Rayro, the refillable kids balm sticks everyone is talking about: worth it?

Rayro is the new kids brand from Dominika Minarovic and Elsie Rutterford, the duo who founded the skincare brand Bybi. It sells three toy-like balm sticks for little ones (Skin, Sleep and Sniffle) at £13.99 each on heyrayro.com, with refills at £7.99, and it has built its following on TikTok and Instagram. Here is what you get, what it costs over time, and our frank take.

Who is behind Rayro?

Minarovic and Rutterford launched Rayro on 19 March 2026, online and through TikTok Shop in the UK and Ireland, according to The Grocer. Before the launch, they built a parenting audience with their “Two Tired Mums” profile on Instagram and TikTok, which BeautyMatter says has more than 35,000 followers. Their pitch is simple: kids resist skincare and bedtime routines, so make the products look and feel like toys that children can use themselves.

The founders told BeautyMatter they see Rayro as “a problem-solving kids brand for parents”, with a bathroom range planned and an SPF line expected in early 2027.

The three sticks and what they do

• Rayro: Panda Skin Stick, £13.99. A balm with organic shea butter and calendula for dry patches, chapped lips and wind-bitten cheeks, according to Rayro.
• Rayro: Koala Sleep Stick, £13.99. A magnesium balm with lavender and a hint of mandarin, applied to the soles of the feet and calves 20 minutes before bed as a wind-down ritual.
• Rayro: Pig Sniffle Stick, £13.99. A eucalyptus and lavender chest rub in stick form, for the chest, back, neck and feet.
• Rayro: Little Wins Bundle, £35.49 for all three sticks.

Source: Rayro (product pages and FAQ, checked on 13 October 2026). Rayro says all its products are vegan and cruelty-free, and that the sticks are designed for children from 3 months; for babies under 3 months it advises asking a healthcare professional first.

How the refills work

You keep the animal case and replace the balm cartridge inside. Refills cost £7.99 each, £14.38 for two or £20.37 for three, according to Rayro. You twist the top off, pop in the new cartridge and recycle the empty one. Rayro says the case itself is a durable, recyclable plastic designed to be reused.

This is a refill model rather than a classic monthly subscription box: you reorder when a stick runs out. That makes it easy to control what you spend, but it also means no subscriber discount.

Our take: worth it?

Yes, with a caveat. The idea is genuinely clever. Anyone who has chased a toddler round the bathroom with a tub of balm will see the appeal of a stick that looks like a toy and that children want to swipe on themselves. The formulas are simple and familiar (shea, calendula, lavender, eucalyptus), the refills bring the price down to £7.99 after your first stick, and the Bybi founders know skincare.

The caveat is price and promise. £13.99 for a first stick is a lot more than a supermarket chest rub or nappy balm, and the Sleep Stick is the one to be careful with: magnesium balms are popular, but Rayro itself says “we’re not promising miracles”, and so do we. Think of it as a calming routine cue, not a sleep fix. Likewise, Rayro is upfront that the Sniffle Stick “won’t clear a cold”. Independent reviews are still scarce for such a young brand, and we have not tested the sticks ourselves.

It suits you if routines are a daily battle and a fun, child-led format would genuinely help. If your little one happily lets you apply balm from a tub, a pharmacy product will do the same job for less.

Price and refills: the essentials

• Sticks: £13.99 each (Skin, Sleep or Sniffle), or £35.49 for the Little Wins Bundle of all three.
• Refills: £7.99 each, £14.38 for two, £20.37 for three.
• Model: refills bought when you need them, not a monthly subscription.
• Age: from 3 months, according to Rayro.
• Delivery: usually dispatched within one to two working days by Royal Mail tracked, according to Rayro.

Start with the Little Wins Bundle on heyrayro.com, or browse our pick of kids subscription boxes.