Healing with Hazelwood: Pure Hazelwood Review

I received this item at no cost to facilitate my review. All opinions remain my own. For more information, see my full disclosure policy.

The last couple weeks have been challenging for us at home. My l’il bub is typically an easy going baby. Ever since he learned to crawl a few weeks ago, it’s hard to keep him still, and he is definitely happiest when he is on the move. He’ll play with you for a few minutes, before wandering off and exploring something, and then come in and check in with you before wandering off on his next adventure. Somewhere around his eighth month mark though… things changed. Gone was my little explorer, gone was my laid back baby. It started out as him being more fussy than usual during the day. Wanting to be held, then put down, then held, then this toy, that toy, hold me. It quickly started effecting his sleeping habits, particularly his night sleep. For the past couple of weeks, nap and bedtime have become a lot harder. He has been having difficulty getting settled in to sleep. About a week ago though, we finally figured out why. It started on a Friday when his top gums were swollen, and by Monday he had two little teeth poking out of his gums. It didn’t seem to bother him in the past when his bottom teeth came in, but his top teeth have really been difficult for him. He’s been fussy, difficult to soothe, drooling a lot more… not to mention all those sleep problems.

Which is why I was so excited to see a package from Pure Hazelwood sitting in my mailbox a few weeks ago (seriously, perfect timing!).

Pure Hazelwood is a Canadian based company that handcrafts jewelry and personal care products from the beaked hazel tree, a shrub indigenous to Quebec. Hazelwood contains polyphenols which are known for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. This may help reduce symptoms in the body due to inflammation such as arthritis, skin conditions such as eczema or psoriasis, and teething! Best of all, unlike conventional medications, there are no known interactions or side effects.

The jewelry is available in many different sizes from baby (11″), toddler (13″), child (14″), and 16-24″ for teenagers and adults. Different styles range from natural gemstones, amber, beads, and even hanging character pendants. We received the 16 inch hematite and blue bead necklace for myself, and the 11 inch jasper necklace for my son. Both are beautiful to look at. Aesthetically I’m more attracted to jewelry with a more natural look (sorry diamonds) and these really suit us. The wood beads on the necklace have a natural texture and finish, and the beads are a great addition. The jasper necklace has a cute little star in the middle. The beads are strung on a metal wire covered in nylon making them vegan (aside from the necklaces which features pearls).

The 11 inch is the perfect size for my eight month old, falling just beneath his chin. He doesn’t seem to notice he is wearing it and once it is on, will leave it alone. The clasp on the baby and toddler necklace features a safety screw design rather than the claw on the adult necklace. If too much tension is placed on the necklace (if it gets caught on a blanket, or wrapped around an object) the wires will release in order to prevent strangulation. The beads are then held in place on the wire by clamps so the child can’t ingest individual beads. If you’re used to amber teething necklaces, you’ll notice the clasp on this necklace is smaller, and thus slightly more challenging, but once you’ve done it a few times it’s not a problem. I typically take the necklace off during unsupervised sleep time and bath time to ensure the integrity of the necklace. The necklace can also be wrapped around a child’s ankle and covered with a sock – this works quite well at naptime. Thus far we have not had any problems with it snagging on anything and Ethan doesn’t fuss with his.

The adult necklaces feature a claw clasp common on adult jewelry, which make it quick to take on and off. My own necklace has put up quite well with a baby who tugs on everything (these are not to be confused with silicon teething necklaces however and are not designed to be chewed or pulled). The 16 inch hits the top of my neck and is so light I hardly notice it. I chose to sleep in mine and have had no issues with snagging on blankets either (I do take it off during showers).

To ensure efficiency and safety, the company recommends renewing the necklace every three months and to only use under adult supervision. When it comes time to replace Ethan’s, I’ll probably snag his old one for me and wear it as an anklet, since it’s still quite cute.

So how did they work?

Great! I noticed the biggest difference in my son’s demeanor. Although he’s still wanting to chomp on anything he can get his hands on, he’s been a lot less fussy, and back to his normal self. He’s a lot calmer and relaxed, which has been a huge relief in our household. Our sleep has gotten back on track as well. Plus he looks so darn cute in his necklace.

As for me, I did notice minor improvements in my skin. Something I don’t talk about often on the blog is that I have psoriasis – an immune disorder characterized by red and white lesions on the skin. After the birth of my son, I’ve had a nasty flare up, and haven’t had any luck with other natural remedies. Upon wearing my necklace for a few days, I noticed the intensity of the redness of my skin had decreased quite a bit, although it has not disappeared completely. The company also sells hazelwood lotion and ointment that may improve skin as well.

Overall, we really enjoyed our necklaces. We noticed improvements in both myself, and my son and would recommend the product to others. They make a wider variety of sizes and styles, so there is sure to be one to suit your little one, yourself and other family members. If your child didn’t respond to amber necklaces, this may be worth a try.

Pure Hazelwood products are available on their website PureHazelwood.com. Prices start at $11.95 USD (although there are some wonderful clearance options available right now). USA, Canada and international shipping are available.

More on Teething

• The Pros and Cons of Teething Necklaces
• Herbal Teething Milk Tea Popsicle Recipe