I’m so proud to be working with Johnson’s Baby this year as one of their Brand Ambassadors. When it came to choosing products to use on my babies, Johnson’s Baby were the first brand that I went to, and I did it instinctively. They’re one of the brands that I remember fondly from my own childhood – the smell of the big yellow shampoo will always make me feel a bit nostalgic when I recognise it. These are products that my mum used for me and my sister when I was little, and they’re products that are top of my list when it comes to bathing my own children.

I think bathtime is a time when so much bonding takes place, particularly when your children are tiny. I didn’t get in the bath very often with Max, but I’ve absolutely loved doing it with Ben. Seeing his little face light up as he splashes about is often one of the highlights of my day and it feels like something that’s just for the two of us. It’s a hugely sensory experience, full of sights, smells, sounds, and touch, and that all works to develop that bond between you and your baby. Stimulating these senses creates the memories that will stay with the two of us for life – just like that scent brings back memories for me, one day it will do the same for my children, when they have children of their own.

When I was approached by Johnson’s Baby to be a Brand Ambassador, it was one of those opportunities that makes you do a little happy dance. It’s a brand that will always be the scent of the baby days for me. Their products fill me with happy memories, and that I hope they will do the same for my own children as they grow up.

 

What I’ve Learned So Far

As part of being a Brand Ambassador, Johnson’s have been really generous in sharing information about their products and about the science behind baby skin – I’ve learnt so much already working with them. I was priviledged to spend a whole day last month with their Marketing Team and their scientific experts, and we had the opportunity to ask the questions that we’ve always wanted to ask. Nothing was too controversial and we were given full and frank answers to all of our, sometimes tricky, questions.

I want to share with you some of the things I’ve learnt already, and if you have a question you’ve always wanted to ask, feel free to ask me and I will do my utmost to get it answered for you.

 

 

Moisturising is so important

Johnson and Johnson are a pioneering researcher in infant skincare and they completely understand baby skin and its unique needs. In working with Johnson’s Baby, I’ve learnt that the layers aren’t as tightly knitted together in baby skin; it’s more sensitive to the environment than adult skin. If your own skin feels dry at the end of the day, then your baby’s skin will already be feeling dry as it reacts to the same stresses far more quickly. It’s really important to make sure that your baby’s skin is moisturised and well hydrated to keep that ‘baby soft’ feeling.

I’ll hold my hands up and admit that before this, I rarely moisturised Max and Ben. I didn’t know you were supposed to and I was wary of putting too many unnecessary products on their skin. But since learning how important moisturising is for children’s skin, I’ve started doing it every day as part of our bedtime routine. The difference in their skin is really noticeable – it’s smooth and soft, and they smell gorgeous! Ben loves the Johnson’s Baby Bedtime Oil, and it’s become part of our routine to do a little massage after his bath, while Max prefers the Body Lotion (because, as he keeping reminding me, he’s not a baby anymore!)

 

 

Learning How To Read An Ingredients List

When it comes to choosing bath products for my children, I’m very picky. As an eczema sufferer, it’s really important for me to know exactly what’s in the products I use. I went through a particularly nasty eczema breakout about 7 years ago now, which went on for around 2 years as I struggled to pinpoint the cause. I would spend hours examining ingredients lists and trying to work out exactly what every ingredient did and whether it was a potential allergen. With a lot of detective work, I managed to work out that I was allergic to a foaming agent, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, that is contained in so many shampoos and shower gels. I have to make sure that I don’t use products that contain this ingredient and might irritate my skin, so I examine labels rigorously to make sure that it’s not included. Whilst some of the Johnson’s Baby range does contain Cocamidopropyl Betaine, the products that I use do not contain this ingredient, which include the classic yellow Johnson’s Baby Shampoo, Bedtime Bath Wash, Baby Bath, Softwash, Shiny Drops Shampoo and Conditioner. It’s for this reason that I might be one of the few adults out there who use them on myself as well as on my children.

 

 

Through working with Johnson’s Baby, I’ve learned how to critically read an ingredients list, and understand how to research the purpose of each ingredient. I now know that just because an ingredient has a ‘chemical sounding’ name, it doesn’t mean it’s not ‘natural’. And equally, just because something is ‘natural’, it doesn’t make it safe for use on the skin. Johnson’s Baby are rigorous about labelling, and ensure that the ingredients in their products are all correctly listed.

 

Addressing The Negativity

I think it’s really important to address the fact that Johnson’s Baby has been the target of some negativity in recent years. When I was trying to pinpoint the cause of my eczema, I read comments in online forums about Johnson’s Baby including ingredients that were potentially harmful but, being a researcher by nature, I delved into it further myself and was happy that there was nothing to be concerned about. Since working with Johnson’s Baby, I’ve realised how much they truly care about the ingredients that they use and the safety of their consumers.

I’ve learned how Johnson’s leverage their extensive knowledge and research into baby skin to ensure that each and every one of their ingredients is scientifically proven to be safe for babies and young children. Every single ingredient is rigorously assessed by their scientific experts and conforms to the strictest safety standards in every country it’s sold in, and I’m completely confident in knowing that it’s mild enough to use on my babies and on my own sensitive skin, without irritation.

 

 

I’m so excited to learn more about Johnson’s Baby and their products over the course of this year. It’s been an eye opening experience so far, and I truly wish that I’d had access to this kind of information years ago when I was struggling with my eczema. Johnson’s Baby is a brand that I’ve always loved and trusted, and that will always bring back those memories of the baby days. It’s wonderful to be able to work in partnership with them and I’m really looking forward to sharing everything that I’m learning.

 

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Disclosure: This post is a paid collaboration as part of my role as a Johnson’s Baby Brand Ambassador. All of the words and opinions contained in this post are my own.