In this post, I review Green People Nappy Balm. Experts say you should only use nappy cream when baby’s bottom is red. We like to use a tiny smear of nappy cream at most nappy changes – it works well for us. Despite frequent nappy changes, if we don’t use nappy cream, the dreaded redness appears.
Thankfully, we’ve not had a serious case of nappy rash yet, so we must be doing something right. For Jonah, I only use a skincare product when absolutely needed – and nappy cream is a skincare need, since being in a nappy for almost all of the day is not very natural!
We’re huge fans of Weleda nappy creams – White Mallow Nappy Cream is our absolute favourite, with Calendula Nappy Cream following a close second. However, since I’ve had such great results with Green People products, I thought we should try Green People Nappy Balm (shop here) as well.
Green People products are great – their cleansers and moisturisers are part of my everyday routine. And it’s handy to have two or three nappy creams on the go. One for the changing table, one for the bathroom for use after baths, and one for the changing bag!
Green People Nappy Balm benefits
Here is what Green People say about their nappy balm, from their website:
- Protects against dampness that leads to nappy rash
- Soothing organic bottom balm which protects against dampness when your baby has nappy rash
- Naturally rich in omega 3 and 6 and soothing zinc oxide
- 100% natural and certified organic – the best for your baby
- Repels water to protect against dampness
- Can be used on all areas of soreness – not just for baby
We bought our 50ml tube for £10.50 at BigGreenSmile. The size is handy for the changing bag, as it’s not too bulky and slips nicely into a side pocket. The design of the packaging is playful and cute.
The consistency is wetter and oilier than Weleda’s two nappy creams. It glides onto Jonah’s skin, and sinks in quite well. It doesn’t seem as “chalky” as the Weleda creams that we usually use.
Green People Nappy Balm fragrance is very delicate and natural. It comes from chamomile essential oil.
The ingredients
The nappy balm contains no lanolin, methylisothiazolinone, methylchloroisothiazolinone, phthalates, artificial perfumes, petrochemicals and colourants.
Let’s have a closer look at the lovely ingredients:
Palm oil
Don’t worry, it’s from sustainable sources and is great for skin. Palm oil contains toctrienols which are members of the vitamin E family, and are fantastic skin healers and protectors.
Sunflower seed oil
Contains fatty acids such as linoleic acid, which help to nourish and soothe the delicate skin of the nappy area.
Beeswax
A natural, gentle moisturiser and skin soother. Beeswax also helps to create a moisture barrier.
Zinc oxide
A natural mineral which acts as a moisture barrier. Do you remember bottles of pink calamine lotion from childhood? Zinc oxide is an ingredient in calamine lotion, providing astringency to help soothe irritations.
Hemp seed oil
Something of a wonder oil – containing 21 amino acids and expressing the ideal ratio of 3:1 omega 6 to omega 3. It is particularly helpful to babies with nappy rash as it improves skin’s resistance to moisture.
Cocoa butter
An excellent moisturiser that can help to heal and protect dry skin. Just like chocolate, cocoa butter contains polyphenols, natural antioxidants.
Shea butter
Moisturising, anti-inflammatory, and has skin healing properties as it stimulates collagen production.
Lecithin from sunflower oil
A naturally occurring lipid, often used as an emulsifier and skin softener. There are concerns on the EWG website regarding nitrosamine contamination (nitrosamines are known to cause cancer in lab animals). The contamination occurs when lecithin comes into contact with nitrosating agents. Nitrosating agents are pretty nasty ingredients you won’t find in a Green People product. Here’s a list of nitrosating ingredients.
Calendula (marigold) flower extract
Calendula has a long history in skin care, and for good reason. It has antibacterial properties, is anti-inflammatory, and promotes healing of the skin. As with Weleda Calendula Nappy Cream, you could also try Green People Nappy Balm on yourself if you’re suffering from postpartum haemorrhoids.
Aroma (roman chamomile flower oil)
Any kind of undisclosed fragrance is a red flag in natural skin care. Because fragrance ingredients are not required to be disclosed in ingredients lists, a product with fragrance/parfum could contain any number of harmful ingredients. Luckily, Green People have kept it simple and used baby-friendly roman chamomile essential oil to fragrance this nappy balm. Along with smelling nice, it’s also an analgesic and soothes irritation.
Tocopherol (Vitamin E)
An antioxidant that prevents cosmetics from spoiling, and a moisturiser in itself.
Geraniol, Citronellol, Limonene, Linalool
Checking these ingredients out over on EWG can give quite a scare. Thankfully, unless baby has very sensitive skin, there’s no need to worry. Labelling requirements state that allergens must be listed if present in the finished product, even if they naturally occur in essential oils, as is the case here. Read more at the Green People Beauty Hub.
How to use Green People Nappy Balm
Green People Nappy Balm can be used with cloth or disposable nappies. With cloth nappies, use only a tiny amount and work the balm gently into the skin so that it’s fully absorbed. This will prevent the balm from reducing the absorbency of the nappy. Using a nappy liner is a good idea to stop the cream touching the absorbent parts of the cloth nappy.
How well does the nappy balm work?
Green People Nappy Balm seems to have less zinc oxide than Weleda nappy creams. When we switched to Green People Nappy Balm, we experienced more redness. Did Green People balm create less of a moisture barrier than Weleda nappy creams? Perhaps, but despite this, I would say that the cream worked well in general, as the redness never escalated to nappy rash.
Green People Nappy Balm
Buy Now – £10.50 at BigGreenSmile
Final thoughts on Green People Nappy Balm
Green People Nappy Balm works well by protecting against moisture. It is packed with skin nourishing oils like palm and hemp, and carefully chosen botanicals such as calendula and chamomile. What’s not to love about this organic nappy balm?
Nappy creams such as Green People Nappy Balm can be used to treat mild soreness and redness in the nappy area, and can help stave off more serious nappy rash.
If nappy rash persists, please contact your doctor for advice.
Until next time!
