Should you buy your beauty products in the baby aisle?
You’ll rarely notice any difference — and you could save a fortune
FROM body lotions to perfumes, it seems there are baby products to rival most adult toiletries, and many are much cheaper. CHARLOTTE KEMP compared 12 everyday products with their baby equivalents and rated them for quality, price and effectiveness.
BABY OIL
Johnson’s Baby Oil, 300ml, £2.75, superdrug.com Sanctuary Spa 4 day Moisture Body Oil, 125ml, £7, boots.com PRICE DIFFERENCE: Baby product £4.25 cheaper. JoHNSoN’S baby oil is as cheap as chips (and almost as greasy) but a little goes a long way. one big squirt after my morning shower, rubbed in for a good five minutes and my skin felt silky smooth all day.
The key ingredient is mineral oil. ‘Cosmeticgrade mineral oil is non-clogging and it’s very unlikely to cause reactions,’ says cosmetic dermatologist Dr Sam Bunting.
The Sanctuary body oil smelt divine, absorbed quickly and comes in a handy spray, but it didn’t moisturise the skin any more effectively.
WINNER: BABY PRODUCT
COTTON WOOL
Baby large cotton wool pads, 80 pads, £2.19, Boots cotton wool double faced oval pads, 50 pads, £1.89, Boots PRICE DIFFERENCE: Baby product works out 30p cheaper. I’VE BEEN buying cotton wool from the baby aisles since I first became a mum 11 years ago. The baby pads actually cost less because there are 80 pads in a pack instead of 50, making them 2p a pad instead of over 3p a pad. They feel a little thinner but they do the job just as well. The doublefaced adult pads have a textured side for applying lotions and a soft side for liquids, but I think that’s just a gimmick . . .
WINNER: BABY PRODUCT
SHAMPOO
Paul Mitchell Kids Baby Don’t cry Shampoo, 300ml, £8.79, hqhair.com L’Oreal Paris everpure shampoo, 250ml, £5.99, boots.com PRICE DIFFERENCE: Baby product £2.80 more. THE gentle formulation of this kids’ shampoo lathered well and my hair felt squeaky clean, if a little tacky to touch. But the chief ingredient used to cleanse and foam is sodium laureth sulfate (SLES), which some experts believe could be harmful.
The L’oreal adult alternative, however, is sulphate-free and effectively revives my tired-looking coloured hair without any gloopy residue.
WINNER: ADULT PRODUCT
BABY LOTION
Weleda Baby calendula Body Lotion, 200ml, £7.95, weleda.co.uk Pai comfrey and calendula calming Body cream, 200ml, £22, paiskincare.com PRICE DIFFERENCE: Baby product £14.05 cheaper. THIS baby cream is a secret beauty weapon among A-listers. The fresh smelling lotion leaves a healthy sheen on the skin. It’s brilliant for de-scaling dry legs and there are no artificial preservatives.
Pai Skincare’s luxurious body cream is also free of chemical nasties and uses soothing calendula as well. But at £22 it’s three times as expensive, so Weleda wins on price.
WINNER: BABY PRODUCT
WIPES
Johnson’s Baby Gentle cleaning wipes, 56 wipes, £1.79, superdrug.com Nivea Pure and Natural Facial cleansing wipes, 25 wipes, £2.25, boots.com PRICE DIFFERENCE: Baby product 46p cheaper. THE Nivea cleansing wipes say they are ‘pure and natural’ but they contain a controversial preservative called Methylisothiazolinone (MI); cited as contact allergen of the year by the American Contact Dermatitis Society in 2013. The baby wipes removed my make-up just as effectively, but skin experts stress that all wipes should be used occasionally rather than every day.
WINNER: BABY PRODUCT
PERFUME
MuSTELA, a French range of baby products, is a cult buy for mothers across the Channel and now it’s available here, too. This light fragrance has fresh, citrusy top notes; it’s alcohol-free and softens the skin.
That surely gives Clarins’ Eau Dynamisante, an aromatic fragrance and skin tonic that does contain alcohol, a run for its money.
WINNER: BABY PRODUCT
BODY WASH
Orico London Little Love soothing body wash, £12, oricolondon.com Orico London Jazzy moisturizing body wash, £14, oricolondon.com PRICE DIFFERENCE: Baby product £2 cheaper. THIS is said to be the Duchess of Cambridge’s go-to brand for baby products. Both of these are free of chemical nasties and the gel forms a silky lather when you add water.
The baby version has a less citrusy smell. ‘There are only certain essential oils that are baby-friendly, so the baby product has fewer ingredients’ explains organic skincare expert and founder of the range Shirin Valipour. Personally, I loved the milder scent — and the £2 saving.
WINNER: BABY PRODUCT
CONDITIONER
L’Oreal Kids Very Berry strawberry conditioner, 250ml, £2.19, boots.com L’Oreal elvive Nutri-Gloss Shine conditioner, 250ml, £2.99, boots.com PRICE DIFFERENCE: Baby product 80p cheaper. THE kids’ conditioner has a sickly, artificial strawberry smell that my daughters loved and I hated. ‘Synthetic fragrance in any product can be an irritant,’ warns Dr Susan Mayou, consultant dermatologist at the Cadogan Clinic.
Both contain amodimethicone, a silicone-based polymer used to seal in moisture. It’s great for protecting hair from heat and adding shine, but can be detrimental to the scalp.
WINNER: DRAW
TALC
Burts Bees Baby Dusting Powder, 125g, £6.99, burtsbees.co.uk Oil of evening Primrose with vitamin e fine talc, 75g, £1.39, boots.com PRICE DIFFERENCE: Baby product £5.60 more. MADE with cornstarch, natural clay and finely ground flowers, this baby ‘dusting powder’ is an expensive alternative to traditional talc. It smells divine and leaves skin soft, but is it more effective?
A liberal sprinkling of the Evening Primrose talc was just as effective after a bath. But it’s worth considering that talcum powder has come under fire after research suggested the ultra fine particles could cause damage if inhaled into the lungs.
WINNER: ADULT PRODUCT
TOOTHPASTE
Aquafresh Milk Teeth, 50ml, £1.49, boots.com Aquafresh Triple Protection, 100ml, £1.05, boots.com PRICE DIFFERENCE: Baby product 49p more. ArE parents being mugs here? The milk teeth version of Aquafresh is more expensive though the tube is half the size.
‘There’s very little difference between adult and child formulations,’ says dentist Dr Lance Knight of the ultimate Smile Spa in Manchester. ‘Children can use the adult product. The big difference is in the taste.’
WINNER: ADULT PRODUCT
TOOTHBRUSHES
Oral B stage 3 Disney princess brush with soft head, £2.40, boots.com Oral B complete toothbrush with medium head, £2.24 (£4.49 for two), boots.com PRICE DIFFERENCE: Child product 16p more. THE toddler toothbrush is bound to be a hit with my four-year-old daughter. But could I use it? Yes, says dentist Dr Lance Knight.
But for an everyday toothbrush, for both children and adults, he suggests going for the cheapest as long as it has a soft or medium head. ‘Children don’t need a smaller brush. And I never recommend a hard brush for adults — it’s too harsh.’
WINNER: ADULT PRODUCT SARAH VINE
IS AWAY