Before Gelli was born I thought that baby number 4 would be a walk in the park. I thought that I could apply everything I learned with babies 1, 2, and 3-to baby number 4 AND have the added help of her siblings to help raise her. Piece of cake, right?
If you have been reading my blog, you know that Gelli was born with Down Syndrome. So, that means that everything I knew about raising kids before, was questioned and thrown out the window. I wasn’t sure if all the same rules applied. In fact, I was pretty sure none of the same rules applied. I felt like I had to be a little more careful, a lot more resourceful, and definitely more mindful, when it came to raising baby number 4 because she had special needs.
As it turns out, raising Gelli isn’t much different after all. She still needs to be nurtured and disciplined just the same. The only thing that separates her from her siblings, is some of her sensitivities. I have to make all of her food fresh, and she cannot have preservatives of any kind. Her digestive system is delicate, so this means that I’m mindful what I feed her and I’m careful of combinations that can upset her stomach.
Her skin is also very sensitive. Actually, we ALL have pretty sensitive skin, but the go to brands that I had used before on the big kids were not ones I could use with her. For instance, the first sign of diaper rash I used my tried and true brand of diaper rash ointment that was hand carried by Gelli’s Titas who visited from the states. When this brand caused a more severe reaction, I sent Nino out to Rustan’s to pick up different brands that he thought might work. Good thing Nino came home with three different brands for me to choose from, and the box that I chose to open was Mustela. The good thing was that within the day, her diaper rash cleared up. The bad thing was, I now had two more tubes of diaper rash cream that I wouldn’t use along with the three other tubes that I had asked my sisters to bring from the states!
Good thing Nino was able to score this for Gelli when her diaper rash was really bad. We also later figured out that we had to be very careful with her diet bc it contributed to the rash.
I recognized Mustela, because my friend, Tammy Tancinco, is a co-parent in my kids’ school. (Our boys were actually classmates.) I remember some posts I saw on facebook shortly before our first diaper rash incident, so I wanted to try it out. A couple months later, my friend Mawi came to visit Gelli for the first time and she brought over a gift. She gifted Gelli with the Cleansing Milk and the Foam Shampoo for Newborns. I LOVED both of these products and used the shampoo until it was finished. I have continued to use the Cleansing Milk even after I ran out, replacing the bottles as we needed them.
This Foam Shampoo was really perfect for Gelli’s cradle cap. It was gentle, and there was no need to use baby oil to remove the residue on her scalp.
Recently, Tammy invited me to an event where she was reintroducing the Mustela line because of a breakthrough discovery by parent company, Expanscience Laboratories. Through the new research and development center in France, Expanscience Laboratories, recently discovered that newborn skin actually has stem cells on the surface. I was so impressed with the company whose flagship brand is Mustela. I learned so much about skin care through this event, that I knew I had to share the information here on the blog.
Sharleen and Tammy, the Moms behind Mustela, Philippines. It’s so easy to see why they are passionate about their product.
Because of the new findings, Expanscience Laboratories was able to improve upon their Mustela Bebe and Mustela Sun Protection lines. With a new active ingredient of AVOCADO PEREOSE the scientific team is able to protect infant skin further by “supporting the development of the barrier function and, more importantly, protecting the reserve of the cells against day-to-day stresses.” Thereby, protecting the wealth of stem cells found on the surface of baby’s skin.
Quite a few SoMoms were there too! Pictured are: Michelle, Jenny, Janice, Mustela Mommas Sharleen and Tammy, Rome, Ianne from Working Mom, Tin, and Jackie. (Thanks Tammy for this great photo of everyone!)
This new active ingredient is in addition to the already ALL NATURAL philosophy that Mustela imbibes as a brand. I was surprised to learn that Mustela takes steps to care for the ENVIRONMENT as well as they care for babies’ skin. Expanscience Laboratories has incorporated sustainable development into their corporate policy. This means that Mustela Bebe offers:
- Biodegrable foaming cleansers
- An all natural patented ingredient
- A complete line of recyclable bottles
- Tubes containing recycled plastic
- A savings of 24.1 tons of paper/cardboard by eliminating leaflets and select boxes by using less cardboard
- Boxes manufactured with cardboard from sustainably managed forests and printed with plant-oil based inks
It’s easy to see that Mustela has been meeting the increase in demand for safer products with all natural ingredients. Their products are not only hypoallergenic (which is important not just for Gelli’s skin but mine as well.) but ALL NATURAL. All natural means that 92% of the ingredients come from the earth….which also means NO parabens, NO phthalates, NO genetically modified plant extracts, NO chlorphenesin, and NO alcohol.
Thank you Tammy and Sharleen! (Thanks Tammy for this photo too!)
No wonder it has been so good for my Gellibean! It’s all the natural ingredients and science behind these products that makes it perfect for her. If she can’t have preservatives in her food…why would I want to put anything less than the natural ingredients in Mustela on her skin?
If you have any questions or would like to know where you can pick up your own Mustela products, contact:
mustelaphilippines@yahoo.com
Mustela Hotline 0917-8959988
