Toddler Skincare Routine

You might think a skincare routine for a 19-month-old is a bit extreme, but we've had a lovely little routine for Willow since she was just a couple of weeks old and it works wonders for us, especially for keeping her dry skin and mild eczema at bay. These are products we've used from birth, and a couple which has come into our routine more recently, from three brands we wholeheartedly trust to use with on our daughter's skin.

CLEANSE

Check out the full Mustela range at www.escentual.com.

We've used the Mustela Cleansing Milk since Willow was born and we are such big fans of the Mustela range - I've repurchased many of their products now and I always recommend them to friends and family. I first raved about this particular product in my 'Treating your baby's dry skin' feature and our love for this cleansing milk has only grown since then! 

Mustela products are fab because they can be used from birth, even for babies who are or have been in NICU, free of any unnecessary ingredients, just incredibly kind to baby skin. The cleansing milk is an absolute must in our routine and I haven't found anything else that fits the bill when it comes to cleansing Willow's face. I think it's incredibly reasonably priced if I'm honest, with a 200ml bottle costing £7.25 (ours lasted a whole year!) whilst the huge 500ml bottle we have now cost just £9.95. 

The formula is 98% natural and uses some lovely ingredients such as Sunflower Seed Oil, Avocado, Coconut Oil and Sweet Almond Oil. We find a 20p sized amount of product is more than enough for one use, for both her face, behind her ears and her neck. We use this in the evenings before bed, either in the bath or after brushing Willow's teeth. This can actually be used all over, but we prefer to use it for her skincare routine rather all over. We simply massage it into her skin and rinse off with warm water, job done! 

MOISTURISE
Check out the full Weleda range at www.boots.com.

Another one we absolutely adore is the Weleda White Mallow Face Cream, which we've used since Willow was a couple of weeks old like the Mustela Cleansing Milk. I adore this face cream, in fact, the entire White Mallow and Calendula ranges from Weleda are just absolutely fantastic for babies and toddlers! With a formula of Organic Mallow, Pansy extract, and Organic Coconut Oil and Sweet Almond Oil, alongside organic golden Beeswax, this face cream leaves Willow's skin super soft and hydrated. 

We pop it on before bed, massage just less than a 5p sized amount into her face and neck and she's set for the night. In the colder mornings of autumn and winter, we do like to apply this in the mornings too, which would again follow the Mustela Cleansing Milk. It's even better in the winter as it really helps keep the harsh effects of colder weather off of her skin. It costs £10.49 for a 50ml tube, which is very reasonable when you consider ours lasted us a full year.

A product which we've just added into our routine is the newly released La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume B5 Soothing Repairing Balm*, which is from a brand new baby range recently released by La Roche-Posay (which I am so excited about, as they're one of my favourite skincare brands!). This is one we use specifically on certain areas of Willow's skin such as behind her ears, where she suffers which really sore dry skin, just like I did when I was younger. We tried Coconut Oil but found it just left her hair greasy, whereas this does the job perfectly at treating and healing her skin. 

A multi-purpose repairing balm, it aims to soothe skin irritations such as dry skin or eczema, can be used to treat cradle cap and nappy rash, and can even be used on minor scrapes and grazes as well as insect bites, with an antibacterial formula that works to heal damaged skin. A great handy all-round product that we're really enjoying; a 40ml tube costs £14, but as a little goes a long way and it's used for smaller and more specific treatments, I think it's going to last us quite a while!

SPF PROTECTION

Check out the full La Roche-Posay baby skincare range at www.laroche-posay.co.uk.

Another one from the new La Roche-Posay baby skincare range is the Anthelios Dermo-Pediatrics Baby Lotion SPF50+*, which costs £11 for 50ml. I'm a firm believer in the importance of using SPF all year round, no matter how grey and cold it might be outside. With high broad, photostable UVA/UVB and Infrared Protection, this lotion is safe to use on babies from 6 months onwards, on both the face and body. As we have a body SPF for Willow already, we've been using this one on her face as a facial SPF, whenever we leave the house.

Water resistant and non-greasy, it is enriched with naturally derived Shea Butter, which helps to moisturise and protect skin, as well as Thermal Spring Water. It's free from any preservatives, parabens, colourants, lanolin and artificial fragrances, so suitable for even sensitive skin. This one for us really is an essential, and wearing SPF is something I hope Willow picks up on and continues as she grows older.

I'd love to know what your favourite baby skincare products are and whether your toddler has a skincare routine too! 

*PR samples - Disclaimer.