A Product Review: The Honest Company Essentials Kit by Heather Bowles

For those of you looking for more natural alternatives to standard baby care products, The Honest Company offers a wide range of products. You might say: “That company Jessica Alba owns?” Yes. Her company also offers adult care items such as laundry detergent, bubble baths, and sunscreen, just to name a few. The Essentials Kit offers a free trial sample of some of their best selling products. I had an opportunity to try four of them this week.

First let me say that their customer service is top notch. When I called the company to discuss the products I had received, the young lady on the other end of the line was very knowledgeable. She answered each question efficiently, and in a friendly manner. I did not feel rushed or put off, like I do so often with Internet mail order companies. They stand behind their products, and are very confident in the quality of the products that they offer. When I offered to publish a review, they were extremely enthusiastic, even when I cancelled the scheduled monthly mail order. I will definitely order from them when I run out of a couple of the enclosed products.

The healing balm did it’s job very fast. Tabitha’s little bottom had these little red marks that I hadn’t been able to get rid of with my standard treatments. It’s a thick, viscous, golden color, and has no scent. Quite by accident, I discovered it had pleasant effect on my dry skin spots. It seals well under a Band-aid bandage, and doesn’t sting when it is applied. It does contain castor oil, so I wouldn’t recommend using it on the breasts, hands, or anywhere where the child might ingest it in large quantities.

The face and body lotion has a greasy feel, so that will take some getting used to, but it has a nostalgic smell that vaguely reminds me of my mother’s Pond’s brand makeup remover cream. It requires a moderate amount to moisturize problem areas, but it also worked efficiently, and I felt relief with the first application. Over the course of a week, my elbows have gone from dry and cracked to smooth and only mildly irritated by rubbing fabrics. The dry, chafed look is nearly gone.

The laundry detergent goes a long way. It’s designed to be used with high efficiency machines, and it is cloth diaper safe. Thus far, I’ve experienced no absorbency issues with Tabitha’s diapers, but buildup can take time to show, and it lathers extremely well, so I have to be careful not to use too much.  I spent all afternoon rinsing the first load because I used too much. I wish they had a detergent for standard machines.

The hand soap has a clean, crisp smell that comes from the organic lemongrass. It rinses clear, and doesn’t give my skin that itchy, tight feeling many anti-bacterial soaps do. In all, the products appear worth the price tag, which is higher than most brands you’d find in a traditional brick and mortar store, but I’ve never had products do their job this well. You won’t be disappointed with the results.

In addition, The Honest Company offers a full disclosure of the ingredients used in their products. Currently, they do use some nut oils in their lotions and creams, so do not assume that any product is hypoallergenic, but their products are non-GMO. When in doubt, ask questions. They don’t seem to mind.

You can see all The Honest Company’s offerings at www.honest.com.