reproductive effects, and cancer in lab animal testing. Toluene, a solvent, is apparently a neurotoxin (risky for unborn child) and respiratory irritant. It can be inhaled and absorbed through the skin and nails. It could also be listed on the label as “toluol” or “phenylmethane.” Formaldehyde (used  mostly as a hardener) has been named as a carcinogen. According to some sources, solvents such as butyl acetate or ethyl acetate which are still widely used, are also nasties (they are flammable liquids!), although I understand butyl acetate is derived from fruit.

Here are some of the top 'naturals' available in the UK:

I really like NSPA's luxurious range of great value products in general, so thought I would try some bits from the 'Mum to Be' range, which is available from Asda Direct.

The Mum to Be range is designed to cater for the changing needs of your skin during pregnancy and as a new mum, helping to calm and relax whilst also focusing on keeping the skin in good condition.

NSPA Relaxing Bath and Shower Creme, £3.50 for 200ml
from Asda Direct


This is a thick Creme infused with Rosehip Oil and Vitamin E which looks more like a moisturiser when you pump it. The idea is to put it onto a puff or bath gloves and gently scrub with it. It contains Shea Butter and Sweet Almond Oil, renowned for their skin-softening properties.

I found the consistency nice and creamy, but it didn't lather up much which I do prefer in a washing product personally. Also, perhaps due to my extremely sensitive pregnant sense of smell, I felt this smelt very slightly chemically compared to some other natural ranges.

It contains SLS (Sodium Laurel Sulfate) too which apparently can sometimes cause skin irritation or aggravate serious conditions like dermatitis or eczema because, being a harsh detergent, it can strip the skin and hair of its natural oils. However, I didn't notice this effect, as the moisturing ingredients must counteract it in this case, for me anyway.

Very reasonably priced luxury feeling product though.

NSPA Mum to Be Cooling Leg and Foot Gel, £4 for 150ml 
from Asda Direct 


This is a cooling and relaxing gel to help perk up tired pregnant or mummy legs. It contains mint oil to cool and aloe vera extract to soothe, as well as moisturising glycerin, and is hpoallergenic.

I liked this as it wasn't TOO tingly, or sticky, but ratjher it felt fresh and light and mositurising. Smells gorgeously minty. Definitely a must-have for heavily pregnant mums!

NSPA Mum to Be Soothing Nipple Balm, £5 for 75ml 



As a breastfeeding pregnant mum, my boobies are going through the wars at the moment, very sore! I tried not to use nipple creams in the past in case it interfered with the natural balance, but when things get really bad they are a great help.

It contains Rosehip Oil which is moisturising. You should apply after each breastfeeding session, or if you are expecting, then just to stop general soreness.

I have tried a few different ones, but unfortunately most contain Lanolin (secreted by the sebaceous glands of wooly animals urggh!) due to its ultra moisturising properties. Not very vegan-friendly! However, this nipple balm does contain medical grade lanolin (some purification techniques remove environmental impurities).I prefer not to use any animal derived products. However, I found it to work very well and no offensive smell etc. In the emergency cupboard then.


NSPA Mum to Be Gift Set, £10

The gift set is now on sale in the Baby and Toddler Event at Asda Direct for only £7, reduced from £10


This contains:
Bath and Shower Creme 100ml
Nourishing Stretch Mark Oil 50ml
Firming Bust Cream 50ml
Moisturising Bump Butter 75ml
Cooling Leg and Foot Gel 50ml

Treat yourself for a very reasonable price!

CB

I'm off on holiday to Cyprus in a few weeks, and am thinking about ways to fit everything into our 40kg Easyjet weight allowance. Normally this would be enough for two of us, but babies don't tend to travel light!

As far as beauty products go, I'll obviously be stocking up on minis (bizarrely one of my favourite things about travelling is buying minis), but I've also been thinking about which of Lucy's baby products I can use.

We all know that baby wipes are invaluable for all sorts of uses. I honestly don't know how I coped without them in those heady babyless days of yore. But one thing I've never tried using them for is a face wipe.

In theory, these wipes are super gentle as they are made for cleaning babies bums, so a face should pose no issues.  However, I've seen Huggies wipes get paint out of a carpet with relative ease, which doesn't entirely inspire confidence in those 'sensitive' claims!

Anyway there's only one way to know and that's to try them out. So I spent the better part of Lucy's afternoon nap yesterday putting on makeup and taking it off again with some of the more popular wipe brands.  I haven't done them all by any means so if any of you lovely readers want to give the ones you use a try and post your review in the comments, please do!

I really need to iron my sheets!!

Sainsburys 'Little Ones' baby wipes

On baby: These are ok once you get used to them but they were quite dry wipes and didn't feel that soft on baby's bottom.
On me: These felt a little rough on my face, however I removed my foundation and mascara easily with one sheet. The skin around my eyes felt a bit prickly afterwards.

Tesco Loves Baby wipes

On baby: These are quite wet and feel more like you're washing baby's bum, which means you need a towel or tissue to dry it but at the same time you feel like the end result is much cleaner.
On me: These felt quite soft on my skin and I removed my foundation and mascara with ease using one sheet. I think maybe because the wipes are wetter and possibly more astringent, once my skin started to dry it felt really prickly on my cheeks and eye area.

Superdrug 'My Little Star' baby wipes

On baby: These are fine for baby though they felt rough in my hand so not sure how it felt on baby's bum!
On me: Again, these easily removed the foundation and mascara. After use my skin felt fresh rather than prickly but the wipe did feel rough against my skin.

Pampers sensitive baby wipes

On baby: These felt better quality than the previous three and had medium wetness. Fine for use on baby's bum.
On me: They removed my foundation and mascara well and felt soft on my skin but again I felt a lot of prickly tingling on my skin afterwards.

Huggies baby wipes

On baby: These wipes feel the nicest, they are extremely soft in the hand although not very wet. Unfortunately this can make it difficult to get them out of the packet in one piece! Ok for wiping up poo but I needed to use quite a few to ensure a clean bum.
On me: These did remove the foundation and mascara well but this was the only brand where I needed more than one wipe to get my face clean, particularly the eye-makeup. There was no prickly feeling though and my skin felt less tight and dry afterwards.

Simple baby moisturising wipes

On baby: These did the job well, felt quite soft and are medium wetness.
On me: These were the best on make-up removal, perhaps unsurprisingly. The wipe felt reasonably soft on my skin and though my skin did feel really clean afterwards, it was still a bit prickly on my cheeks and eye area.

Johnsons sensitive baby wipes

On baby: These feel really soft in my hand and they have slight ridges which I suppose serve to capture the poo more effectively!
On me: They felt quite rough on my face and though my skin did feel really clean afterwards it also felt probably the most prickly. It did take of the make-up easily though, so maybe this one is good for a light exfoliation as well as cleansing!

The verdict

If I can find a good deal I think I'll take some Simple wipes on holiday with me. Probably not as a replacement for cleanser, but they'll be good in a bind and also on those nights when I'm too tired/drunk to do the full cleaning routine on my face.

RL xx

It's not often we hone in on one product, but when it's so good you want all your friends to snaffle it - we have to.