Meet Les Produits de MaYa Liniment

I received this item at no cost to facilitate my review. All opinions are my own.

Have you heard of liniment oléo-calcaire before? I won’t be the least bit surprised if you haven’t! Until a few months ago, I’d never heard of it either. It’s a relatively new thing here in North America, but it’s been a staple in Europe for ages. What is it, besides amazing? The quick explanation is that it’s an olive oil and lime water based cleansing milk that’s made for cleaning baby bums. Before I had the chance to try it, I had no idea why anyone would use liniment instead of just plain water with cloth wipes on baby’s bum. To say that I was skeptical would be a gross understatement. I started using Les Produits de MaYa‘s liniment oléo-calcaire just before Christmas (2015) and all I can say is that I am converted. I LOVE liniment and wish I had known about it sooner. It’s genius! Let me tell you all about what I use liniment for (spoiler alert: I use it for more than just diaper changes), how it works, and why I love it!

What it is:

Les Produits de MaYa is a Canadian company based out of Montréal, Québec. It was started by Marie and Yannick who began making their own liniment after hearing about it from their friends in France. Les Produits de MaYa offers four varieties of liniment oléo-calcaire: the original, coconut oil, shea butter, and coconut oil with shea butter. What is Les Produits de MaYa’s liniment oléo-calcaire made with? The ingredients are simple, natural, and mostly organic. All the varieties are made with certified organic extra virgin first cold pressed olive oil, lime water (which is not citrus fruit water, but rather calcium hydroxide dissolved in water), certified organic carnauba wax, grapefruit seed extract,  and vitamin E. The additional ingredients of certified organic coconut oil and certified organic shea butter are added to the coconut oil, shea butter, and coconut oil with shea butter varieties. It’s also certified vegan. What’s the end result? Les Produits de MaYa’s liniment oléo-calcaire is a medium weight, smooth, and creamy lotion. It’s thinner and more runny than a body lotion, but really hydrating. When applied to the skin, it leaves a light shiny residue behind that serves to trap in moisture, protect from irritation, and provide ongoing hydration. It’s meant to be left on the skin, and does not need to be rinsed off. It is completely safe to use with cloth diapers as it does not build up, stain, or cause diapers to repel.

How it works:

Let me explain how I use Les Produits de MaYa’s liniment. The first use I want to cover is how it works with cloth wipes. This is probably the most obvious application for liniment, but far from its only use! I started out using the original variety of Les Produits de MaYa’s liniment. The first time I used it as a “wipe solution” I wasn’t really sure what to expect. I couldn’t quite wrap my head around the idea of putting just a dollop of liniment onto a dry cloth wipe and then wiping that on my son’s bum. I thought it would be uncomfortable on his sensitive skin, or somehow irritating to be wiped with a dry cloth wipe in that area. Naturally, I tested it out on my own skin first just to be sure. It was divine. The liniment was so smooth and silky, yet moist enough that I didn’t even notice that the wipe was dry. The wipe glided seamlessly across my skin as the liniment spread out on the wipe. It was time to use it on baby’s bum! I used just a small amount of liniment on a cloth wipe, a dot the size of a nickel but spread out to a squiggle. I noticed right away that it was leaving behind a nice light layer of oils. My son’s skin felt soft and smooth to the touch, and the liniment that was left behind on his skin created a nice light barrier of protection from wetness. The real test was using liniment to clean up a poopy bum. I really didn’t think it was going to get the job done. Sure it was great for just wet diaper changes, but poopy diaper changes? Nevertheless, I gave it a go! And you know what? It was amazing. Really. I was so impressed with how well the liniment picked up the mess, left the bum clean, and still provided that nice light barrier. For poopy diaper changes, I used a little bit more than I would for just a wet diaper change. To start with, I’d use a dot of liniment about the size of a quarter and go over the diaper area to clean up the mess first. Then I’d fold the wipe in half, put a dot of liniment the size of a nickel on the unused part of the wipe, and go over the diaper area one more time to be sure it was totally clean. I was so skeptical that the liniment could possibly clean as well as a cloth wipe wet with water, but it completely blew me away. Dare I say it? The liniment cleaned a poopy bum BETTER than a wipe with water ever has.

After starting out with the original variety for diaper changes, I quickly swapped it out for the coconut oil with shea butter variety. Why? Because the bottle of the coconut oil with shea butter came with a pump! There is nothing more convenient than having a pump top on the liniment at the change table. It made using liniment even easier than I ever thought possible. Something I really love about using liniment over using tap water is that if you end up at the change table and open the diaper to find a surprise poop (yes, this happens), you’re never left without the necessary tools to thoroughly clean that bum. There’s no need to try to carry that squirmy messy baby across the hall to the bathroom to wet a second wipe. Just grab another wipe from the change table, add a pump of liniment, and carry on. No matter how big the mess, everything you need to clean it up perfectly is literally right there. It’s fabulous.

What about for on the go? Les Produits de MaYa makes the perfect travel size liniment oléo-calcaire. It is available in a 60 ml (2 oz) bottle that takes up no room at all in the diaper bag. In this size, I have the shea butter variety and I love how rich and hydrating this one is! It goes everywhere with me, and makes diaper changes on the go a breeze. It doesn’t matter where I am when a diaper needs changing, I have everything I need to make it happen. Whether I’m visiting friends or changing baby in the trunk of the car (who hasn’t done that?!?!), I don’t need to be near a sink to get the job done. That makes using liniment super convenient.

Wondering what else Les Produits de MaYa’s liniment oléo-calcaire can be used for? How about a make up remover? Yes! It definitely can do that. I used the coconut oil variety as a make up remover with reusable makeup removal pads. Not only did it remove my make up easily (even mascara), but the light layer of oils left behind was the perfect amount of moisturizer for my skin overnight. Les Produits de MaYa’s liniment oléo-calcaire meant I could skip the night cream and still wake up with fresh hydrated skin. As a makeup remover, I used a nickel sized drop of liniment on one make up removal pad. I’d dab the liniment on my cheeks, chin, and forehead first, then use the pad to gently wipe my makeup off.

Since I’ve been using Les Produits de MaYa’s liniment oléo-calcaire, I have found myself using it for so much more than just diaper changes and makeup removal. It worked great for cleaning up my The Heir’s face, wiped up runny noses while leaving behind a nice protective layer, and I even used it on a small patch of cradle cap that Petit Prince had (and it really helped to clear that up!). My hands get super dry and cracked in the winter here, but a light layer of liniment on them when I went to bed helped rehydrate them and was really soothing. It did leave my hands a touch greasy, so it’s something you probably don’t want to put on until you’re tucking yourself into bed. Les Produits de MaYa has so many other suggested uses for their liniment oléo-calcaire too! You can check out their recommendations for both babies and the whole family.

Pros:

• Made in Canada
• Made with natural and organic ingredients
• Certified Vegan
• Available in four varieties
• Available in a smaller travel size
• An effective cleanser
• Available with a pump
• Cloth diaper safe
• Provides great hydration
• Provides a barrier from wetness in the diaper area
• Replaces the the need for diaper rash cream
• Many uses; can be used by the whole family

Cons:

• A bit greasy when used on your hands

Final Thoughts:

If you’re hesitant about using Les Produits de MaYa’s liniment oléo-calcaire, I urge you to just dive right in. I could not believe how easy, convenient, and effective it has been as a cleanser with cloth wipes for diaper changes. It works so well in every other application I tried that I can’t imagine it not working well for any family. It’s just such a great line of products with natural and organic ingredients you can feel confident in using on your baby and yourself! If you’re lucky enough to live in Québec, Les Produits de MaYa’s liniments are available in bulk at a handful of retailers! Finished a bottle? Just head over to one of those retailers and refill! How awesome is that? Come on over to the wonderful world of liniment oléo-calcaire! You’ll be pleasantly surprised, I’m sure!

How would you like the chance to WIN a Les Produits de MaYa liniment prize pack? One lucky reader will win one Les Produits de MaYa liniment prize pack containing four 180ml bottles of liniment (one of each variety: hypoallergenic, coconut, shea, and coconut & shea), one pump, and two Öko Créations cloth wipes. Just scroll down to the giveaway and get your entries in for a chance to win. This giveaway is open to Canadian & US residents, 18+, and closes on April 1st, 2016. Sponsor is responsible for prize fulfillment.