It has been my experience that some of the best products, find you. At the start of winter I was walking through Target, hiding from the boy to prolong my shopping experience, and suddenly I stopped dead in my tracks. Seduced by the sweet smell of Johnson & Johnson baby lotion, I found my way into the baby section. Rows and rows of that famously powder pink bottle beckoned me. I was helpless to resist its charm, reminiscent of all that is good and clean and sweet about babyhood. Amongst the barrage of J&J and Burt’s Bees products were a few new names and one that I’ve repeatedly passed up, California Baby. Developed by a mother, their product line consists of vegan, gentle washes, shampoos, moisturizers and creams for babies, kids and sensitive adults.
I had heard of the line in the past and actually used to give a friend a hard time for using their sensitive scalp shampoo. Though my teasing was based solely on the idea of a forty-year old man using baby shampoo, it was all in good fun. However, one of their decadent products has me eating my own words. California Baby, Calendula Cream, to date is the single best moisturizing cream I have ever used. Fabulous enough to bump L’Occitane’s best-selling Lavender Crème Main hand cream out of my number one spot. Yes…its that good.
Botanically based, this cream is packed with vegan, concentrated, and organic ingredients. Aloe Vera, rosemary, French lavender and Clary sage paired with concentrated Calendula (Kal’len’dula) officinalis extract soothe and moisturize even the most dehydrated skin. Calendula is a genus of species of annual or perennial herbaceous plants in the daisy family, Asteraceae or the pot marigold. It has anti-viral and anti-inflammatory properties, which make it perfect for soothing irritated tissue. In fact, after discovering the product myself, I went online to see what other consumers had to say regarding its performance and scent. I was surprised to find out that many of the women raving about the cream were individuals suffering from Eczema or severe cases of Dermatitis. Even some women who are breast cancer survivors and have suffered skin damage from radiation treatments/scaring---rave about Calendula Cream and how it’s helped their skin to heal and recover. Did I mention it’s a baby product too?
The cream is light, fluffy and has a calming herbal scent. It completely absorbs into the skin, does not leave a film and the scent is not over powering. It smells fresh with a touch of lavender, reminiscent of a spa. Being a bit of a germaphobe, I wash my hands incessantly. Naturally this leads to desert dry skin and cracked knuckles. This cream has single handedly brought my skin back from the dead. No more granny hands! I keep it on my nightstand and it serves as my evening retreat. You can pick it up at your local Target and some Whole Foods stores. A 2 oz. jar will set you back $12.99 and the 4 oz. retails for $22.00.
Whether you have kids or not, the baby product section of some retail stores can prove to be highly rewarding, especially if you have sensitive skin or allergies. The California Baby line of products is amazing. In my humble opinion, that’s saying a lot for a vegan brand. Its hard to find eco-cosmetic companies that can actually master the science that is the fine art of creating the perfect “cocktail” of a product----that actually works. For example: You can open any random jar of vegan “miracle” moisturizer and it literally is just a crème base with a healthy amount of lavender oil---and that’s it! Next thing you know, your fingers look like you’ve been into the fried chicken, your skin is nowhere near soft and you smell like an apothecary. The California Baby brand does just the opposite. Their line of products mixes essential oils and botanical elements that not only smell divine but work together to create a product that actually works! Shampoos and washes that don’t irritate your skin and moisturizers that soothe cracked and dry skin. They also offer pregnancy products/gifts, Diffusers and Oils for your nursery room/bathroom/home, Bath & Hair products, sunscreens and so much more. All just as their tagline reads: Safe, Natural and Fun for babies, kids and adults.
Sounds like a great product!
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