I received this product free for review. All opinions remain my own.
Oh, you Europeans! The Mother Land is always ahead of the game when it comes to skincare and beauty products, not to mention baby must-haves! When bébé hibou approached me to review their Oleo Limestone Liniment, I didn’t have even the faintest idea of what it was. I heard key terms like “organic,” “made in Quebec,” “cloth diaper compatible,” “great for baby’s skin,” “popular in Europe,” and I figured I’d give it a try.
Please tell me I’m not the only one who had (until now) never heard of Oleo Limestone Liniment? (I also just learned what a pessary is, but I’ll save that for another post.) Even Googling “What is oleo limestone liniment?” doesn’t get you that far unless you speak French. (Luckily, I do.) I’m actually going to go ahead and put my Translation Diploma to good use, and just spell out exactly what bébé hibou told me about their product:
What is bébé hibou Oleo Limestone Liniment?
Liniment (a rinse-free, creamy soap) is produced by the European Pharmacopoeia. It is used at each diaper change to clean baby: quite simply, you apply a small quantity on a wash cloth and wipe. No preparation or rinsing is required. This process replaces wet wipes.
It is a natural and organic product whose usage is widespread in Europe.
Its simple and effective composition is free of unnecessary additives:
Limewater (Calcium hydroxyde solution): sterilizing (cleaning) properties and a basic pH fights the acidity of feces and urine (which can cause redness and irritation).
Organic olive oil: emollient (skin hydrating and softening) and protective effect. It leaves a light layer of oil on baby’s skin which protects it from future urine and feces.
Organic beeswax is used to stablize this mix of water and oil and to create a soft and pleasant-to-the touch cream.
Baby’s skin is clean, nourished and protected.
Our product has a shelflife of two years and is laboratory made. It undergoes strict quality control and microbiological tests to offer you the best and safest product.
Does it work?
When I received my bottles of liniment, I definitely wondered: is this no-rinse cream actually going to clean Cub’s bum?
Heck ya it does! I’m a total convert. No water necessary, no drips.. just a smooth cream that I use to wipe him clean. And yes, it cleans poo, too!
If you’ve ever used an oil as a facial cleanser, you’ll know that it does an amazing job. Same deal here: the oily properties of the cream remove all the poop even better than a water-based spray. The light layer of oil that remains on his skin is a bonus: putting on a light, moisturizing diaper cream without an extra step.
Cub isn’t particularly prone to irritation or dryness, so I cannot yet speak to how well bébé hibou prevents or treats diaper-area issues. I can definitely understand, objectively, why it would be an awesome option for rash-prone babies.
If you’ve always used disposable wet wipes, switching over to bébé hibou and reusable wash cloths should be pretty painless. Honestly, one dime-sized drop of bébé hibou on one cloth will clean your baby’s bum better than two or three wet wipes.
Because there’s no need to rinse or add water, the dilemma of where to conveniently change diapers is totally eliminated. When Cub was a newborn, I kept a Thermos of warm water on his dresser, poured that warm water into a little dish and moistened his cloths as I went since there was nowhere to set up a change station near a sink. Although we’ll have a sink closer at hand in the new nursery for baby number two, I won’t be worrying about moistening cloths thanks to bébé hibou! One suggestion I might make would be to sell a pump bottle that could sit on the change table for easy application.
bébé hibou accessories
The folks at bébé hibou combine their bottles of liniment with handmade accessories by Les Petites Mains, a social reinsertion program for women.
Their Newborn Kit, which is what I received, contains the following: (rv. $85)
The change pad is adorable, and compact enough for the diaper bag. The wipes are nice and soft, thin and well-dimensioned for bum cleaning. The wash mitts are a revelation: why have I never use a wash mitt before at Cub’s bath time? It’s just way easier to scrub him than with a regular cloth!
The only constructive criticism I can offer about these handmade accessories would be to pre-shrink the terry towel used to make the change pad. After washing, I noticed that the terry shrank slightly while the flannel backing did not. Certainly not a big issue, just something I noticed.
I love that these items are made by a Quebec organization that helps female immigrants integrate into Canadian society by providing training and jobs, especially to those who arrive with little formal education.
Bébé hibou also works in close collaboration with a non-profit organization called Lange bleu. Lange bleu promotes sustainable solutions such as cloth diapers in communities around Quebec.
Conclusion:
I really wish that I’d had bébé hibou liniment from the day Cub was born. I suspect it does an amazing job on cleaning up meconium, and can’t wait to use it on my daughter in July! Because I’ve never used disposable wet wipes on a regular basis, it’s hard for me to compare the cost-effectiveness of using liniment over using disposable wipes. A 500 ml bottle of bébé hibou retails for $25, and I’ll let you know how long it lasts me, which will help a bit with the math. In terms of baby’s health and the environment, the choice is clear: washable wipes + liniment is definitely better.
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You can purchase bébé hibou products on their website, or find a Québec retailer near you. They currently only ship within Canada.
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