clinical safety testing & user trials

clinical safety testing

At Childs Farm we go the extra mile to give parents and caregivers the very best products for young skin.

All of our products undergo extensive clinical safety testing and controlled, independent home user trials on newborns and children with medically diagnosed infantile eczema to ensure they can be used safely on babies and children with all skin types.

Childs Farm is one of the very few baby and child ranges to do this. In fact, we go above and beyond the rigorous EU guidelines and regulations for the cosmetics and toiletries industry. Undertaking these tests costs a lot of money, but as parents ourselves, we want to be sure that the products we make can be 100% trusted.

what is a clinical safety test?

This is a managed and controlled test procedure carried out by an international research company so that all results are universally recognised. We use testing experts who follow a standard, industry-approved, scientific protocol. The test takes the form of a 96 hour patch test on a selection of healthy men and women of varying ages, all of whom have eczema-prone skin. Every product has been tested on four different parts of each participant’s body and any adverse reactions recorded.

The results of the test are then analysed by a dermatologist and a paediatrician. If both these doctors believe the results satisfy their strict criteria, they confirm their approval and we are able to claim the products are:

✓ dermatologist approved

✓ paediatrician approved

✓ clinically tested

✓ suitable for eczema-prone skin

✓ suitable for newborns

✓ kind, mild and safe to skin

If a product doesn’t pass a clinical safety test, we won't sell it!

what is a home user trial?

This is a 2 week test with at least 100 participants.  We conduct two types of home user trials, one on newborns aged 0-3 months and another on babies aged 0-18 months who have medically diagnosed eczema. The tests are controlled and managed by the same international research team as our clinical safety tests. Parents are given a bottle of one of our products and asked to use it for 2 weeks as part of their baby or child’s normal bathing routine. They are then asked to thoroughly review the product with the research team and the results are analysed. This allows us to gather responses from likely users of our brand and means we can give you, our customers, the reassurance of feedback from real parents that our products are safe to use on your little ones.

home user trial results:

Our whole range was tested on 100 newborns aged 0-3 months and 100 babies aged 0-18 months with medically diagnosed infantile eczema.

• 96% of parents said they would recommend the baby range to other parents of young children (aged 0-18 months).
• 96% of parents would recommend the Childs Farm range to other parents whose baby or child has eczema.
• 100% of parents said the products in the baby range caused no irritation to their baby’s skin.

Childs Farm products are dermatologist and paediatrician approved as suitable for use on babies and children with sensitive and also eczema-prone skin. Childs Farm products are not a treatment for eczema and other medical skin conditions

patch testing

All of our products are formulated to be extremely gentle. They are dermatologist and paediatrician approved for use on children and newborn babies, including those with sensitive and also eczema-prone skin. However, as a common sense precaution, we always recommend a patch test be carried out at least 24 hours prior to first use of any new product. The best places to test are inside the upper arm and behind the ear – don’t patch test on skin that’s already irritated. 

Take a look at our video on the best way to patch test!

COSHH statement

A child may inadvertently drink one of our products and should this happen you will need to know what to do! We have spoken to the NHS in order to pass on their opinion about what you should do to give you peace of mind should this happen.

Childs Farm products are considered to be non-toxic (non-poisonous). 
Swallowing our products is usually not poisonous and patients will usually make a full recovery. 

Should your child swallow some product and have no adverse reaction (see below), you should give them small sips of water or milk. They should be absolutely fine, and it will be no problem in introducing food within an hour. 

You may take reassurance by calling NHS Non-emergency on 111 to discuss the condition of your child. However, if an allergic reaction occurs seek immediate medical help by calling 999.

An allergic reaction would include: 
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Irritation to the mouth
• Difficulty breathing
• Abdominal pain
• Loss of consciousness

Information to hand that will be helpful to the emergency services includes:
• The patients age, weight and condition
• The name of the product
• The time it was swallowed
• The amount swallowed

If there is a need to go to hospital, be sure to take the bottle that the child swallowed from so that the Health Care professionals can clearly see the ingredients.

Leaping Bunny

What is Leaping Bunny?

The Leaping Bunny is the most trusted cruelty free certification for non-animal tested cosmetics & personal care products. It is awarded by animal protection organisation Cruelty Free International. The certification for non-animal tested products, and we are pleased to be able to offer this guarantee for our cosmetic and personal care products.

Achieving Leaping Bunny certification shows consumers that we are genuinely committed to producing products without forcing animals to suffer. 

Why have you become certified in July 2018?

We know that ethical shoppers recognise the Leaping Bunny as the most trusted cruelty free certification for non-animal tested products, and we are pleased to be able to offer this guarantee for our cosmetic & personal care products. 

Achieving Leaping Bunny certification shows consumers that we are genuinely committed to producing products without forcing animals to suffer. 

How does a company become certified? What is the guarantee that your cosmetics & their ingredients are free from being tested on animals?

To become certified, a company must apply a strict fixed cut-off date, which is an immovable date after which none of its cosmetic products or ingredients have been animal tested, no matter where that testing takes place).

Each company undergoes independent audits to ensure that they adhere to their animal testing policy and the strict criteria of the Leaping Bunny programme.

What's the difference between the Leaping Bunny and other “no animal testing” schemes?

The Leaping Bunny is the gold standard, international, no-animal-testing certification programme. It requires certified companies to strictly comply with its comprehensive criteria and open their systems to ongoing independent audits to prove what they claim. 

We are aware of no other ‘no animal testing’ scheme that does this and to the same high standard. Many other ‘not tested on animals’ lists are limited in scope and based on no more than simple company assurances.

Isn't animal testing for cosmetics banned?

Sadly, 80% of the world’s countries would still permit animal testing for cosmetics. Cruelty Free International is working to achieve a global ban on animal testing everywhere and forever. 

Companies which are Leaping Bunny certified are committed to no animal testing for certified own brand products, no matter where it takes place.

What are the alternatives to animal testing?

Of course, it is essential that the products we use on our faces and bodies are safe, and much progress has been made in establishing alternative non-animal testing methods. Alternative test methods have been validated by the European Union Reference Laboratory for Alternatives to Animal Testing and have subsequently been included in OECD Testing Guidelines - an international harmonisation body.

Humane alternatives to animal tests can use simple organisms like bacteria or human tissues and cells as well as sophisticated computer models.

In addition, lots of ingredients for cosmetics and personal care products have already been shown to be safe, and companies can draw from these.