Category Archives: Did You Know

For generations in Singapore, Ru Yi You or 如意油 has been used by mothers (and grandmothers) to get rid of tummy wind or bloatedness in the stomach. Usually applied after the baby’s bath and around the belly button, Ru Yi Oil contains these ingredients:

• Peppermint Oil 36.0%
• Clove Oil 2.6%
• Nutmeg Oil 0.6%
• Menthol 1.6%
• Borneol 1.0%
• Cortex Cinnamon 1.0%
• Resina Calamus Draco 1.0%
• Light Liquid Paraffin 1.0%

What’s really causing that warm feeling to expel ‘wind’ is the peppermint oil. Mothers would also very quickly learn to not apply Ru Yi Oil directly on the baby’s skin to avoid over application of the oil resulting in a burning sensation. Looking at the list of ingredients, you would also notice Light Liquid Parrafin (?!?!). I would not be comfortable putting that stuff on my baby’s skin.

An alternative to get rid of stomach wind is the Buds Calming Tummy Rub. It soothes and calms your baby’s upset tummy. It is organic and contains organic peppermint, ginger and fennel to help ease the discomfort of bloated stomach. It also contains lavender essential oil to relax and calm your baby. Being formulated for babies and organic in nature, you will not have to worry about it causing damage to your baby’s skin.

Tips on applying:

• Warm a pea-sized amount of the Calming Tummy Rub Cream between your fingers and thumb until it is oily.
• Massage your baby’s abdomen in a clockwise motion following a circle around the belly button.
• Recommend to allow at least 20 minutes after last feed before massaging your baby.

As you know, eczema is a chronic skin condition that results in itchy and irritated skin. The area is usually dry and scratching it just worsen the condition. A good regimen is important to control eczema, and it includes washing and moisturising the skin. In Singapore’s humid and hot weather, it makes it worse for people with eczema due to perspiration and heat.

In mild cases, doctors may prescribe over-the-counter hydrocortisone cream. Corticosteroid creams and ointments are also usually prescribed to treat and control eczema. A stronger steroid cream would also be prescribed if the eczema is more severe. Dermatologists would usually recommend that you keep the skin hydrated by regular shower (with a non-drying body wash) and to moisturise immediately afterwards.  The purpose of the moisturiser is to keep the keep hydrated, which soothes the itch. The cream or lotion should be applied following the line of the hairs on the skin to reduce irritation.

At biglittleme.com, we have a range of organic and natural products that can help control and treat eczema. We have body wash that are gentle on the skin, reduce irritation, and are suitable for babies with eczema. The Little Innoscents Hair and Body Wash is a deep-cleansing hair & body gel infused with sandalwood and sweet orange essential oils. The Super Soothing Hydrating Cleanser by Buds Organics Soothing range cleanses sore, irritated and eczema-prone skin. It contains gluco-oligosaccharide which is a prebiotic that selectively fuels the growth of the healthy bacteria on your baby’s skin while inhibiting the growth of detrimental bacteria.

For after bath care, we have the Little Innoscents Intensive Soothing Cream with the healing properties of calendula & therapeutic properties of rosewood essential oils. This cream soothes itches and moisturise eczema prone skin. The other option is the Buds Organic Super Soothing Rescue Lotion. It is boosted with gluco-ogliosaccharide and packed with a combination of organic ingredients such as calming Shiso extract, soothing aloe vera, recovery boosting Spent Grain Wax, antioxidant rich Olive Leaf Extract and hydrating Fructan that will nourish, treat and heal your baby’s sore, irritated eczema prone skin. It is a best seller for many of our eczema sufferers, babies and adults!

Super Soothing Rescue Lotion, $20.50

We weren’t kidding when we said Bio+Green Crystals organic cleaners just follow a “spray & wipe” principle. No scrubbing. No harsh toxins. No chemical fumes. Here, we are using the Bathroom Cleaner to remove soap scum build up in the bathroom tiles. You know..those familiar pink tinge to the grout in the bathroom?

Bio+Green Crystals uses ingredients derived from plants and minerals. It is safe and doesn’t contain toxic chemicals. In fact, it is so safe that if one were to accidentally drink it, all you need to do is to just drink heaps of water to flush it out.

And best of all, you don’t have to worry about damaging or drying out your hands cos all you need is one finger, one cloth to wipe the fluid off.

This is just another way you can use the bathroom cleaner on: glass shower panels. Soap scum builds up easily on the glass, making it foggy and when you run your fingers across the glass, it is not really smooth any more.

I used to have to buy those “magic” sponges and spend my time squatting in the shower, and rub/scrub it all off. What an utter waste of time. Now, just spray and wipe.

Pfffpt. Simplify life and spend your precious time on better things in life.

Did you know that you actually do need sunscreen even if it is going to be cloudy and rainy? Seriously, I would have thought all that cloud would block out some UV rays, no? That was until I read about this: “Do I need sunscreen on a day with extreme UV levels if it’s cloudy?”

Well, just in case you decide that you need some totally awesome organic sunscreen, I’ve got one for you. Have I tried it? Of course! The kids get some too. We used it for our staycation earlier this week and the kids gets pretty water-logged when we go on a staycation. We used the Little Innoscents Sun Lotion. What I liked about this one is it doesn’t smell like any other sunscreen, it is fragrance free. It doesn’t leave that white film over the skin. And it rubs in really well. This sun lotion contains calendula, aloe vera and Vitamin E, so your skin remains hydrated whilst being protected.

But wait, there’s more. We also tried the Buds Organics Solar Care Lotion. It had a light floral scent, and rubbed in really well too! This would be for mothers who prefer titanium dioxide over zinc oxide because the Buds Solar Care Lotion uses titanium dioxide as it’s active ingredient! I am one happy mummy.

Shopping for a baby shower gift ? Or someone you know is having a baby and you are looking for a special gift for the person? Do you think that gift hampers, NTUC vouchers, red packet, baby clothing and accessories, tonic etc. are just too common and overly gifted?

Here is one suggestion: Diaper Cake.

Yup. Firstly, it’s not a real cake, and you cannot eat it. It is a cake that is made up of diapers and decorated to look like a tiered cake. Secondly, it is practical. Diaper is an essential item in today’s parenting context, and what better than something which will definitely be used. Thirdly, it comes with other useful products that can be used on the baby or by the parents.

If you do a search on the internet, you will find many companies in the diaper cake business. Of all, The Diaper Cake Company offers something different. Their diaper cakes are bundled with products that are practical and handy to have around the house that can help care for the newborn baby.  Their concept and designs are also quite different from the rest. The diaper cakes can be personalized and each cake comes with a special card for the receiver’s keepsake. You also do not have to worry about delivering it yourself as delivery within Singapore is included.

Visit http://tdcc.sg/ to check out the designs and product package they offer. Prices from S$140.

As retailers, we are fortunate to be able to try out different types of diaper creams on our kids to find out what and how each of the products work on them. We have classified our diaper creams into two categories:

Preventive & Treatment

Preventive would be your every day diaper cream which will provide the baby’s bum with a barrier to protect from getting a diaper rash. Some of these diaper creams will contain zinc oxide, which serves as an excellent waterproof barrier to prevent the baby’s bum from stewing in a damp patch. There are of course the organic versions which uses oils, such as sunflower oil, as a barrier to protect. One such diaper cream is the Buds Organics Nappy Time Change Cream.

Treatment would be a cream that serves to treat the diaper rash and still provide that barrier to protect baby’s delicate bum from other free radicals. One such cream will be the Buds Organics Nappy Time Soothing Cream (previously known as Nappy Rash Rescue Cream).

The Nappy Time Soothing Cream contains the wonderful goodness of shiso extract which protects and moisturises your baby’s bottom naturally, spent grain wax, and the prebiotic, Gluco-oligosaccharide.

Shiso is a herb that is part of the mint family and we commonly see it in Asian cooking, predominantly in Japanese cuisine as a kind of decoration. But it’s properties definitely goes beyond just being a decoration on the plate!

The shiso plant contains a large proportion of unsaturated fatty acids, mainly alpha-linoleic acid, which is a kind of omega fat that our body cannot produce. Leaf extracts have shown antioxidant, antiallergic, anti-inflammatory, antidepressant, anorexigenic, and tumor-preventing properties. In a study, it was found that shiso extract actually inhibited acute inflamation for dermatitis.

Gluco-oligosaccharide (G-OS) is a water soluble oligosaccharide similar to those found in breast milk that help protect newborns from infection. These oligosaccharides help protect from infection without having bactericidal effects (prevents bacteria from causing an infection) and therefore do not induce bacterial resisitance (does not kill good bacteria so you build up a resistance to the good bacteria!). They work by stopping the bacteria from adhering to the cell wall, one of the first steps in mounting an infection and appear to act on Staphylococcus aureus – a bacteria found in the majority of patients who suffer from atopic dermatitis and is thought to be related to skin inflammation.