Review: For Baby's Boo-boos

photo by Stan

More and more moms are becoming conscious of what they put on their babies. Early on, I try to use all-natural creams and salves on Naima whenever she has boo-boos. There are now several products in the market but I've chosen to use only three. IndigoBaby and ByNature because I know the moms behind them and Ilog Maria because I've been to their store and I believe in the owner/founder. Here's a quick review and rundown of our usage of these salves and creams.

photo from Indigo Baby's website

1. Indigo Baby - Jar of Hope (P380 - 30ml)

Jar of Hope was the very first ointment I purchased for Naima. Indigo Baby calls it a "gel" and it does have a gel-like consistency. Purchased my first jar from Monica at one of the Rockwell bazaars. Back then, she told me that she used it for teething and I was skeptical. I didn't want to be putting unknown stuff in Naima's mouth.

According to Indigo Baby's website, their Jar of Hope First Aid Gel is a bestseller and is made of "blue chamomile essential oil". This is not only for babies' use but also for mom and dad - burnouts, stress, insomnia, fussy babies, insect bites, motion sickness, inflammation, rashes, cuts and wounds plus teething. Finally, Indigo Baby attests that "blue chamomile is the most haling of all chamomiles due to its azulene content."

The gel smells really good and is very easy to apply. We've used it for insect bites, inflammation and rashes and it does its job pretty well. We used it mostly when Naima was a baby (e.g. 4-12 months old). However, Naima's yaya noted that since the gel was very mild, it was good for minor cuts/bruises. For major ones, she prefers BN's Salve. We didn't use this for teething though but mainly for diaper rash. Naima got diaper rash because we used wipes on her a lot! On the other hand, my niece Anya had no diaper rash at all because yaya just used cotton with water to wipe her. According to Indigo Baby, to prevent molds, you should use a small spoon to scoop out the gel to avoid contact with your fingers (which may have contaminants leading to molds). We store the Jar of Hope in the refrigerator to lengthen its life and to make it solidify a bit. When stored at room temperature, I found the gel to become water-y.

You can purchase Jar of Hope directly from Indigo Baby.

photo from By Nature's website

2. By Nature Baby Salve - P200 for 20g

This product came out when Naima was more than a year old. But this has quickly become our favorite boo-boo balm. What I like about this product is that the bottom label lists down specifically all the ingredients contained in the salve - "organic sunflower oil, organic avocado oil, organic grapeseed oil, organic virgin coconut oil, organic jojoba oil, organic shea butter, beeswax, pure lavender essential oil, pure blue chamomile essential oil, calendula extract, aloe vera extract and vitamin E." By Nature's Darlene recommends this salve for diaper rash, insect bites, eczema, dry patches, small cuts and booboos. She also recommends this as a lotion for babies (expensive given that a small jar costs P200) or evening moisturizer for moms. The jar is quite compact and unlike the Jar of Hope (with a big jar), the Baby Salve can easily be slipped into the diaper bag.

I haven't used this myself but Stan also swears by it. Every time he has a nick or cut, he immediately asks Yaya where the Baby Salve is to use on himself. My yaya also likes to use this on Naima's cuts (she has plenty - now that she is an active toddler) and says that the salve causes the cuts to heal quickly. There is no need to refrigerate. Although Darlene calls this a "salve", the Baby Salve is quite creamy. And you just need to put a thin layer for it to work - quite economical! We are almost finishing our first 20g jar which has been with use for more than 1 year now.

You can purchase the Baby Salve from By Nature's authorized resellers.

photo from Ilog Maria's website

3. Ilog Maria Propolis Ointment

The most economical of all is the Ilog Maria Propolis Ointment - which actually has a salve-like consistency. Ilog Maria recommends that their ointment be used for skin irritations, infection rashes, itches, insect bites, infected wounds and burns. Listed ingredients are propolis gold and beeswax in an olive oil base. Other users attest that it doesn't only stop the inflammation but actually soothes the itchiness of insect bites and it also helps stop "singaw" or canker sores.

Yaya uses this on Naima, mostly when she has bruises as the ointment helps soothe the inflammation. It is also very helpful on burns, as experienced by our cook. Although we don't refrigerate this, the ointment has a cooling effect.

Like the Baby Salve, the jars are quite small (even the big jar!) so you can easily slip it in your diaper bag. Plus the Propolis Ointment is much more cheaper than the Baby Salve or Jar of Hope!

If you purchase directly from Ilog Maria's website, the big jar (45g) costs P192.50 only, while the small jar (25g) is P110. You can also go to Ilog Maria Farm in Silang, Cavite where purchase prices are cheaper. Meanwhile, if you need the ointment ASAP, one of the Manila stockists is fellow LATCHer, Judy and you can purchase from her store in New Manila.

Verdict:

For babies 0-12, go for Indigo Baby's Jar of Hope - it is very mild and you can't go wrong - although it is quite expensive.

For toddlers, keep both the Baby Salve (for cuts/rashes) and Propolis Ointment (for bumps and bruises). However, if you can only buy 1, I'd go for the Baby Salve.

*Disclaimer: All products were purchased. None given for review and I'm not carrying any of these products in my online store.