Here at Motherlove we know how much can change when you become a mother. There is so much new information, cautions and suggestions bombarding you every day. In between the feedings and diaper changes it can be a bit overwhelming to try to navigate product information. Everyone wants to know what’s in their products, if they are tested on animals, are they organic, and most importantly are they safe.
Quality and effectiveness of our products is extremely important at Motherlove. Before we place an order for an ingredient we receive a certificate of analysis and a sample. The certificate of analysis from the supplier shows test results for coliforms, salmonella, yeast & mold, bacterial plate count, heavy metals and pesticide residue. Herb samples are also evaluated for color, smell and strength before approval. Along with certificates of analysis for each ingredient, we also have the organic, kosher and cruelty free certification documents on file.
Motherlove’s herbal supplements are made in an FDA registered, GMP certified facility and have a certificate of analysis for each finished product. Before any product is sold it is tested by an independent lab for bacteria, coliforms and heavy metals to ensure quality in every bottle.
We know how important quality, safety and effectiveness are, and we want you to feel confidant when you choose Motherlove.
People always say this, but it really does seem like time has just flown by the past few weeks. We had an inspiring and energizing experience at ILCA in late July and then World Breastfeeding Week went by in a blur of celebrations and news from the breastfeeding scene. National Breastfeeding Awareness Month is almost over and we’ve been brainstorming some ideas here at Motherlove about how to keep all the momentum going. We’d love to hear any tips you have!
We announced sponsorships with La Leche League, Best for Babes Foundation, Holistic Moms Network and #bfcafe this month, and we’re donating 20% of the proceeds from More Milk Plus to Best for Babes to help them spread the word about avoiding the Booby Traps™. As we move into harvest season and leave all this breastfeeding awareness behind, we’ll be focusing on more mundane things like shipping all that More Milk Plus, but we’ve committed to doing more this year than ever to raising awareness all year long of the benefits of breastfeeding. Look for some exciting announcements from us in the upcoming months.
Motherlove is proud to say our Nipple Cream ingredients are 100% certifed 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.
The Environmental Working Group has created a database of cosmetics called Skin Deep to help inform consumers of clean and not so clean cosmetics. Here is their mission statement from the website.
“It’s our mission at the Environmental Working Group to use the power of information to protect human health and the environment.
Often, that means building databases. EWG’s data gives you practical solutions to protect yourself and your family from the health risks we all face from everyday exposures to myriad industrial chemicals.
In 2004 we launched Skin Deep, an online safety guide for cosmetics and personal care products. Our aim was to fill in where companies and the government leave off: companies are allowed to use almost any ingredient they wish, and our government doesn’t require companies to test products for safety before they’re sold. EWG’s scientists built Skin Deep to be a one-of-a-kind resource, integrating our in-house collection of personal care product ingredient listings with more than 50 toxicity and regulatory databases.
Now in its fourth year and third major update, our Skin Deep database provides you with easy-to-navigate safety ratings for nearly a quarter of all products on the market — 61,972 products with 7,628 ingredients. At about one million page views per month, Skin Deep is the world’s largest and most popular product safety guide.”
At Motherlove we are thankful that there are resources out there like Skin Deep to help everyone navigate ingredients on labels. We are also proud to say that our entire line of products have a zero rating, the cleanest rating a product can get. We can all make a conscience effort to learn about our skin care, stop putting toxins on our bodies and stand up to companies that put toxins in our skin care products.
The most valuable herb at our house during the summer months would be considered by many to be a “weed”. Plantian is no doubt familiar to you as the volunteer growing in the garden, lawn, or along traveled pathways.
Plantain is easily recognizable by its low growing rosette of either broad, roundish or thinner, blade-like leaves. Both varieties have large veins and flattened stems giving it the name “ribwort”. In our house we call it “natures band aid”. The leaves take the pain and itch from bug bites – mosquitoes, spiders and bees.
When my youngest daughter was foolishly poking a beehive built into a hole in our backyard, the angry bees swarmed. Before I could pull her away, she was stung several times. Together we picked a plantain leaf, which I chewed into a mash to put on her bites. Within two minutes she was happily playing again. I have also used plantain leaves on hives, poison ivy and cuts.
Motherlove’s Green Salve made with plantain, helped me survive three kids all with the itch of chicken pox at the same time. When fresh plantain is not available we always keep a jar of Green Salve with plantain on hand ready to use!
Every day, Americans are bombarded with advertising about environmentally friendly goods and services. But how many really are green, and how many are just pretending? Check out GreenWashing to learn more. Look for the appropriate third party certification on the label. Third party certification boards are unbiased, independent boards that require manufacturers to undergo evaluations to verify that a given set of standards are met. Use this search tool to get expert evaluation of the labels. You can search by product, category, or certifier, and easily compare labels.
This year marks 20 years of business for Motherlove and we wanted to celebrate with a big bash. In May we rented the Armory Event Hall in Fort Collins Colorado to have an eco-friendly celebration as our way of saying thanks. Decorated with elegant flowers and delicious food, the day was spent with fabulous friends and family. Two amazing bands filled the hall with music and dancing went on into the night. Thank you so much for showing up and celebrating with us. We wish everyone could have been there, because so many have played a part in our story. All of us at Motherlove want to thank our customers, your loyalty and support have made us a success. We also want to express our gratitude to everyone that sells and helps promote Motherlove products, we could not have made it without you. To all of our friends and family that have been by our side since we were making products in the kitchen, thank you for believing in us. To all of the amazing employees that have been with us through the years, you are the best. Thank you for going above and beyond every day, you make Motherlove happen. We are honored to be able to share this milestone with you.
For more than a generation Motherlove has been committed to empowering women with the healing strength of nature. Thank you for making these years so beneficial for so many, and we look forward to the next twenty years of your support. In celebration, we are introducing a fresh new design for our complete line of trusted organic herbal products.
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