Mustela Baby Suncare

Until they are three years old, babies and young children haven't fully developed their skin's ability to defend against some of the effects of the sun's rays so they need special protection from the sun. Even once they are a little older, children's skin is highly vulnerable to sun damage and needs an extra boost to those natural defences. Mustela's range of baby and infant suncare products are gentle, very high protection sun screen products which have been designed specifically with baby's sensitive skin in mind.

Last weekend we had a roastingly hot couple of days in the sun - Holly enjoyed every moment of it (I think she has got this from me) and, having been taught from a very early age that wearing sun screen is the best thing to do, she was more than happy to give the Mustela very high protection sun lotion a try.  The lotion is incredibly light (surprising for such a high tolerance SPF 50+ protection factor), it is totally fragrance free (doesn't even smell of generic base sunscreen product!) and alcohol free and is deemed suitable for children to use on face and body from birth.  It is made from 86% naturally derived ingredients and I was genuinely impressed - no stickiness, no thick gloopiness but instead a light, almost refreshing lotion that was easy to apply to Holly with no complaints.

Mustela also make this handy pocket-sized bottle of lotion suitable for use on the face.  It comes in a handy pump so that you can dispense just a teeny tiny amount for use on your baby's face. I think this is the sort of product that I'll keep in my bag more or less all the time for when we are out and about. It has the same SPF 50+ protection and offers both UVA and UVB protection.

After a hot day in the sun, I ALWAYS love to apply after sun cream as I can almost hear my skin crying out for moisture. Mustela make a great after sun spray for children which is lightly scented but still 88% naturally derived. It comes in a spray bottle which works whatever angle you are at so its ideal for using on a wiggly baby. The after sun lotion is light, instantly absorbed and provided relief for Holly who always suffers from irritated skin.  Active moisturing ingredients include Jojoba oil and Cupuaçu butter designed to help your body restore its hydration levels after sun exposure.

Obviously, young babies and children under 3 years old shouldn't be exposed to direct sunlight but where sun exposure is unavoidable Mustela recommend applying a very high protection suncream at least 20 minute before exposure and to top it up with a re-application every two hours or after your child has been swimming.

When you're out in the sun, dress your baby in loose-fitting cotton clothing to filter out UV rays and make sure they have a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses too.

Rockley Cove Children's Rashkini Review

With the weather starting to take a very welcome turn for the better, I'm allowing myself to think ahead to the summer. We have two holidays planned for over the school holidays and it makes me feel that little bit more mellow just thinking about them! We were asked to take a look a the new range of 'rashkini' swimwear from brand new children's beachwear specialists, Rockley Cove and Lara herself has been getting into the summer spirit by testing out this UPF50+ matching bikini and rash vest.

Lara chose this geometric contrast pattern of rash vest with a matching tie style bikini.  Unsurprisingly, we haven't quite yet had the chance to test it out by basking on a beach anywhere but Lara jumped at the chance to try out both the bikini and the rash vest at her swimming lessons and they have now become her primary swim suit at her lesson on a Thursday evening!

I really like the range of colours and designs at Rockley Cove - all of the patterns and colours are feminine without being traditionally 'girly' which means they are perfect for Lara.  The designs are modern and striking and I know they will look well-placed on any beach.  It is great to see fashionable swimwear for girls which aren't trying too hard to look like adult fashion - there is definitely still a good element of childhood fun in the Rockley Cove designs.

The bikinis are available in a few different designs depending on your daughter's tastes.  I think the frilly skirt designs would look great on Holly but I felt this tie-style bikini was more Lara's thing.  The bikini doesn't actually tie (thank goodness... we have enough other things to worry about at kids swimming lessons) but looks like it would tie behind the neck and at the sides of the hips.

Rockley Cove specialise in matching rash vests - a t-shirt style top made from the same fabric as the bikini and which is designed to offer more protection to the upper body in the sun and when swimming.  All of their fabrics offer sun protection of UPF50+ which means that, come the summer, Lara will be able to wear this in the garden or when we are away on holiday knowing that her skin is protected underneath her rashvest, for a while at least, from the sun.  I'd quite like to see Rockley Cove offer some long-sleeved versions too.

Lara actually preferred the rash vest to the halter top for wearing to her swimming lesson (a bikini did seem like overkill, I'll admit!) but she said the vest flapped around her tummy when she was swimming so I think it is probably best for use when she is not actively swimming but more for playing in or near water.

The Rockley Cove Rashkinis are sold as separate pieces; the girls bikinis start from around £18.99 and the rash vests start from around £22.99. They are available in sizes from 3 years - 12 years old.

How Do I Shade My Baby From The Sun?

How do I shade my baby from the sun? How do I offer my baby a safe haven when they're in the buggy or car? How do I prevent the sun from getting in my baby's eyes? or ensure they are protected from harmful UV rays? Last year I wrote a review of some options when it comes to buggy shades. They all had their pros and cons and I'm really pleased to say that over the last 12 months, the clever people at both Snoozeshade and Outlook have been tweaking their designs to make some significant improvements. Here's my take on the latest offerings when it comes to shading a baby from the sun - a buggy shade review and car shade review in one!

Snoozeshade Plus



The Snoozeshade Plus is a multi-purpose buggy shade that offers your baby sun protection and a nice cosy, shaded place to help them drift to sleep. These days the ONLY time that Lara naps for me is when she is in the buggy so when it is bright I need to cover her to help her fall asleep and the Snoozeshade is ideal.

The Snoozeshade Plus has responded to feedback by ensuring that your child can see out of the shade if they want to with a fold-down flap that reduces the thickness of the shade in front of their face. It has longer velcro tabs which now make it the easiest to fit of all the buggy shades I have ever tried and makes a quick removal of the Snoozeshade a realistic prospect.

Last year I complained that the Snoozeshade original didn't allow me quick access to Lara. The plus features a much bigger zip-open slot for me to see Lara as she sleeps. I'm also happy to see that the length has been made greater so that Lara's long legs don't stick out.

The fabric on the Snoozeshade Plus is, as ever, soft, flexible and very lightweight while still offering UPF50+ sun protection throughout the WHOLE product.

SnoozeShade plus retails for around £30 . If you want to find out more about the Snoozeshade then there are some brilliant videos about how to use and fit them on their youtube channel.

Outlook Shade-A-Babe

   

The Outlook Shade-A-Babe has changed a lot since I last tried it. The fabric is now a lot lighter which means I can fold the buggy with it still attached and the fabric is softer against Lara's legs. The Shade-A-Babe has a really nice big zip-open section so that I can lift Lara in and out even with the shade attached to the buggy.

Although the velcro tabs are easier to fit to the buggy than in previous versions, I do still find the tabs too long and you have to make an effort to tuck them away. Also, the length of the Outlook Shade-A-Babe was one of the things I really rated about it in the past and it seems a bit shorter than I remember (Lara's feet poke out).

Despite this, I really rate the Shade-A-Babe as it is made to a very high standard. It is a little disappointing that you only get the maximum sun protection in the area over your baby's face but the ease of use makes up for this. I love the fact that you can roll down the front cover of the buggy shade and tuck it well-away inside its own little pocket, perhaps if your baby is taking a nap under a tree before moving away later.

The Outlook Shade-a-Babe costs around £30 for a single-buggy version and can be bought online from Cheeky Rascals and you can also find out more on their youtube channel.

Outlook Auto-Shade



Me and traditional car window shades do not get on. Since I got pregnant nearly 3 years ago, I have been through 5 different sets of window shades with those annoying stick-on suckers. The suckers either don't stick, or else I forget they are there and attempt to open the electric windows with them still attached (there is a sucker lodged inside the door cavity!).

The clever people at Outlook have invented a car window shade that DOESN'T USE SUCTION CUPS! And, you can open the window with the shade still in place because it fits over the whole car door, not just the window pane.

The Outlook Auto-Shade brings a gentle darkness to the back of the car and helps Lara to nap when she is in her car seat. I've found that they seem to shade Lara a lot more than any other window shade I have tried and because it is made from the same soft fabric as the Shade-a-babe, I know it offers good UV protection too.



The Outlook Auto-Shade comes in two different shapes for rounded or rectangular car windows. I think our car is somewhere inbetween because the fabric doesn't sit well at the corners and ruffles up - this causes it to flap in the wind and make a really annoying noise when we drive. Annoying enough that my husband won't drive when the shades are fitted.

The Outlook Auto-Shade sells for around £30 a pair and can be bought from Cheeky Rascals

The Sunday Review - Splash About Swimming Costume

You may have heard me rave before about the Splash About Happy Nappy system; well, Lara has finally outgrown her largest happy nappy and at nearly 2 years old I have started to dress her for her swimming lessons in a one-piece swimsuit. Our most recent swimsuit is another one of Splash About's range of children's swimwear – a simple swimming costume with a stripey ruffle detail.

I'm very fussy when it comes to swimming costumes for myself and I think I'm developing the same fussiness for Lara. I really like the Splash About swimming costume because it is made from a good quality, light weight fabric. My two pet hates when it comes to swimwear are cheap fabrics that perish after one or two uses (the reason why Lara is now on her third swimsuit in as many months) and swimsuits made of such thick or firm fabric that they aren't comfortable to swim in and can often leave you feeling warm and heavy. Splash About seem to have got both of these things right. A flexible, light weight swimsuit that is easy to put on a wiggly child!

As with almost all of their children's swimwear, the swimming costume is made from a fabric that offers sun protection of UPF50+ so they are suitable for wearing on holiday or out in the garden to offer a little bit of protection from the sun.

I would have loved to have shown you a photo of Lara actually wearing the swimsuit - she wore it to her swimming lesson last week and it didn't cross my mind to take a picture and then this morning, when I asked her if she would try it on again for a photo she grabbed it off me, waved it about a bit then ran away with it and threw it over the stairgate. This is the terrible twos and I'm getting pretty bored of it.



Lara's swimsuit has a ruffle detail around the legs and little striped bows on each shoulder. The bows fascinate her but I think they're an unnecessary detail which looks a bit funny. You can also get the swimsuit in Splash About's iconic pink/mango colourway or with a little skirt and bows. They are available from age 1 – 6 years.

At £19.99 the Splash About swimsuit is still good value for money – the quality of Splash About's products is far greater than anything I could buy with a high street name on it so I know I'll get more than one month's use out of this swimsuit.

A Summer of Buggy Shades Reviewed

Summer is gone. Boo. So why then am I writing an article all about products designed to protect your little ones from the sun? Well, having spent the summer trialling different types of buggy shade, I have lots of experience which is fresh in my head and now seems like to right time to pass this knowledge on to anyone who is planning a purchase for a winter sun holiday. I'll also remind you all next spring when you might be planning to purchase something for the summer months ahead.

We have tried three different brands of buggy shade over the summer on our two totally different buggies. In case you're interested, we own a Maclaren Triumph and a Mothercare MyChoice.


The Shade-A-Babe

We bought the Shade-A-Babe this time last year for a mediterranean trip. Even then, when Lara was just 3 months old, her little legs rubbed against the harsh fabric over her knees. We bought it because of its UPF50+ sun protection and because it claimed to fit all buggies, ever. It does this through use of extra-long velcro loops which you trim to size; this is all very well but if you, like us, have to swap it between buggies which require two different sizes of velcro, you can't really trim them and they end up flapping around all over the place.

The Shade-A-Babe is the easiest to get your child in and out of as it has a big zip-up opening. It also has an extra level of sun protection over your child's face and it is the only buggy shade we have tried which is genuinely long enough to cover the full length of the Maclaren pushchair. The Shade-a-babe is bulky and the pushchair won't fold with it on so we got very stressed having to put it on and off all the time.

The Shade-a-Babe costs around £30 and they also make them in different colours and sizes to fit double buggies.



The Snoozeshade

The Snoozeshade sells itself more as a mobile blackout blind than a sun shade. It is full length buggy cover that offers UPF50+ sun protection.

We loved the fact that the Snoozeshade is made from a soft elasticated fabric because it was gentler on the legs when/if they rubbed and because it was easy to stretch over the buggy. It is also a lot more compact than the Shade-a-babe and can be folded up into its own little carry case.

We found the (fixed-length) velcro tabs a lot easier to fit and as such, it is more more appealing for when you know you are going to have to take the cover on and off frequently. We were a little disappointed that the Snoozeshade didn't quite reach to the bottom of the pushchair - it looked like it would be a better fit on a pushchair with a slight angled shape to it and it worked well when the MyChoice was in pram-mode.

The Snoozeshade has a very small peek-hole which zips up - I think I'd rather have a bigger opening in case I need to quickly get to my child.

The Snoozeshade costs around £20.



The Kurtis Baby Peace

I recently reviewed the Kurtis Baby Peace on The Family Panel. I liked it but I came to the conclusion that it is much better suited to a pram than a pushchair and that it wasn't very good value for money given the short amount of time that your baby will spend in a pram.

The Baby Peace is much easier to use than the other two shades because it doesn't require you to mess about with velcro. You simply clip the 100% organic cotton cover onto the roof of your buggy using plastic shower-curtain-esque rings. The Baby Peace looks great, offers the same UPF5-+ protection and is less cumbersome than the other two. It is incredibly easy just to push it to one side if you need to reach in to tend your child but it isn't really long enough for use on an upright pushchair.

The Baby Peace costs around £30 and would make a great luxury gift for a newborn.



None of these buggy shades is 100% right for our needs. There is no single one I would say 'yes', that's the one I recommend. I feel they are all lacking a little and could evolve a bit more. In terms of value for money and general ease of use, I tend to prefer the Snoozeshade for a pushchair. In terms of quality and looks, the Baby Peace is my favourite for a pram.