When Johnson’s Baby reached out asking if I’d be interested in becoming a Baby CARES Council member, I”ll admit that I had mixed feelings. Over the years, I’ve read some things about J&J that have caused me to be cautious about using the brand on my daughter. Over the past year though, my feelings have started to change about Johnson’s because of their transparency and also commitment to reformulate most of their line to include the safest ingredients possible for their products (including Aveeno, Neutrogena, and Clean & Clear.) It’s a huge move and one that impressed the Environmental Working Group’s president who said “We’ve never really seen a major personal care product company take the kind of move that they’re taking with this.” This, coupled with their huge commitment to giving back through various charitable organizations like Save the Children where Johnson’s Baby recently funded them with $150,000 to support the healthy development of moms and babies as well as donating thousands of Johnson’s ‘Care Kits’ filled with Johnson’s basics that are handed out to families during natural disasters and other times of need.

As a member of their CARES Council, I’ll have access to their product line to review as I see fit (products are provided, but as usual I give honest feedback on those I like best.) I can also talk directly with their chemists who formulate the products- something I’m really excited about and will take advantage of here very soon and report back on what I’ve learned. In the meantime, I received a few things from Johnson’s to check out, and here are my thoughts on the ones that I’ve been using most.

I didn’t even realize Johnson’s had a natural line. I’ve been using their Natural Baby Shampoo on my daughter and myself for weeks now. It’s 98% naturally sourced and uses vegetable, coconut, and sunflower oils to gently clean the hair. I also like using a mild shampoo daily to keep my color fresh- especially in Colorado where the sun and hard water chase my blonde away sooner than I’d like. There hasn’t been any burning or stinging to my daughter’s eyes and the subtle scent is a welcome change to the usual overly-perfumed kid’s products out there. For years I’ve used baby shampoo to remove eye makeup and this one works wonders for that too. Just dampen a flat cotton round with water and add just a small drop of this shampoo and massage it on the eyes to remove stubborn mascara and liner that cleansers can miss. Since it’s a no-tear formula it won’t burn or sting the eyes the way so many facial cleansers can. A gentle shampoo like this has so many great uses.

I’m a sucker for the smell of cocoa butter so I knew I’d like their Baby Oil Gel with Shea and Cocoa Butter. My skin has been so dry lately from this heat that mid-day I’m already scaley. I also religiously keep moisture on my belly when I’m pregnant (5 1/2 months now!) so I’ve been using this gel post-shower before I even towel off to lock in moisture. I also give another generous amount to my belly alone once I’m dry under my BeBand so the moisture doesn’t rub away and get on my clothes. It has made a big difference in my skin’s softness and a little goes a long way.

I’ll have more reviews of the line in the coming weeks along with a Q&A I’ll prepare for their chemists. If you have a question you think I should ask them, tweet me @HookedOnBeauty.