Baby boom

Mums and dads will always want the best for their precious new addition to the family, and so trusted brands with a reputation for expertise are naturally the first products to which they will turn. Unsurprisingly, during the Covid-19 pandemic, hygiene and sanitising products that are safe for little ones’ gentle skin is a must

Brand Central

19 March 2021

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Parents and families are always seeking the best for their little ones, whether it’s in their feeding, their treatments, their comforts or a mixture of them all. For many consumers, demand for quality versus value for money is constant. Thankfully, leading manufacturers and marketers have delivered on mums and dads’ high expectations by using the best quality ingredients.

Infant and baby products have continued to drive solid growth in 2020, despite the challenges of Covid-19. According to research from Euromonitor Ireland, sales of baby and child-specific products are more resilient than others and were forecast to grow by 1% in 2020 in 2019 constant value terms.

Despite having one of the highest birth rates in EU Member States, UNICEF research indicates that Ireland has one of the lowest breastfeeding rates in Europe. With just 49% of infants being exclusively breastfed, there’s ample demand for milk formula products in Ireland.

Brand loyalty is extraordinarily strong in the category, leading to serious competition, plus innovation in formulation, packaging, price and more, as has been amply illustrated by the brands outlined below.

Trusted by generations of parents

Caldesene powder has been keeping babies bottoms happy by preventing and treating nappy rash for over 45 years. All parents/carers have to do is simply cleanse and dry the affected area, sprinkle on Caldesene after each nappy change or as directed by a doctor.

Caldesene is the only medicated powder available for nappy rash and is available in 20g, 55g, and 100g formats. Available in pharmacies and supermarkets nationwide. For more information, visit www.caldesene.ie.

Avoiding eco jargon confusion

WaterWipes, the world’s purest baby wipes, has released new parenting research to mark the launch of its 100% biodegradable* baby wipes.

The survey amongst Irish parents** with children under five, reveals that whilst parents are trying to be more conscious of the planet their children will inherit, this is causing increasing confusion, pressure and judgement.

Key findings included:

Over three quarters of parents (81%) find environmentally friendly labelling on baby products confusing
Nearly all parents surveyed (92%) said it is important to buy products that are eco-friendly
88% of parents feel under pressure to do the best for their baby and the planet when choosing baby products
One in three (32%) parents said they sometimes felt judged by other parents, as on occasions they bought baby products that were not eco conscious
The most confusing eco-term for parents is ‘biodegradable’

The new study reveals that when it comes to ecological terms and baby care products, 76% of Irish parents had, at some point, bought a baby care product without fully understanding the jargon, language or ingredients that were on the pack.

A significant portion of Irish parents don’t fully understand common eco-terms, with ‘carbon–negative’ (37%), ‘carbon-neutral’ (32%), ‘eco-friendly’ (25%), ‘sustainable’ (24%) and ‘zero-waste’ (22%) being at the top of the list.

When it comes to choosing baby products, the most confusing eco-term for parents is ‘biodegradable’ (35%), with many not truly understanding what it means, or assuming that a ‘biodegradable’ baby product has fewer ingredients, which is not always the case.

Parents are encouraged to turn the pack over and to always check the ingredients listed. Other confusing eco terms included, flushable (19%), compostable (9%) and organic (19%).

In response to the research results, WaterWipes has launched an eco jargon dictionary which provides guidance for parents to make informed choices when choosing baby products in easy-to-understand language.

Rosanna Davison, mum of three, nutritionist and model said she was delighted to partner with WaterWipes, “to help make being more eco conscious that little bit easier by raising awareness of the brand’s new eco jargon busting dictionary and 100% biodegradable* wipes”.

The research also found that over 92% of parents across Ireland believe it’s important that baby wipes are environmentally friendly. Which is understandable, as parents in the study go through on average two packs of wipes a week. When it comes to baby skin, nearly all parents surveyed (96%) believe that minimal ingredients are important in baby care products – and over half of parents ranked being suitable for sensitive skin (55%) and not having unnecessary chemicals (44%) as some of the top aspects they expect from a baby care product.

“It is with pride as an organisation that we can announce that our baby wipes are now 100% biodegradable*,” said WaterWipes CEO Orla Mitchell.

“We as a brand know and our research supports the fact that many parents feel confused by the plethora of eco-terms they face when trying to make more environmentally friendly decisions,” she added. “We hope through our jargon busting dictionary and new WaterWipes 100% biodegradable* baby wipes that these decisions will be a little easier.”

WaterWipes 100% biodegradable* baby wipes are available in Ireland across all major retailers.

*(Within 12 weeks in an industrial setting/plant in accordance with EN13432. Wipe material. Parents should refer to their local council for details on disposing of baby wipes)

**(Source: Survey conducted by Atomik research amongst 2,003 respondents from the Republic of Ireland (500) and the UK (1,503))

Effective against viruses, including coronavirus

Milton original Sterilising Fluid and Tablets sterilise baby feeding equipment and disinfect surfaces

Milton, the leading expert in sterilising, confirmed that the following products are suitable to fight against coronavirus: Sterilising Fluid, Sterilising Tablets, Antibacterial Surface Wipes, Antibacterial Surface Spray, Antibacterial Hand Gel and its latest innovation: the Antibacterial Hand Sanitiser suitable for babies from three months old. The products have been tested on ‘bovine coronavirus’ which is a surrogate of SARS-CoV2 responsible for Covid-19 and belongs to the same family of viruses.

The most successful approach to protecting against the Covid-19 virus is through systematic hand hygiene and through cleaning of surfaces.

The new plant-based Milton hygiene range offers green formulas effective against bacteria and viruses. Milton Antibacterial Hand Gel contains 80% of ethanol, a 100% plant-based active ingredient derived from beetroot, which guarantees the efficacy on germs. It is important to rub hands consistently for a minimum of 30 seconds. The new plant-based Antibacterial Hand Sanitiser is an alcohol-free foaming formula which safely disinfects the hands of the entire family, including babies from three months old. Its 100% plant-based active ingredient is lactic acid, derived from corn or beetroot. Both formulas contain moisturising agents to protect the skin.

For surfaces and accessories, the Antibacterial Surface Spray kills bacteria and viruses with a contact time of only five minutes and the Wipes need a minimum of 30 seconds to be effective against enveloped viruses.

Milton Antibacterial Surface Wipes need a minimum of just 30 seconds to be effective against enveloped viruses

Milton original Sterilising Fluid and Tablets sterilise baby feeding equipment and disinfect surfaces. To ensure effective cleaning against viruses, the following more concentrated dilutions must be used: two capfuls (60ml) of fluid or two tablets should be mixed with a litre of cold water. Everything should be cleaned with soapy water first, the solution should be prepared using protective gloves, surfaces wiped or baby/children’s accessories submerged into the solution, left for 15 minutes and rinsed with clean water.

Milton has been a leading and trusted name in sterilising and hygiene for over 70 years.

A gift for new mums

Parent Lisa Connolly and Supervalu Grange in-store baby expert Laima Vaniciulienie pictured at Supervalu Grange, Cork

SuperValu recently announced that its ongoing partnership with Everymum has been renewed for an additional three years. Over the past 14 years, SuperValu and Everymum have worked together to distribute over 700,000 free baby gift bags in-store to new mums nationwide.

Provided by Ireland’s largest online parenting community – Everymum, the Everymum gift bag is packed full of free baby product samples such as baby toiletries, nappy bags and wipes, along with discounts and useful information. The bag also includes a SuperValu online shopping voucher to the value of €10 off €80 spend. There are approximately 50,000 bags distributed each year to new mums across Ireland.

Thanks to the SuperValu partnership, pregnant women and new mums can conveniently collect their gift bag from their local SuperValu store. All they need to do is register as a member on everymum.ie, download or print the voucher and show it to a SuperValu staff member to claim their free bag.

Shane Lynch, SuperValu marketing manager, said the group is delighted to continue its work with Everymum for another three years.

“Over the past 14 years we have helped distribute almost 700,000 free baby gift bags to new mums across the country and we know how much they love coming in-store to collect their bags packed with useful products and information,” Lynch said. “At SuperValu we understand the pressures of being a new parent and this partnership is only one aspect of the ongoing support SuperValu tries to provide parents with existing initiatives such as great value prices on trusted baby care brands as well as weekly offers available in-store and online.”

“We are delighted to be renewing our partnership with SuperValu for the distribution of the everymum Gift Bag,” Gina Miltiadou added on behalf of Everymum. “This will ensure that every mum in Ireland gets the support she needs as she embarks on the most important journey of her life.”

For more information on how to claim a free baby gift bag go to www.everymum.ie. Weekly SuperValu offers on baby products are displayed at www.supervalu.ie and in-store.

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