IN REVIEW-MacLaren "Beginnings"

Yep, it's review time again, and this time it's the turn of MacLarens Beginnings Protecting Nappy Change Balm.

Firstly the tube is not over fussy-it has the name of the product, the range its from and whats in it. No fluffy duck pictures or daft promises here. I like the fact that at first glance you may be forgiven for thinking its an adult moisturiser. One thing I don't like in traditional nappy creams, like Sudocrem, is the tub it comes in. Mainly due to the incident where Chrissy removed the non-child safe lid and covered herself, head to foot in the stuff, which took an hour in the bath to remove.

The product itself contains a blend of Organic lavender, German Chamomile, Shea butter and Aloe. Shea butter seems to be something we're seeing in products more and more often-even good old Andrex now has a loo roll with it, so 10 out of 10 for using the latest now item. As for the the Chamomile we're told its of the German variety, so must read up on whether theirs is better in some way to the stuff we have in Blighty! I'm pleased that it uses organic products, as obviously any nasty chemicals in non organic could cause rashes.

Reading the back, the company has had the cream dermatologically tested for its suitability for sensitive skin.

With the ingredients it contains you would think it would smell lovely, but its not the case-it smells quite industrial. Its not as thick as other similar products, which made me wonder on first use whether it would work as claimed-after all, a thick layer of Sudocrem usually clears up any spots almost overnight.

However, the cream did clear up some teething related spots on Edwards bottom, and left it soft and smooth. Chrissy seemed to like it lots too, as where it wasn't as thick it didn't take forever to rub in a layer.

It did as promised, not irritate my children's sensitive skin, and Chrissy can be quite susceptible  to skin irritation. It didn't upset my skin either, which is a miracle as at the moment I have very bad eczema on my hands from using cleaning products on the carpet.

The Product costs 7.52, which is quite expensive in today's climate, when Sudocrem costs little over a pound. I would expect it to smell a little nicer given the price, and would probably plump for a cheaper shops on brand when weighing up the options. I think this is the sort of item that you would be given as a gift in a pack from someone after having a baby.

All in all, a product that does exactly what it promises, but is let down on price.