An In-Depth and Critical Review of Tubby Todd Skincare

About Tubby Todd

Tubby Todd was founded in 2014 by mom Andrea Faulkner Williams to offer clean skincare for babies and toddlers with sensitive skin. However, the brand has faced some criticisms related to its claims and formulations over the years which I‘ll discuss more in-depth later.

The Good

What Tubby Todd does well is create moisture-rich products with natural plant oils and extracts intended to nourish delicate toddler skin. Most formulations are hypoallergenic, fragrance-free, gluten-free and dairy-free. Tubby Todd also produces its line of washes, lotions, creams and rubs in the United States which allows for more supply chain oversight.

Many parents praise the brand for helping alleviate their toddler‘s dryness, rashes, eczema flare-ups and more. An impressive 96% of reviews on Tubby Todd‘s website are 4 stars and above.

Potential Issues

However, Tubby Todd is not without faults. While advertising as “natural”, “organic” or even “non-toxic”, some products contain concerning ingredients like methylisothiazolinone, a synthetic preservative linked to allergic reactions. Several negative reviews also mention new rashes or irritation after using certain formulations.

I decided to take a deeper look at the ingredient lists and manufacturing details beyond just the marketing claims. Here is what I found:

Questionable Ingredients Analysis

When reviewing each Tubby Todd product, I immediately searched for any problematic components as called out by reputable researchers like the EWG Skin Deep database. Unfortunately, many items contained at least one red-flag chemical including:

• – Phenoxyethanol – linked to reactions in young children
• – Methylisothiazolinone – synthetic preservative and common allergen
• – Fragrance/essential oils – associated with skin sensitization
• – Sunflower seed oil – high oleic variety is often GMO

While some natural alternatives were present like olive oil, beeswax and calendula extract, the inclusion of these harsher additives contradicts the “gentle” messaging Tubby Todd portrays.

I also looked into the “organic” and “non-GMO” claims on a few products. Upon closer inspection, only certain ingredients are listed as such, meaning the entire formulations are not 100% organic or non-GMO verified. This allows them to feature call-outs on labels that may mislead consumers trying to avoid certain ingredients.

Examining Harmful Reaction Complaints

In addition to questionable formulas, I was troubled by the not-insignificant amount of 1 and 2 star reviews related to adverse skin reactions, rashes or stinging sensations from using the creams and washes.

Now of course many children simply have sensitive skin and most products will irritate some small percentage. However, the number of complaints specifically calling out painful red bumps, breakouts or unusual swelling seems disproportionately high.

Most concerning is that parents often report these reactions occurred suddenly after months of normal use with no prior problems. This indicates the ingredients or formulations themselves changed in some way to trigger the body’s response.

A few even described taking their children to a pediatrician only to be told to stop using Tubby Todd immediately. Any skincare that yields such a strong reaction in a medical professional is very worrying in my view.

How Do Prices Compare?

In terms of affordability, Tubby Todd hits a middle-ground between cheap, toxic baby creams and luxury natural brands. Their 8-ounce lotions, washes and ointments mostly retail between $13 to $36 dollars.

Comparing to similarly positioned companies, prices run very close to competitors like Earth Mama Organics and Baby Bum with most products just slightly higher from Tubby Todd. More premium options like Little Twig cost nearly twice as much for the same sizes.

Considering the occasional non-gentle ingredients as outlined above though, I expect Tubby Todd to undercut other brands to account for this discrepancy between marketing and actual composition. As far as ingredient quality matching price level, they miss the mark for me.

The Final Takeaway

While wanting to provide quality skincare for babies and toddlers is extremely commendable, Tubby Todd seems to overstate many of its product claims versus actual formulation details. Frequent reactions among children also raise red flags around long-term safety and care for such delicate skin.

I admire the commitment to producing locally and using some organic components. However, the inclusion of controversial preservatives, opaque sourcing and vague “natural” advertising ultimately undermine the brand’s goal of gentle, non-toxic care in my opinion. Parents may be better off exploring more transparent alternatives.

I give Tubby Todd just 2 out of 5 stars due to these mismatches between messaging and evidence. For the price point and occasional safety issues, I suggest spending your money on baby brands with more consistently gentle ingredients instead.