DW has been bitten one too many times by ants and they always leave red and itchy marks on his face and legs. They go away after a while but I’ve always been worried about not putting anything on them for the meantime. I’ve rubbed alcohol on the marks to soothe the itchiness but I really feel that it’s still too harsh for baby’s young skin.
For the past two weeks, we’ve been using VMV’s Mom & Baby Grandma Minnie’s The Big Brave Boo-Boo Balm (whew that was a mouthful) on DW’s boo-boos. I first read about this in a magazine but I didn’t have any reason to buy a pot until now. I saw one during our recent trips to the mall and after reading the label, I decided to buy one even if it cost me Php920 OUCH! (is there a balm for a sore wallet?)
What sealed the deal for me was that it claims to be “VH-65 free of all known allergens, 100 percent Preservatives + Paraben Free. Non-Comedogenic”. The balm is also derived from coconut oil, which is a natural antiseptic.
VMV Hypoallergenics also claims the following:
The Skinny on Grandma Minnie’s The Big, Brave Boo-Boo Balm
- Coconut-derived monolaurin: a natural broad-spectrum, clinically-proven antibiotic, antifungal, antiviral, antiprotozoal — as effective as 70% isopropyl alcohol and topical antibiotics.
- Monolaurin ouchless antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal ointment for skin lesions.
- Clinically-proven as safe and effective.
- Monolaurin is a coconut-derived, skin-friendly, gentle-yet-powerful disinfectant, antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral + antiprotozoal that is clinically proven to be as effective as 70% isopropyl alcohol and topical treatments for killing micro-organisms …
- … but instead of drying out skin (which alcohol can do), it actually softens, soothes, and moisturizes.
- Treats infections that can occur in skin damaged by eczema, dermatitis, psoriasis, herpes, wounds, cuts, grazes, insect bites, minor burns etc.
- A very simple, gentle formulation that’s very skin friendly.
- With published studies on monolaurin.
- For use on skin only.
- To Use: Always apply Kid Gloves Monolaurin Hand Sanitizer to your hands before using. If wound needs cleaning, flush out with Oil’s Well Nurturing Do-It-Oil. With a small amount on your fingertip, apply The Big, Brave Boo-Boo Balm to the affected area three times each day or as often as needed. Your doctor may tell you to cover the area with a dressing after you have applied this ointment.
The Verdict
The balm works! We’ve put it on DW’s booboos and almost overnight the swelling and the redness subsides. It’s a great way to soothe the itchiness as well. I only need to rub a small amount on DW’s skin so I predict that the pot will last us a long time. Best thing about this is that it can be used by us adults too! It’s a boo-balm for everybody 
In fact, I’ve used some of DW’s lotions on myself since I have sensitive skin (yes, hard to believe even with my thick skin harhar)
Alternatives
I did a quick search of possible alternatives to the Boo-Boo Balm and found the following all natural balms to soothe baby’s skin:
Indigo Manila’s Jar of Hope First Aid Gel
product details are here
Oasis’ Baby Oil, Voco Cream and Butter Cream
product details are here
These products are definitely cheaper thanVMV but I haven’t tried them yet so I can’t say if they work or not. Their sites offer user reviews and a breakdown of the ingredients so us moms can make an informed choice when we do decide to buy. As with any cream or lotion, it is always advisable to first apply a small amount of lotion to a patch of skin to test for allergic reactions.
Nowadays, there are so many choices in baby care products. There’s your time-tested stuff that doctors have recommended for years and now these new organic and natural remedies which offer the same results but in a gentler way. The choice is up to us!
So dear mommy what’s your time-tested baby boo-boo remedy? Have you tried any of the products here? How was your experience?
Cheers,
hi ms neva, tanong ko lang po kung saan nabibili yung mga product mentioned above, di po kasi ako pala labas ng bahay as in i can last a month without leaving our home kaya hindi po ako pamilyar sa mga baby stores… mosquitos seems to love my son too, i used several products recommended by his pedia but it hardly works….
thanks for this informative post
hi lei! you can order online at indigomanila and planet noah. just go their sites at: http://indigomanila.multiply.com/ , http://oneplanetnoah.multiply.com/ and http://www.messybessy.com/
i think you can order the boo-boo balm at vmv’s website as well http://www.vmvhypoallergenics.com/
thanks everyone for the suggestions!
Hi Nevs – to ward off the pesky (almost invisible) mosquitos, the pedia advised to use the ever reliable manzanilla (the one the oldies use for kabag, i think). Just a few drops on the baby’s clothes/linens, “may possibly” annoy the mosquitos due to the citronella content of the manzanilla.
We haven’t had any major issues with mosquitos and i hope we won’t encounter them at all (i wish!), but it’s worth a try
hi kitty! thanks for the suggestion!
Neva, nawawala ba talaga ang itchiness pag nilagay to? My son is so appetizing to insects. And it’s super itchy when he gets biten. Super kinakamot nya until magsugat.
Hi Trixie! yes for DW, narerelieve naman sya. DW is like your soon too, talagang kamot talaga
You might want to try using Giga’s insect repellant spray too. I’ve seen some from Messy Bessy and Indigo Baby. I’ll try and post more about these in the near future. \
Hi Anna – I really like the Boo Boo Balm and BDW’s ok with it too even with the price. As for me, if there are other alternatives out there, I want to try them out too (on myself first of course hehe)
Hi Michelle – Thanks for sharing! I’ve seen Giga’s baby products, they’re probably worth a second look now that you’ve recommended their spray
Hi Sanne – You can try Indigo Baby’s Shoo Fly spray or Giga’s mosquito spray as recommended by Michelle (Mom-Friday)
Sanne, you could try bgone (formerly known as bioneem) insect repellant lotion. It’s recommended by my pedia. It’s safer for babies (especially for age 0-6 months) unlike OFF lotion. Pero pwede na din daw ang OFF pag >6months. but bgone is much safer. However, direct selling lang ito. You can google their site for more info on where to get it.
Bao Fu Ling – for any skin disease, bites, eczema, burns…from China, but available for orders only, cost more than P1K per jar of 50gms. Lucky I was able to receive free samples of Gandma Minnie’s products a few years ago and they are all really good
For mosquito repellant, i switched to GIGA mosquito spray, all natural and DEET-free, i featured it here: http://www.mymomfriday.com/2009/08/and-another-one-bites.html
We’ve been using the Boo Boo Balm forever for both ME and Laz! It helps for insect bites, rashes, and I even put it on sugat, because it seems to heal faster with the balm One pot goes a long way too. Matipid siya!
nev, any suggestions on effective mosquito repellants for babies?
I use Indigo Baby’s Jar of Hope! Works wonders too and its waaay cheaper Neva!
Akala ko pa naman mahal na yung JOH!
Hi Lyra! – Yeah, at least the price was worth it, mas masakit if hinde!! hehe