Tuesday, 22 December 2009

Asda Little Angels Go Eco Baby ! baby products




Ahhhh being a parent is never easy. You always want to do - and buy - the best for your little bundle of joy but in these times of credit crunch, you don't want to waste money on big name brands that aren't any better than the cheaper versions. And these days, you can throw in some added guilt about your child's carbon footprint and all the green but not overly practical options (like washable nappies) that you feel you should be using. Well, the Asda Go Eco Baby ! range of baby products strikes the perfect balance as far as I'm concerned. The products are cheaper than the big brands but don't look cheap and nasty like some budget value ranges, they all do the job perfectly well and they've been designed with the environment in mind.

According to the press release : "ASDA is the first supermarket to have a full range of ‘no nasties’ environmentally friendly toiletries and products. All products in the ‘go eco baby’ range are derived from naturally sourced ingredients, helping you to care for your little angel’s skin AND the world they will grow up in. Brand new this winter is the go eco baby toiletries range. At a wallet friendly price, everything in the range is hypoallergenic and dermatologically tested, and contains environmentally friendly ingredients and no parabens or artificial colours. Not only are they made from natural, sustainable ingredients so they are kind and gentle to your baby’s skin, the bottles are made with 25% recycled material so they are kind to the environment." Sounds good to me - but if you've read my other reviews, you'll know that I only like eco-friendly versions if they work as well as the non-green options. Well, I have to admit, I had pretty low expectations but I was pleasantly surprised.



Apart from the Asda eco nappies, which I reviewed here, the first products to be tested were the wipes and the nappy sacks. I never pay much for nappy sacks because they're designed to go straight in the bin anyway so I don't see the point of paying more than I have to. Most of the time I don't even use them, doing my bit to be green, but they are very handy if you're out and about or baby has done a particularly smelly/leaky nappy (as is often the case at the moment, as Pierre's just starting weaning !).The only difference I could see between these ones and the more expensive brands was the fact that they aren't fragranced but let's be honest, however nicely perfumed the nappy bags are, they never totally mask the pooey smells anyway ! What I love about these ones is that they are 100% biodegradable and have a special ingredient which helps them degrade 30 times faster than a normal nappy sack. Definitely well worth the price, £1.71 for a pack of 75 bags, as I'm happy to pay a bit extra for the eco-friendly aspect. And they also come in handy for dirty bibs and wrapping up spoons or bottles after baby-lunch on the go.

The wipes were lovely and, if I hadn't seen the label, I'd never have known that they were a supermarket brand because they are just as soft and efficient at cleaning up as the market leaders. They are moist enough to tackle even toxic number twos but not overly wet and they are soft enough to use on chocolatey big sister faces with no complaints too. I opened the resealable packet with no problems at all but Mike somehow managed to rip it completely on his first attempt. (He blamed it on the packaging until I pointed out that I'd had no problem at all !) They are very mild and perfect for sensitive skin, as they are fragrance free, enriched with certified organic aloe vera and chamomile, and free from known irritants including alcohol and soap. At £1.96 for a pack of 72, they're mid-price, cheaper than the big brands but more expensive than the other Asda own label wipes, but for the quality and the green aspect, I'm happy to pay that bit extra.




Next up were the bathtime smellies - baby shampoo and baby bath. I must admit, as Pierre hasn't got much hair, I tend to use one or the other for squirting in the water and all-over washing, including the hair - it's not as if you haven't got enough to juggle with a slippery baby without adding in numerous bottles to open and pour ! Well, they both did the job perfectly without causing any irritation and left Pierre smelling lovely and clean. I always end up getting water in Pierre's eyes when I wash his hair and face and although he doesn't complain, he does sometimes have red eyes after his bath - this wasn't the case with these products so the no-tears formula obviously works. At 98p for a 250ml bottle, they're as cheap as the stuff you'd find in the pound shop and probably contain a lot less chemical nasties !



And finally, the baby skin products - baby lotion and baby oil, both with the same 98p price tag (250ml for the lotion and 150ml for the oil). I'm not a great fan of baby oil because I find it too greasy and oily (funny that !) and I don't like the residue it leaves on the skin, but it is good for getting rid of cradle cap so I tried it out. It's as good as the other big brand baby oils I've tried in the past (I didn't like those either !!). The baby lotion is gorgeous. Labelled as a "deliciously smelling lotion that contains natural remedies including relaxing chamomile and soothing witch hazel", I liked the smell so much that I slathered it all over myself as well as Pierre ! It sinks into the skin, leaving it nicely moisturised but not greasy or sticky. The smell is, as they say, relaxing so it's great for smoothing over baby's skin, not to mention your own, at the end of a long day to help you wind down into sleep mode. My only very slight criticism is that I didn't like the look of the brown dots and streaks that had risen to settle near the top of the bottle - presumably one of the ingredients that hadn't dissolved properly ? I used the top of the bottle on myself, just to be on the safe side, and it all disappeared when I rubbed it into my skin and I had no adverse skin reactions so it's obviously nothing to worry about !

All in all, it's a great range. If you want really bargain basement prices, you can find cheaper products in the classic Asda baby ranges, but if you're happy to pay a little extra for the lack of chemical nasties and the environmentally-friendly aspect, these products work out a lot cheaper than many of the green products on the market and they work just as well. And that means you can save your guilty feelings AND your pennies by getting the balance just right.


star rating : 5/5

RRP :
ASDA little angels baby oil 150 ml - £0.98
ASDA little angels baby shampoo 250ml - £0.98
ASDA little angels baby lotion 250ml - £0.98
ASDA little angels baby bath 250ml - £0.98
ASDA Little Angels eco wipes 72pk - £1.96
ASDA Little Angels eco nappy sacks 75 - £1.71

4 comments:

  1. WHEN ARE THE ECO NAPPIES ON SALE - I'VE NOT HEARD ABOUT THIS BEFORE AND SPEND A FORTUNE ON BEAMING BABY NAPPIES AT THE MOMENT.

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  2. They're available at ASDA - if you click through to my review of the Eco Nappies, you'll get a bit more info.

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  3. your baby shampoo and baby bath products are so nice

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  4. I learnt your range of products from a new neighbour of ours who recently moved from uk to australia and she was praising a lot for your bath products. I often use https://nestnappies.com.au/ and https://hippybottomus.com.au/ for my little one. should be trying yours soon.

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