Creatures Toddlers' Hand Wash

Ever since the mass panic created by bird and then swine flu, as soon as you mention the words "hygiene" and "hands", everybody automatically thinks hand sanitizer. But what happened to good old soap and water ? Killing off germs is great and being able to clean your hands when you're out and about and can't necessarily get to a bathroom is handy, but for general day-to-day cleanliness, you still need to get your kids into a good handwashing routine. Just the other day, Juliette came in for a snack with filthy hands after playing in the park and told me she'd cleaned her hands with a squirt of sanitizer over the ingrained dirt - hmmm. Time for a rethink !

Well, the amazingly cute picture of a baby zebra on the bottle of Creatures Toddlers' Hand Wash is absolutely perfect for encouraging young children to give up the hand sanitizer and head for the soap and water ! Juliette loves the "zebra soap", as she's dubbed it, because it comes out as a foam and is lovely and soft on her hands. She also likes the smell it leaves on her skin and often comes to make me smell her hands after she's washed them !

I love the fact that it's made from natural ingredients, including organic Rooibos and natural Aloe Vera. I'd heard about Rooibos tea but didn't actually know it could be used in other products. It turns out that it has been used for hundreds of years by the African “bush people” who use its powerful healing properties in natural remedies. The whole range of Creatures products was dreamt up by a South African-born lady, who was pregnant with her first child and who was obviously well aware of the tradition of using rooibos to treat all manner of ills in her homeland. "A South-African mother stumbled on the natural healing powers of Rooibos when she added Rooibos tea to her baby's bottle, and found it to be instantly calming and soothing. Ever since, thousands of mothers in South Africa have experienced success with colic, food allergies, eczema, insomnia and hyperactivity in their babies and children." Well, washing your hands with Creatures Toddlers' Hand Wash may not do all that but it will certainly get you lovely clean hands !

The manufacturer also explains that it uses "100% natural fragrances and colours, and contains no parabens, petro-chemicals or sulphates, making it particularly good for children with sensitive skin, eczema or other skin conditions. All Creatures products are made in the UK to reduce carbon footprint, the packaging is recyclable, none of the products are tested on animals and the company is involved with a children’s charity in South Africa to help those in needs. " Maybe that's why the zebra on the bottle looks so happy !

star rating : 5/5

RRP : £9.50 for 420ml

for more information and to buy online : http://www.theworldofcreatures.com/toddlers.html