Going natural

Edited to add: You can learn more about Johnson's Natural Line on their new site (more updates coming - this is just a teaser!). And if you're interested in getting your hands on them, they'll be available for pre-order at Target.com on July 4!)

The ongoing joke in our house is that we love kid's natural body products, we just hate watching our $15 for bubble bath get dumped down the drain when our kids decide that a tub full of bubbles is just not enough.

And so I had this in my mind when Johnson's asked me if I'd be interested in working with them on their new Natural line.

Of course, there are a bunch of good reasons I pay good money for natural products. I've got two girls with very sensitive skin and eczema. And I'm not so into slathering my kids in chemicals.

Now don't get me wrong. I definitely beat to a drum that's of the lighter green variety. We still reach for whatever bottle we have in our shower sometimes. And I've yet to find a great natural aerosol sunscreen and so we often use mainstream kid's brands.

But it's definitely on my mind. I don't grab and purchase blindly.

So when Johnson's introduced me to their new Natural products, I went in with an open, but skeptical mind.

I also said "It's about time!" because, well, it is!

I could go into tons of details about how they've used their expertise to create a 98% natural and free of all known allergens, dyes, and the "P" words we all try to avoid (pthalates, parabens).  Or how it doesn't smell like a lavender forest that wafts from the container when you open it, but still has a nice, light scent (they use the term Allerfree which means no essential oils) because that's important to my husband aka "THE NOSE."

Or that it's extremely affordable - 18 oz Head to Toe baby wash for $6.49. Seriously.

Intriguing, right?

I definitely thought so.

And so, after using them for a good few months, I'm pretty stoked. And so is my wallet.

You'll have to wait until July to get your hands on the new Johnson's Natural line. But I can promise you that they really listened to what moms wanted, and in my humble opinion, it's definitely worth waiting for. And I'm very excited to be working with them as a spokesperson for it.

[Disclaimer: My participation as a paid spokesperson for the Johnson's Natural line (which includes this post as well as other duties) was contingent on me actually liking these products. Obviously I do.]

Comments

[That_danielle]

I want to get excited about this new line but with undisclosed fragrance ingredients, I can't trust that this line is safe. There can be dozens of components in a fragrance that they don't have to list because of a loophole in the law that protects "fragrance" as an industry secret. Often, phthalates are part of that secret list and they are worrisome as some phthalates are endocrine disruptors as well as possible carcinogens. For some reason, the government is looking to ban phthalates from children's products (they're in PVC) but not skincare - weird, huh?

I'm glad the line is dye- and paraben-free but I also need to see fragrance-free to seriously consider this for my family.

MU (author) Added: Appreciate that you (and many many parents) desire fragrance free. You'll be able to see the ingredients on their new website launching mid-July.

On the flip side, there are lots of families (or people, like my husband) who do like and want products with fragrance, and I know Johnson's has worked to make this a naturally plant and fruit derived fragrance. For me, that's a very big step in the right direction for them.

[Candace]

I'm super intrigued. First, yes...about time! Second, did a major brand actually listen? Third kudos to them for hiring a spokesblogger with integrity. I will eagerly await more info as well as ingredient analysis from those with the expertise. In the meantime, they definitely have my attention!

[amanda]

Thank goodness. I've been wincing each time I plunk down the big money, only to realize that half the time the special bottle is out of reach and with all three of them in the tub and...you know, I just grab the whatever.
I am so grateful that some companies are starting to pay attention and act. Thanks for the credible heads up.

[Christina]

I remember squealing in delight last year at BlogHer when J&J handed me a bottle of their no-fragrance, no paraben lotion, after we had asked for it at Camp Baby. So I'm thrilled that they're going one step further and expanding on the idea. My girls still use the lotion, as it's gentle enough for their ultra-sensitive skin.

(And I wish they would have offered to let me try it out in advance, too - lucky you!)

[Tara]

First let me just say I know there's a financial component to all this, so let's put that aside for a second.

I usually use the cosmetics database (http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com)to aid my purchasing decisions on natural products because "natural" on the package often doesn't mean natural like we think. Obviously this resource doesn't have this particular product since it's not released, but I did a look up on the individual ingredients based on what the J&J website had listed. Using the lotion (since it stays on your skin and is usually absorbed as opposed to soap which is intended to be rinsed off).

After a look up this is what I can discern.
1. Many of the ingredients are little to no risk. Which is great.
2. A few fell into the moderate hazard category. Benzoic Acid is listed as a moderate hazard & Glyceryl Laurate is a moderate hazard.
3. Then there's this one: Hydrogenated Cottonseed Oil
which is listed as a high hazard.

I'm not a chemist so it's obviously dangerous to interpret these things, but it looked like the real risk with this one is the product potentially being contaminated with one or more of the following items: MERCURY, ARSENIC, LEAD, GOSSYPOL, PESTICIDES, PCBS. (apologies for the all caps, copy paste doesn't correct case) Of course we know, none of which are good. But if you look a little deeper there was a government study that found in general this ingredient is safe in restricted amounts: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11558638 . Does this mean that it always has contamination? Sometimes? How often are these contaminants found? No answers on that abstract.

So cost aside, if I can find products out there that the ingredients don't require safety interpretation by government studies, I think I'll take those instead.

[mom101]

They're lucky to have you. I know how damn picky you are about stuff you endorse.

[Melissa]

So excited for this!! I am so tired of shelling out mucho $$ for safe shampoo for my 3-year old son's generous head of hair. I've been pretty good about buying natural products, but I'm always tempted to go for the cheaper J&J or Suave products...now I'll be able to!

[Motherhood Uncensored]

Cara - It's a plant and fruit derived fragrance. As for why, tough question for me - but I bet they'd have a good answer. I'm personally pretty anti-fragrance and have fairly strong reactions to them - in fact, my husband (who's a fragrance freak) gives me a hard time when most of our stuff (including laundry detergent) smells like nothing.

So, he actually likes it - I'm guessing there are lots of folks who do like to have some sort of fragrance, even though it's super mild.

[Mama Bub]

This thrills me to no end. The product, the price tag, all of it. I've been desperately trying to find a soap that is natural(ish), affordable, and available somewhere convenient.

[Cara]

So if they're not using synthetic fragrances and they're not using essential oils, what are they using for fragrance? Why does it have to have a fragrance at all?

[caramama]

I'm very glad to hear this, especially what you added in the comments section! I want natural, environmentally-conscious, fragrance-free, dye-free, affordable products... that's not TOO much to ask for, is it? ;-)

Thanks for working with them to let them know what we really want for our children, especially those with sensitive skin, like my girl.

[Beth]

Hate to be a party pooper but that's still too steep in our house. But then again, we buy generic everything as much as possible, it's better for the budget. It's a tough situation. Do I feel guilty about not buying as many natural and organic products? You betcha. But our budget just won't allow it right now and I'm sure I'm not alone. I have very sensitive skin and eczema myself and I've been lucky to be able to find quality generic brands that work well. I'll wait for the Target to develop a generic version.

[Motherhood Uncensored]

Maria -

They'll have everything clearly laid out on their site which is launching soon (hence why there's no link yet! - but they're super forthcoming about everything in there), but I've seen the list and they are indeed devoid of synthetic fragrances, dyes, and essential oils. It's pretty impressive and completely different than their current "naturals" line.

They've also done stuff with the bottle itself (recycled plastic and no labels). I'm happy to see that they've listened to what moms want in a natural product and are offering it now. (Or soon!).

[Rusti]

I've really been wanting to buy more natural products for E and have been having a hard time forking out so much money for such little amounts of stuff (almost bout the $18 California Baby sunscreen this weekend - they were all out at Target though!) so I'm really excited to see this post! Can't wait to check them out!

[Maria]

Have they shared the full ingredient list anywhere so far? Because to be honest their current naturals line is a total joke and just about the biggest case of greenwashing I've ever seen.

I'm really curious to see if this new line is fragrance free or not, since if they're not using essential oils they really shouldn't be using synthetic fragrances either. Keep us posted!

[Karla]

This is awesome. I too have the $20 2 oz sunscreen and the $20 baby wash so this will be very welcome!

[Karen Chatters]

You're right, it's about time they have a natural line. And affordable. Stoked!!! I hope they have a sunblock too.

[Amelia Sprout]

I'm excited to see if it really delivers. Especially since the product over user in my house is my husband. She's three, she does not need a quarter cup of soap to get her clean... If he shopped for the stuff, maybe he wouldn't use so much.

[Becky]

Oh, excellent! I just paid $20 for a two ounce bottle of sunscreen over the weekend. TWO. OUNCES. So I'm hoping they add sunscreen to their natural portfolio!

[jodifur]

I'm really interested in this. Michael has terribly sensitive skin and everything gives him a rash. We currently use $20 baby soap. It's tiring to watch him pour it down the drain or use 2/3 of a cup to wash his very short hair.

We are also trying very hard to become a more green household, so I'd like to know how truly environmentally friendly this product is.

[Vicky]

WOW! Go Kristen!!! This is so timely too as just last week I was trying to find a new bath soap for the girls and was angry to have to pay almost $10 for a tiny bottle of natural stuff when the cheaper Johnson's stuff is right there. I angrily cursed them and other companies for not making a REAL natural line. Can't wait! It has a lot to live up to in our house.