Why We Do Not Use Oatmeal in Banksy Bum Balm.

From the very beginning, our balm was built around sea moss. When nothing else worked and tallow was not even something I knew about yet other then cooking, sea moss came in and saved the day. I was already using it myself and when it helped with a sun burn better then after sun I tried it on Banks, the results were incredible. But I knew I could not just leave him sitting with wet gel on his skin all day every day. I had to get creative. That was when the research started and I came across tallow. I began experimenting with the two together and that is where the journey really began.

Sea moss is one of nature’s richest sources of minerals, containing over ninety two essential nutrients that feed, hydrate and calm the skin while helping to repair the barrier. Grass fed and grass finished tallow added a clean and nutrient rich base, naturally full of vitamins A, D, E and K. I chose grass fed and grass finished because grain fed fats often carry more inflammatory compounds that would have been counter productive for Banks and his sensitive skin. If I was building something for my baby with allergies, the purity of the tallow had to match that purpose and it is so important to have trusted integrity driven, hardworking farmers that we have in the south coast.

And to have a butcher who understands the need to be 100% sure it’s grass fed and grass finished for sensitive allergy skin and truly understands how detrimental grain finished fat would be.

Luckily for you and I we have Steve from Jamberoo Valley Meats who has such a fantastic relationship with our farmers.

Another hard working family man who takes pride in his shop, his profession and his local community that just makes the process a joy.

And how can you not what we see what the south coast has to offer.

Before I discovered sea moss and tallow, I had used creams that contained oatmeal on my older children. While I know oatmeal helps some children with redness and calming, it never made much of a difference for mine. In fact, it irritated my eldest daughter’s skin. So when I was looking at ingredients to round out and perfect my formula, I did think about oatmeal. It is praised as a skin saviour and on paper it seemed like it might be useful. But at the time I was dealing with Banks having some form of allergies, terrible bleeding nappy rash and eczema. We later learned he was allergic to potatoes and that it was already affecting him through my breast milk. With that reality in mind, I knew I had to keep food proteins out of the mix. Why take the risk of adding another potential allergen when I already had ingredients that offered superior benefits with no risk.

It turns out that studies have been done and when I read them intently my intuition was confirmed. One study showed that children with eczema who used oat based creams were more likely to later react to oats when eaten. Another showed that oats used on broken skin could actually sensitise children, leading to allergies that might not have developed otherwise. There are even case reports of babies developing anaphylaxis to oats after repeated skin exposure. Reading this research made me even more certain that leaving oats out was the right choice. My instinct as a mum had already told me to avoid them, and science backed me up.

When you are a mum with a baby who has allergies and sensitive skin, you know the struggle. You question every product, every label, every ingredient. For me, the choice was clear. Sea moss and grass fed, grass finished tallow gave me the nourishing and protective base I needed for Banks. Organic hexan free cold pressed Castor oil and Organic jojoba oil brought deep hydration, vitamin E gave protection, and a gentle plant based preservative made from fermented radish root stopped bacteria from growing. That mattered because eczema prone skin is vulnerable to bacteria in the tiny cracks of the barrier, and nappy rash is easily made worse by bacteria from wee and poo which prolongs the recovery.

Oatmeal might be praised as a gentle comfort, but for Banks it was not worth the gamble. With sea moss and tallow at the heart of his balm, I already had something more nourishing, more supportive and more suitable for his sensitive skin.

Our Theorem was to make results driven skincare that is completely natural that works and we made that a reality .

Finally something truly made for the most sensitive allergy and eczema prone skin. It turns out I just had to make it myself. It makes me so happy to know that other mums do not have to relive my struggle, especially those painful nappy changes when allergy poo would strip the skin off instantly and no amount of cuddles could take that hurt away.

Banksy Bum Balm was made not just as a barrier but to support every angle of skin health. It creates protection, helps the skin renew and keeps it free from bacteria so recovery can finally be quicker and gentler.

Banksy Bum Balm. Made for my baby, shared with yours.

References I Read

• A 2007 study found that children with eczema who used oat creams often became sensitised and later reacted to oats when eaten (Heratizadeh et al, Pediatric Allergy and Immunology).

• Case reports describe infants developing oat allergy and even anaphylaxis after using oatmeal products on broken skin (Matsumoto et al, Allergy 2003).

• Allergy specialists warn that food based creams, including those with oats, can create sensitisation when applied to cracked or eczema prone skin (National Eczema Association guidance).