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Back in February a fellow blogger and friend of mine, Laura Tweedale, introduced me to a brand named Balmonds through her blog post about managing her daughter’s childhood eczema, and I was intrigued.
I too had childhood eczema, and Daddy H suffers with adult eczema, generally preferring natural products for our skin care, Balmonds appealed to me. We’ve been lucky so far in that H hasn’t shown any signs of persistent eczema, however a couple of her little friends do struggle to keep theirs under control. I first got in touch with Balmonds when I was looking for brands to collaborate with for an Instagram giveaway, and mentioned that I had been recommending their products, they very kindly then sent me a few sample pots of their Skin Salvation to try.
I passed the pots to H’s friends and we kept one for ourselves. A few weeks later I had a message from B’s Mum to say that the salvation had worked wonders and she shared a before and after photo of a particularly stubborn patch of eczema which B had been struggling with, the results were miraculous!
So I set to my research, and learnt that Balmonds had been born from one mother’s determination to find an all natural product to treat her daughter’s eczema. Natalie found that most prescribed products will contain at least one ingredient which is actually detrimental for the majority of eczema sufferers, for some this is paraffin which many are allergic to, and for most it is aqua (water) which helps liquefy the product to make it easier to apply. However, as strange as this may sound, water actually dries the skin more because it takes away a lot of the skin’s natural moisture as it evaporates.
Natalie Balmond decided that as the market didn’t offer what she wanted for her daughter’s skin, she would just have to make it herself and the Skin Salvation was born. With a base ingredient of beeswax, which melts at skin temperature to create a soothing salve, this salvation eases the itch, locks in moisture and helps to break the itch-scratch cycle.
Another key ingredient in the Skin Salvation is the hemp seed oil, which is rich in essential fatty acids which eczema sufferers often lack, long-term use nourishes the skin with the nutrients and oils needed to regenerate, regulate and repair the skin.
After speaking further with Balmonds and their products they offered to send me their Mama & Baby bundle in return for an honest review on my blog, so here we go:
The bundle includes:
Skin Salvation, 30ml
Lavender Baby Balm, 50ml
Chamomile Baby Oil, 200ml
Rosehip Scar Oil, 50ml
Bought individually these items would cost £55.92, however as a bundle the price is £47.96, a saving of £7.96.
Already familiar with the Skin Salvation I was excited to try some of their other products and the delivery was well timed. If you follow me on Instagram you’ll know we recently left a day nappy on far too long, which left H with a rather nasty nappy rash and lots of scratching! Queue the arrival of our Balmonds package with the Lavender Baby Balm...
The balm is perfect, in a 50ml tin it’s an ideal size for the change station or bag. Similar to the Skin Salvation it is a beeswax-based ointment which can be used as part of a daily cleansing routine to maintain soft, healthy skin and to repel the dampness that causes nappy or dribble rash. Not only has this balm helped soothe H’s itchy bottom, but we have also been using it to help combat a dribble rash whilst those pesky canines try and come through!
Another huge benefit for me with the Baby Balm is that it is cloth safe, meaning I don’t need to worry about it clogging up the fibres of our nappies. I do however always make sure I use a liner after applying the balm as beeswax can cause grey staining to the nappies (not that it will affect the use, just the aesthetics).
Next we tried the Chamomile Baby Oil, we use this both in the bath and afterwards to help lock the moisture in (see above about evaporating water). The smell is lovely as it also contains lavender which makes it perfect for a pre-bed bath, nice and relaxing. Unlike most of the pharmaceutical baby oils, Balmonds is thicker making it easier to apply as I don’t find that it runs away across H’s skin while I’m trying to rub it in, and a small amount goes a really long way. It’s so lovely I’ve also taken to using it myself after my shower in place of my usual moisturiser.
The only product I haven’t had the opportunity to try yet is the Rosehip Scar Oil, but if it is anything like the others then I am sure I will be impressed.
Overall I have been blown away by all of the Balmonds products, the only downfall is the packaging, as not all of it is easily recyclable, The Body Shop have teamed up with Terracycle to collect hard to recycle cosmetic packaging from all brands, so that is where ours will be going when we’re done, however I know that isn’t for everyone. Thankfully Laura had already raised this with Balmonds and saved me the trouble, and I’m pleased to report that Balmonds are already working with an environmental consultant and plan to have more sustainable packaging by the end of this year.
If this lovely gift for review wasn’t enough Balmonds have also given me an affiliate code which will take 20% off of your first purchase**, simply type LOUISAD20 at check-out and enjoy.
**discount will be taken off the individual full price items of any bundles
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