Inspired by Mother Nature, Chantecaille Bébé is a pure, plant-powered line of organic skincare and bath-care products. Here Olivia Chantecaille tells Mama the story behind her beautiful new range.

Words: Morag Turner

As Creative Director of Chantecaille, her family’s eponymous cosmetics and skincare line, Olivia Chantecaille grew up amid lab samples and color charts. Accompanying her mother Sylvie on research and development trips for her job as head buyer for Estée Lauder’s Prescriptives, Olivia was exposed to the world of beauty from a young age.

However it wasn’t until she had her own daughter Delphina in 2013 that she discovered how truly important the correct skincare was for babies.

Olivia particularly enjoyed bath time bonding and baby massages with Delphina, but was disappointed when realized that products as perfectly formulated, as the Chantecaille favorites she used on herself didn’t exist for little ones.

Necessity is the mother of invention, 
so she sought out to create a line that she, and parents everywhere, could use and trust.

What inspired you to create Chantecaille Bébé?

As a new parent I was nervous about making mistakes. I wanted products that I trusted implicitly—pure, high quality, safe formulas that were created with integrity. So I made them!

Why is it so important that we use products specifically designed for babies on their skin?

Because their skin is much more delicate than ours, at least six times thinner than our grown-up skin. Babies emerge into the world from the womb—the purest environment— and are exposed to so many things that can irritate them: fragrances, chemicals found in conventional baby products, plus contact irritants.

Their skin is very reactive to everything they’re exposed to because the protective layer is less developed and more permeable, so irritants get absorbed more easily. I chose the main ingredient in the Bébé line, the Wild Moss Rose, because in addition to being incredibly calming and soothing, it also helps their skin adapt to their new environment.

Babies’ skin has fewer elastic fibres, which means it’s more difficult for them to regulate their body temperature, making them more prone to heat rashes.  They need products that are specifically calming, soothing and anti-irritating and also super hydrating since their skin also loses moisture more quickly. We created the formulas using organic botanicals, and sought COSMOS certification for Chantecaille Bébé because we wanted to create products that parents could trust that were pure and safe. The products are not only wonderful for babies and kids, but also for anyone who has sensitive skin.

Tell us about the collection and it’s ingredients

The collection includes the Wild Moss Rose Body Lotion, £45; Flower Petal Hair and Body Wash, £40; Orange Blossom Face Cream, £39, and Apricot and Tamanu Body Oil.

What inspired the gorgeous packaging?

Our love for animals and plants, and the desire to create something beautiful and irresistible that both parents and children would love. We chose animals that we knew children are drawn to so they’d be excited to use the products. We were inspired by animals’ innate ability to nurture and care for their young, and how naturally sweet and playful they are, which led to the illustrations of the elephant, duck and seahorse, and more to come.

Do you have plans to expand the brand?

Yes! I also have so many ideas for more products to come. We are planning to launch a super-emollient all-purpose Bébé balm next spring that will be great for the whole family.

Available from Liberty London.