Little I has uncontrollable curly hair. She gets it from me, poor thing. A head of golden curls does look very cute on a two-year-old (we often get stopped by old ladies!) but it is very hard to manage. She frequently wakes up with something similar to dreadlocks. After trying a few of my own hair products on her, I happened to look at the ingredients in them one day and wasn’t sure what half of them were. Surely it wasn’t good to be frequently covering her hair in unidentifiable chemicals.

On the next trip to the hairdressers, I decided to part with £10 for a bottle of Original Sprout Curl Calmer for babies and toddlers, which is 100% vegan, natural and organic. It’s far more expensive than my own hair products, but I could see what a wonderful difference a pea-sized amount had already made to Little I’s hair after her hair cut, and the hairdresser assured me that the bottle should last us up to a year.

It was a wise purchase. After washing Little I’s hair I now always run a small amount of the product through her hair, and also apply it in the mornings when it’s a particularly bad hair day! It does exactly what is says on the tin and ‘calms’ the tangles and frizz that only toddlers know how to get, leaving lovely shiny curls. It also smells absolutely amazing. I now use some on my own hair before a night out as it’s such a gorgeous product.

But this product has to date been my only ‘green’ purchase for my daughter. While I recycle and have a very low carbon footprint by working from home, I definitely wouldn’t call myself an eco-goddess.

So when Green People got in touch and asked if I’d like to receive a bottle of their Organic Sticky Hand Sanitiser, I felt a wee bit hypocritical for accepting. Up until recently I’ve always used a flannel or wet wipes for cleaning Little I’s hands when sticky, and didn’t really see that I would have much of a need for the item, particularly at the price point of £9.45.

But the Green People product arrived in the middle of us potty training and so I instinctively shoved it in our going out bag, along with a stack of spare clothes and wipes. The first time we used it was when we were out and about one day and Little I needed to use the public toilets. These said toilets contained one of those rather scary Dyson turbo hand-driers, which terrified Little I and I have to say I don’t blame her – I’m always a little concerned that they are going to blow my hands off! So I remembered the bottle of Hand Sanitiser that I had in my bag and washed her hands with that instead.

The pump dispenses a light, bubbly foam which can be rubbed straight into hands, and even on the face apparently. “Bubbles!” shrieked Little I, “need some more, Mummy!” It was an instant hit!

Over the course of the past month of so, this product has grown and grown on me. Initially I didn’t ‘get’ why it would be any better to the mainstream alcohol-based hand sanitisers that come at a far cheaper price point, but as it this only contains natural ingredients and is certified Organic, with Tea Tree extract being the key anti-bacterial ingredient, I don’t need to worry about Little I licking her fingers after using it, or rubbing it on her face. Additionally the foamy consistency makes it so easy for her to pump and apply herself, which is useful when your child is as highly independent as mine is!

The other benefit that I’ve noticed is that packs of wet wipes are now lasting us a much longer time!

So I feel that my perception of eco-buys for babies and toddlers has been altered by these two products. They may seem expensive initially, but if they are going to last you a long time and remove a certain element of stress in your daily life, while also being good for your child’s skin and the environment, then I’ve discovered I don’t mind finding the extra pennies.

How about you? Are you happy to spend the extra money on eco products for your children? Do you worry about the long-term effects of using chemicals on your child’s skin?

If you have discovered other great green products that you couldn’t live without, please share in the comments section below.