Body care ingredients to avoid

You know that what you eat and drink while you’re pregnant has the potential to reach your growing baby.

But did you know that what you put on your skin holds the same potential?  And when it comes to the delicate skin of your baby, it’s even more important to use only those products that are gentle and nurturing.  Unfortunately, many popular body care products contain chemicals of concern.

We can’t rely on regulation to protect us from potentially dangerous chemicals in our body care products.  The FDA has banned just nine chemicals from cosmetics, while the European Union has banned more than 1,000.

Shopping “natural” or “organic” is no guarantee that your products are free of dangerous chemicals.  A product that is labeled as being “natural” may be mixed up with synthetic dyes or fragrances.  Buying higher cost products is no guarantee either – many are full of the same ingredients and harsh chemicals as the less expensive brands.

So, what can you do to make sure you’re buying products that are safe and pure?  Shop for products that don’t contain the chemicals listed below, in either their ingredients or their packaging.  You’ll find a detailed explanation of the risks they pose on our website.

• Ceteareth-6
• Coal Tar
• Diethanolamine (DEA) or Triethanolamine (TEA)
• Imidazolidinyl Urea and Diazolidinyl Urea
• Mineral Oil
• Parabens — Methyl, Propyl, Butyl, and Ethyl
• Petrolatum
• Phthalates
• Propylene Glycol
• PVP/VA Copolymer
• Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
• Stearalkonium Chloride
• Synthetic colors
• Synthetic fragrances

Want to find products that don’t contain these ingredients?  Use the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep Database to search for safe products.

At Motherlove we’ve been committed to making safe, toxin-free, herbal products made with organic ingredients for mothers and babies for over 20 years.  We were recently named a “Champion” (the highest level of compliance) of the Compact for Safe Cosmetics.  Our products are all rated a zero (the lowest rating) the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep Database, and we are proud to publish our complete ingredient lists.  Motherlove uses safe, recyclable packaging for our products, and they are free of “shelf life” preservatives and any artificial ingredients.  You expect that from “real food.” You should expect that from your body care, as well.

We’re proud to be a Champion for safe cosmetics

At Motherlove we’ve been committed to making safe, toxin-free, organic herbal products for mothers and babies for over 20 years.

That’s why we’re pleased to have recently been named a “Champion” (the highest level of compliance) of the Compact for Safe Cosmetics.  The Compact is a voluntary pledge to avoid chemicals banned in other countries, avoid harmful ingredients whenever possible, and fully disclose product ingredients.

Out of the more than 1500 companies who signed the Safe Cosmetics Compact, only 321 were fully in compliance with all the goals of the Compact, which earns those companies “Champion” status.

Motherlove products are all rated a zero (the lowest rating) on Skin Deep, the Environmental Working Group’s safe cosmetics database, and we are proud to publish our complete ingredient lists.

Motherlove achieved Champion status by:

• Complying with the European Union’s Cosmetics Directive, widely considered the global gold standard of cosmetics safety regulation
• Disclosing all ingredients, including ingredients in “fragrance” which in the United States can be claimed as “trade secrets,” even when they contain harmful chemicals
• Publishing and regularly updating product information in the Skin Deep cosmetics database
• Complying with any additional ingredient prohibitions and restrictions under the Compact and substitute ingredients of concern with safer alternatives; and
• Participating in the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics

You can read more about the Compact and the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics in the new report, Market Shift.

When is a diaper rash more than a rash?

When is a diaper rash more than irritated skin?

According to Dr. Sears, a rash which is “red, raised, patchy rash with sharp borders, mostly over the genitalia but with satellite spots sprinkled around the diaper area,” may be a result of an overgrowth of yeast.  Yeast rashes are more common after antibiotic use.  If your baby has a prolonged diaper rash which doesn’t respond to treatment with barrier creams, it may be yeast and require a different approach.

If you suspect a yeast rash, try our Diaper Rash and Thrush salve.  It’s an all-natural herbal solution for persistent, inflamed diaper rash. It can also be used on your nipples if they’re yeast-infected, and does not need to be washed off prior to nursing.  It’s diaper safe and compatible with all diapers including cloth.

Our Diaper Rash and Thrush salve has a zero rating (zero toxins) on EWG’s Skin Deep database and is made with 96% certified organic ingredients.

Soothe summer itches with our Green Salve.

We’re savoring the last few weeks of summer – the long days and warm nights, eating outside, and the chance for kids to run free.

As you know, along with summer fun can come a whole lot of itching.  Scratches and cuts, bug bites, poison ivy, and rashes may be a summer ritual, but they don’t have to slow you or your kids down.

Our organic, all natural Green Salve is the perfect remedy for the summer itches.  It quickly and effectively takes the itch out of insect bites, bee stings and poison ivy. It soothes and eases the discomforts of rashes, chapped and irritated skin.  We think it’s a must for every home.

Our Green Salve contains extra virgin olive oil, beeswax, plantain herb, comfrey herb, marshmallow root, and calendula flower.  Plantain herb is known as “nature’s band aid” because it is excellent for healing wounds and drawing out toxins or objects embedded in the skin such as splinters or glass.   Comfrey herb is nicknamed “knitbone,” as it quickly heals wounds, keeps them free from infection, and prevents scarring.  Marshmallow root softens skin and soothes skin irritations, boils, stings, and runny sores.  And calendula is an all purpose skin healing herb used to stop bleeding, wash wounds, heal cuts, abscesses, rashes, boils, chapped skin, and eczema.

Motherlove’s Green Salve has a zero rating (zero toxins) on EWG’s skin deep database and is made with 100% certified organic ingredients.

We recommend applying Green Salve to affected area several times daily to help relieve itch, rash, or chapped and irritated skin.

At Motherlove, Every Day is Earth Day

This week, communities around the world will celebrate Earth Day.  Here at Motherlove, we’re not doing anything special.

That’s because we observe Earth Day every day of the year.

Motherlove was born from a deep respect for the gifts from the natural world, and we aim every day to create our products in ways that protect and preserve it.  Our products are truly gifts from nature, and we aspire to honor that generosity in every choice we make.

Here are just a few of the ways we maintain our commitment to the environment:

• Our certified organic ingredients reduce the use of pesticides and create a healthier product for you.  All of our products score a “zero” (zero toxins) on the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep cosmetic safety database.

• We manufacture using wind credits, lessening the use of non-renewable energy sources which contribute to global climate change.

• All of our office supplies, packaging, and company literature is made from recycled materials.

• We use glass packaging for our salves - a choice which reduces the use of plastic, permits endless recycling, and allows for safe and creative reuse!

• None of our products are ever tested on animals and all are completely cruelty-free. We are third-party certified by Leaping Bunny, which means that not only our end products, but also the ingredients (where most animal testing occurs) are third-party certified. There are lots of bunny seals, but only Leaping Bunny is a third-party certification and not just a company statement.

• Through our Nurturing Life Foundation we support environmental education for kids at places like The Mountain Park Environmental Center.  Over 10% of all Motherlove Herbal Company’s profits are donated to organizations that help nurture life and give children the opportunity to experience and explore the beauty and wonder of the natural world.

• Our founder, Kathryn Higgins, teaches on the gifts of the natural world through her lectures and writing on the use of herbs for nutrition, medicine, and body care.  Kathryn’s first book, Pocket Guide to Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants, not only showcases the ingredients found in Motherlove’s products, but focuses on using native plants and sustainable harvesting methods. Kathryn is currently working on her second book, Sowing Seeds: Growing our Future, which focuses on growing herbs with children.

We are constantly striving to make Motherlove as respectful of the planet as we can, and encourage everyone to do what they can to make every day Earth Day!

What You Need to Know About Nipple Cream

Motherlove is proud to say our Nipple Cream ingredients are 100% certified USDA Organic. This softening salve for sore, cracked nursing nipples quickly heals skin and relieves discomfort. Motherlove’s Nipple Cream contains extra virgin olive oil, beeswax, shea butter, marshmallow root, calendula. All ingredients are safe for ingestion, so it does not need to be washed off prior to nursing.

All Motherlove’s products are made with safe certified organic ingredients and all have a zero rating (the cleanest rating) by EWG’s Skin Deep Cosmetic Saftey Database.

As more and more women choose to breastfeed for the health and environmental benefits, there is also an increase in “natural” breastfeeding products. As an herbalist of 35 years and a manufacturer of herbal products for breastfeeding for 20 years, I am surprised at ingredients that I see on the labels of several of these products for breastfeeding.

Two ingredients that are of concern are comfrey and borage leaf (not to be confused with borage seed oil). I have seen nipple cream products that contain comfrey and claim to be safe for infant ingestion. I also came across a product containing borage leaf that helps to increase breast milk. These herbs contain pyrrolizidine alkaloids, and should not be consumed internally with any degree of regularity. The Botanical Safety Handbook, published by the American Herbal Products Association, states “all products with botanical ingredients containing pyrrolizidine alkaloids should not be taken while pregnant or nursing, and display the following cautionary statement on the label ‘For external use only. Do not apply to broken skin or abraded skin.”

Please read the labels on the products that you buy and avoid these two herbs in any product meant to be taken internally or in a nipple cream that may be ingested by an infant.

Happy Breastfeeding
Kathryn
Founder of Motherlove

More Milk Special Blend

Recently Goat’s Rue has become widely recognized as an
effective herb for women who struggle to breastfeed. Over the summer an entire crop of our organic Goat’s Rue was destroyed by flooding in the Midwest. Not only did this devastate many farmers and families, but Motherlove lost our supply of the main ingredient for More Milk Special Blend. At the moment we do not have a projected time for this product to be available. We will post the arrival of the Special Blend on this blog. We are deeply sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused.

If you have been using this product, there are still options to increase your milk supply. We recommend combining our More Milk Plus, Motherlove’s best selling formula, with our Goat’s Rue. Both of these products are available in a liquid extract or liquid vegetarian capsules. The combination of these two products will ensure that you are getting all the herbs contained within the More Milk Special Blend. If you are under 175 lbs. alternate a dosage of these two products through the day, for a total of 4 doses per day. If you are over 175 lbs. take a More Milk Plus and Goat’s Rue dose together 3 times per day. Again we apologize for any inconvenience. Please feel free to call us with any questions regarding the More Milk Special Blend.

If you are looking for the Special Blend, please check your local retailer. We are out of stock, but many stores still have the product. Visit our store locator to find a store in your area.