Loulouka Formula: Everything You Need to Know
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure.This in-depth guide will help you learn everything you need to know about one of the newest organic formulas on the market: Loulouka formula. You’ll learn more about what Loulouka is, what the benefits are, how it compares to other organic baby formulas, and where you can find & buy it!
With so many baby formula brands competing to create organic baby formulas—it can be hard to choose the right one for your baby. Recently, a new brand has been receiving great reviews from parents around the globe. For parents wondering if Loulouka is worth the hype, and if it meets the criteria for a healthy baby formula, this post is for you!
What Is Loulouka formula?
Loulouka was founded in 2012 by Michael, Peter, and Christiaan – all of whom are parents, and who have over 10 years of experience in the formula industry (you can read more about the founders here). Their goal was to find a producer that could create an organic baby formula without palm oil, without soy oil, and with a skimmed milk base. After a ton of research and years of development, Loulouka hit the market in 2019.
Is Loulouka a safe and healthy baby formula?
From my research, Loulouka seems like a legitimate, safe, and very healthy option for your little one. Loulouka is formulated in Switzerland due to its strict regulations and high standards for treatment of cows, organic food and baby formula production. For example, on organic Swiss farms there are only 23 cows (max) allowed per farm – the lowest in the world! Additionally, Michael, Peter, and Christiaan believe in treating animals with compassion and being environmentally friendly through their practices. Loulouka’s signature protocol requires 50 specialized quality checks to ensure each formula is safe. It is certified organic by the EU, which has much higher organic standards than the US.
What are the Benefits of Loulouka?
#1 | EU Certified Organic, Humane treatment of cows
European formulas are popular for a reason – European organic standards and farming regulations are much higher/stricter than US organic standards. You can read more about the standards for European formulas here, and the benefits of organic formula here. In addition, Swiss cows are treated much more humanely than American cows. Rather than being crammed into a factory (like American cows), Swiss cows graze all day on natural grass and hay – improving the overall quality of the milk. No steroids, hormones, preservatives, pesticides or chemicals are used in the production of Swiss milk (which is what Loulouka uses).
#2 | No Soy
Loulouka uses skimmed cow’s milk to provide naturally occurring proteins, and on top of that, uses no soy ingredients (no soy oil, soy lecithin, soy protein). Why does this matter? Research has shown that too much soy in infancy can have negative effects later in life. Here is an in-depth explanation on soy during infancy.
#3 | Healthy Fats, No Palm Oil
Most organic regulated formula’s fat source originates from vegetable oils, including palm oil. Baby formula producers use palm oils because it is similar to palmitic acid, to mimic a nutrient found in breastmilk. Palm oil also contains vitamin E and beta-carotene. While these oils are safe and are essential for growth, palm oil has negative environmental implications and may cause digestive issues (for babies that are sensitive to palm oil). Loulouka uses coconut oil as the primary fat source, which also helps in making it very close to breastmilk in composition (with 15.8% palmitic acid). Coconut oil also has a high concentration of medium chain triglycerides, which helps with absorption, and the composition of saturated fatty acids in coconut oil is similar to breastmilk (43% vs. 38% in breastmilk).
#4 | Lactose as the Carbohydrate
Unless your baby has lactose intolerance, lactose is the best primary carbohydrate that a baby formula can include. Cheaper, processed substitutes for lactose include: maltodextrin, corn syrup, glucose syrup solids, sugar, brown rice syrup, sucrose, etc. In formulas that are hypoallergenic, some of these ingredients may be unavoidable. But for regular, organic baby formula, these ingredients should not be included as a source of carbs. Loulouka Stage 1 uses 100% lactose for their carbohydrate, meaning parents are getting the best carbohydrate for their babies without the non-lactose sugars.
#5 | DHA & Prebiotics
Loulouka’s new formulation has DHA from Fish Oil added! That means that no hexane is used to extract the DHA. It also has prebiotics added to help with developing healthy bacteria in your baby’s gut.
In addition to these benefits, Loulouka comes in a really easy to dispense tin now (vs. the boxes it used to come in), and it doesn’t contain any of the ingredients I recommend avoiding (that other baby formulas do contain). Those include: GMOs, soy products, added sugars, and synthetic ingredients. You can see more details on which ingredients to avoid in baby formula here.
Where Can You Find and Buy This Formula?
The great thing about Loulouka is that it’s very easy to get in the US from three of my favorite distributors: My Organic Company, Organic’s Best, and Organic Baby Food. Here is a little bit more about each of these companies:
My Organic Company
My Organic Company was founded in 2017 by two parents: Cecilia and Kevin who are dedicated to ensuring that organic European formulas are available to any parents who want them in the US! They have three different warehouses across the US to ensure safe, fast and reliable shipping. And their supply chain is so robust they virtually guarantee that they will be in stock of all formulas at all times!
In addition to Loulouka, MyOrganicCompany has all the standard European formulas like HiPP Dutch, HiPP UK, HiPP Germany, Holle, Lebenswert, Goat Milk formula, and the sensitive formulas (HiPP HA, HiPP Comfort, Anti-Reflux). They offer the largest most expansive set of European formulas available today.
My Organic Formula ships free on orders over $50, and you can receive an additional 5% off by using the code “THEPICKYEATER” at checkout.
Other things that make them great: they have a comprehensive mixing guide for every formula that’s easily accessible here, they have a subscribe and save option (save an additional 5%), and amazing customer service!
Organic Baby Food
Organic Baby Food is a reputable, online retailer based in the EU who has fast shipping to the US! They carry Loulouka Stage 1, Stage 2 and Stage 3 at really affordable prices.
They also sell HiPP, Lebenswert, and Holle, along with Hypoallergenic formula and Goat’s Milk formula. They have reliable shipping (within 1-3 business days!), amazing customer support, and I have been in contact with the owner personally.
A few other great things about this company: guaranteed delivery within 2 days, money back if your shipment is delayed, dedicated customer support (a few hours turnaround time for emails or direct phone support at 1-800-701-4303), and deep discounts up to 60% off sometimes! They are also giving readers of The Picky Eater a 10% off coupon code at checkout – just use the code: PICKY and you will get the discount!
Organic’s Best
Organic’s Best is based in Germany, and is passionate about making organic baby formula and baby food available internationally (to any family who wants it!) They carry Loulouka Stage 1, Stage 2 and Stage 3 and are both affordable and reliable.
They also carry HiPP Dutch, HiPP Germany, HiPP UK, Holle, Lebenswert, HiPP HA, HiPP Comfort, and HiPP AR.
What else sets them apart: They ship internationally for free, and express shipping is free to the US, which means that if you live in the US, they will guarantee fast delivery between 1-4 business days. Every new customer also receives two free boxes of formula! They have low prices, and they include free shipping insurance for every order, and they guarantee availability of all formulas!
What are the Differences Between Stage 1, 2, and 3 of Loulouka?
There are slight differences between the 3 Stages of Loulouka – so to help you figure out which one is best for your baby, I’ve outlined the differences between Stages 1, 2, and 3 below.
Stage 1
Loulouka Stage 1 is for birth and onward. You can use this formula to replace breastmilk or use alongside it as a supplement. The great thing about this formula is that you can use it right after birth and throughout the first year! This is rare in baby formulas, as most formulas require a transition in stages. Due to Loulouka’s consistency, it allows the baby to continue without the switch. This formula is easy on digestion and contains all essential vitamins, including Vitamins A, C, & D and Iron. Lactose is the only/primary carbohydrate used (Stage 1 is 100% lactose), and coconut oil is the primary fat.
Each box comes with 500g of formula powder and instructions, and you’ll get approximately 44 bottles per 500-gram box.
Stage 2
Loulouka Stage 2 is perfect for babies aged 6-12 months. While it’s not necessary to switch from Stage 1 to Stage 2, some parents may want to switch due to the higher iron content and the added DHA/ARA in this Stage 2 formula. Stage 2 has 1mg iron per serving compared to 0.8mg iron per serving of Stage 1. The other main difference between Stage 2 and Stage 1 is that Stage 2 has 70% lactose, and 30% maltodextrin — which is added to make the formula thicker in consistency than Stage 1.
Each box comes with 800g of formula powder and instructions, and you’ll get approximately 35 bottles per 800-gram box.
Stage 3
Loulouka Stage 3 is for babies 10 months and onward. This “follow-on milk” is perfect for parents who want to use formula into toddlerhood. It has more iron than Stage 1 (1mg vs 0.8mg iron in Stage 1), and has added DHA/ARA just like Stage 2. Stage 3 also has added maltodextrin, similar to Stage 2, and has slightly more calories per serving than Stage 2 or Stage 1. Note: this formula is not to be used as a breastmilk supplement during the first 6 months of age.
Each box comes with 800g of formula powder and instructions, and you’ll get approximately 35 bottles per 800-gram box.
How Much Formula Should My Baby Drink Each Day?
If you’ve decided to formula feed, you might be wondering exactly how much your baby should be drinking. Here are some general guidelines when it comes to formula feeding based on your baby’s age – but you should always consult with your pediatrician if you have any feeding related questions or concerns.
Final Thoughts
For parents who value nutrition, wholesome ingredients, and EU organic certification—Loulouka could be the perfect formula for you and your baby! Created by professionals in baby nutrition, this formula combines all the things parents want with a taste babies’ love. Loulouka is made with sustainable, organic Swiss milk and has no synthetic ingredients, no palm oil, and no soy products – which means you can be confident your baby is getting a healthy, safe, and nutritious formula to promote growth and development. Loulouka is one of my top ranked organic baby formulas among all of the options out there! If my kids were still in the 0-12 months range, I would feel confident purchasing Loulouka to give to them.
SOURCES
- https://loulouka.nl/en/home/
- https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/should-you-go-organic
- https://ec.europa.eu/info/food-farming-fisheries/farming/organic-farming_en
- https://www.organicconsumers.org/news/warning-parents-about-dangers-soy-milk-babies
- https://ec.europa.eu/food/animals/animalproducts/milk_en
- https://loulouka.nl/en/faq/
- https://parenting.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/10/07/what-does-organic-mean-for-baby-formula/
Hi Anjali,
Any idea why Loulouka can only be stored in the fridge for 12hrs whereas most other formulas are 24hr?
Hi Tom! I’m actually not sure why that’s the case – it could be due to the Swiss milk having a shorter shelf life once prepared but I really don’t know why!
Hello, my son is 1 month and has been taking loulouka stage 1 very well. Only concern is when mixing it has a ton of foam. I shake for 15sec and let it sit for 1-2min and bubbles still don’t go down?
Is that normal?
Hi Marissa! I think some foam is normal, but the bubbles should disappear after a few minutes. 15 seconds is probably a bit longer than I shook the bottles when I was mixing the formula – I think I did it for more like 5-10 seconds – just until the formula was combined. I would try shaking it for a little less time and see if that helps, and if not, contact the place you ordered it from and ask for a replacement box. Hope that helps!
Marissa, we bought a small hand-held mixer off Amazon (like $10 I think) specifically for baby formulas and it works great! No foam or bubbles.
That’s a great tip Kimberly! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
When preparing the formula, we boil the water in an electric temperature control teapot to meet the required 40 to 50 Celsius requirements. When it comes to cooling down before serving is it ok to run it under cold water or let bottle set in a cold bath of water to speed up the cooling down process?
Hi Sanna! Yes that should be fine! I typically just put the bottle in a cold bath of water to cool it down! 🙂
Hi! Thanks so much for this valuable info. Do you happen to have information regarding how many prepared ounces are in each 400g and/or 900g box of the stage 1? I’m trying to figure out how much I will need. Thank you!
Hi Carley! Here is how it breaks down:
400g box = 14oz = 105 fluid oz of prepared formula
800g box = 28oz = 210 fluid oz of prepared formula
900g box = 31.5oz = 236.25 fluid oz of prepared formula
Hope that helps! 🙂
Hi there!
I was wondering if you’d be able to give a review on the taste of the formula!
I have tried Hipp with my LO and he completely refuses it. I noticed the smells and taste is quiet metallic. (I love the ingredients and understand why it does) but I also want to find a good formula he will take!
Hi Katelyn! Unfortunately it’s hard for me to review the taste of all the formulas since I personally have not tried all of them (and neither have my kids!) Both of my kids drank HiPP UK and HiPP Dutch with no problems – so I guess they were ok with the taste? That said, Kendamil is made with whole milk so it likely will taste more “creamy” than HiPP — so maybe it’s worth trying that to see how your son does? Hope that helps!
Hi thank you for the information above! So my son is 9 months (exclusively breastfed) has been getting breastmilk and solids. We haven’t used any formula yet but will be needing to start now. I don’t understand which stage to get? I want to give him formula until 12 months.
Hi there! If he’s 9 months, I’d typically recommend starting with Stage 2. Just make sure your pediatrician is comfortable with that as well. Hope that helps!
Hello Anjali, could you please recommend prebiotics to add to Lolouka. I only found info about probiotics. Thank you very much for all you do!
Hi Dina! You don’t need to add prebiotics to Loulouka – the new formulation already includes prebiotics! You only need to supplement with probiotics! Hope that helps!
Hello! My baby is 1 month and exclusively breastfed. He is very gassy and sometimes has acid reflux. I’ve cut out dairy, tomato sauce based foods, onions and some veggies like broccoli and cauliflower. Which Loulouka formula do you recommend for him based off what I’ve cut out? I plan to still breastfeed but on babysitting days, I plan to use Loulouka to make life easier for the babysitter.
Hi Sonya! Given your baby’s age, I’d recommend Loulouka Stage 1 for him (assuming your pediatrician agrees!) Loulouka doesn’t have a hypoallergenic formula and it isn’t hydrolyzed or anything, so given your baby’s allergies it may still not work for him. If that’s the case, I’d recommend trying HiPP HA or another hypoallergenic formula. Hope that helps!
I just started using Loulouka and have noticed that it gets really foamy. I have tried rolling the bottle between my hands instead of shaking it but still a lot of foam! I did not experience this with other brands of formula. Have you noticed this?
Hi Jessie! That is so strange – I didn’t have the same experience. Loulouka should actually be less foamy because it doesn’t contain palm oil! The main things to remember when mixing Loulouka is to shake it for at least 15 seconds, and wait about 30 seconds after mixing — the foam should disappear by that time. Hope that helps!
Hi Anjali, thank you for this information. I read in a few other places that Loulouka doesn’t contain any pre or probiotics. You mentioned that it does contain prebiotics. Not sure if the formula changed – does it still have prebiotics?
Hi Rupali! The new formulation has prebiotics! It includes GOS from lactose. I don’t think the old formulation had prebiotics, which is what you probably read in other places. Hope that helps!
I am breastfeeding mixed and I love Loulou because, unlike Emfamil or Similac, the texture of the foam is super fine. and the super ingredients also the truth that gives me a lot of security to give my baby European Formula by the same standards and regulations that are definitely better than those of the United States 🙌 and please do not compare the formulas of Europe with the US 🤭
Thanks for sharing your experience Nicole – glad Loulouka has worked for you!
Hi Anjali, We just bought the loulouka stage, but we are a little confused on the servings, i have a 17months boy he regularly drinks 8 ounces at day and 8oz at night for each servings? do you know how many scoops i need to give to him for each serving? Thanks for the help
Hi Miguel! To make an 8oz bottle of Loulouka – you need to use 8 scoops of formula and 8oz of water. You can see more instructions here as well!
Hi Anjali. Can stage 1 be prepared without boiling the water?
Hi Mabel! The EU recommends boiling the water mainly as that last extra step to sterilize the formula before serving, since the formula isn’t technically 100% sterile, since your fingers touch the scoop – which then touches the formula. For healthy, full term babies with no immune issues, using non-boiled filtered water or bottled water should be fine, but you should check with your pediatrician first to find out if they want you to boil the water before mixing the formula for your baby. For both of my kids, I just used bottled water or filtered water. Hope that helps!
Hi Anjali,
I recently placed an order with a online company, Formula R Us and have been receiving the boxed formula presently. I am assuming I am not getting the new version of Loulouka. Would you know if this a reputable online dealer. I happened to come across your blog and found it very helpful. Thank you for your detailed explanation and advice.
Hi Elizabeth! That is correct, the boxes are the older formulation of Loulouka — the newer formulation comes in the tins. Unfortunately, I don’t know Formula R Us so I can’t speak to whether they are reputable or not (they might be, but I am not familiar with them and I don’t know anything about their supply chain/etc.) I can vouch for all of the distributors in my post though – so if you want a guaranteed seller that has the latest formulation of Loulouka – I’d recommend one of the distributors in my post! Hope that helps!
First off, thank you for all your hard work in creating this blog for all of us parents.
Since Loulouka has a new formulation, is Stage 1 still suitable to use after 6 months up to 1 year?
Hi Stephanie! Yes Loulouka Stage 1 should be fine to use from birth – 12 months of age. The main difference is that Stage 2 has more iron and added maltodextrin — so if your baby is eating solids well and your pediatrician doesn’t think the additional iron is necessary, you should be able to stay on Stage 1. Hope that helps!
Thanks for this info! How recently did Loulouka change their formulation? Just a few weeks ago I received a shipment and it was in a box with whole milk as the first ingredient. Now it’s in a can with skimmed milk as the first ingredient. What other changes were made?
Hi Jamie! They literally JUST changed their formulation to be in compliance with the new EU guidelines around formula. The two main changes are: 1) Moving from whole milk to skimmed milk 2) Adding DHA to their formula. And, as you pointed out, they also moved to a tin vs. a box for easier dispensing. Hope that helps!
Thank you so much!! I was concerned when I just got my new shipment since I wasn’t aware.
No problem at all!
Hi Anjali! So no ARA in the new formula, I see in your top baby formula that loulouka is ranked 3rd and need to provide ARA/probiotics separately, how big issue it is? I ordered 3 tins, it costs a lot and just realizing it doesn’t have everything the baby needs unless I misunderstood? Thanks a lot!
Hi Flo! Yes, if you use Loulouka I’d recommend supplementing with probiotics separately if you can. It’s not 100% necessary as not all formulas have probiotics, but there are probiotics in breastmilk so if you wanted to mimic breastmilk as closely as possible, you can add it to Loulouka before you give it to your baby. I like Garden of Life’s infant probiotic which is pretty affordable and lasts a while. You can’t really supplement with just ARA – so I wouldn’t worry about that as long as your pediatrician is ok with your baby having just DHA in their formula and no ARA. Hope that helps!
Thanks Anjali! So ARA is only available starting stage 2 in loulouka products, am I right? And stage 1 has prebiotics but no probiotics (I just learnt it was different!)
Thanks for your help and good job for the website, it’s amazing
Hi! No that’s not correct — DHA is available in Stage 1, 2 and 3 Loulouka Products. There is no ARA included in Loulouka. And all the stages have prebiotics, and no probiotics. Hope that helps!
Why did Loulouka switch from
While milk to skimmed milk?
Hi Adam! They had to do that to balance out the fat ratios in the milk — since they were complying with the new EU regulations, they added DHA, which changed the fat composition of the milk, so they had to switch to skimmed milk to balance it out. Hope that helps!
Hi,
Thank you so much for all the valuable information you provide in your blog. I lovebit!
I would like to ask you for recommendations about what water to use to prepare infant formula. Thank you!
Of course! So glad it’s helpful! To your question — I usually recommend using filtered or distilled water to prepare infant formula. You can also use boiled water as an alternative.
I was all on board to give my new adoptive son Loulouka and bought a couple tester boxes when we realized that he might be a little lactose intolerant. The hospital started him on Similac and the doctor realized it was perhaps lactose that was causing some upset stomach so switched to Enfamil Pro Neuro Gentlease which has 15% lactose. He seems to be doing better on it. Do you know if his stomach might do better with a less chemical / organic formula like this or should I maybe try a goat milk formula?
Hi Julianne! Honestly it’s hard to know for sure without trying it! Since your baby doesn’t have a diagnosed cow’s milk protein allergy, I’d probably try Loulouka first and see how he does. If he has issues after a few weeks, then I’d switch to goat milk, and if that doesn’t work then I’d try a hypoallergenic formula. So what I’d do (as long as your pediatrician is ok with it), is to slowly transition him to Loulouka over 1-2 weeks — slightly increasing the amount of Loulouka in his bottle and decreasing the amount of Similac in each feed / for each day. See how he does and then you’ll have more information to make a decision! Hope that helps!