Why create Maternology?
In a world seemingly saturated with beauty and wellness products, why decide to create another?
Our founder, Fiona, has long dreamt about developing a line of products formulated specifically for the needs of women during pregnancy and birth.
Being a midwife, Fiona had women telling her about their issues with dry, itchy skin and their concerns about the changes that pregnancy bring. These women were the inspiration behind Maternology, spearheading the desire to formulate high quality products with beautiful properties using natural and naturally-derived, pregnancy-safe ingredients .
“I am a serial hobbyist, and really enjoyed making body butters, soap and candles. I enjoyed looking around at what other makers were creating. There was not much devoted to pregnancy and birth, and what was available was essentially simple cheap oils, and greasy balms.”
Fiona firmly believed that women deserved much better, especially at such an important time of life.
After completing a few courses in creating skincare, she constructed a lab in her shed so she could experiment with different ingredients and formulas. She studied the properties of different ingredients - plant oils, butters, different extracts and emollients - we’ll just say that over the years there were many deliveries of bottles and jars filled with exciting goodies, and lots of comments on it being the best smelling shed!
What makes us different?
Many manufacturers use bulk inexpensive oils and then add a tiny amount of a ‘fancy’ oil or extract so they can go on in the ‘hero ingredient’ section of the website. However, if you read the ingredient list, that ‘hero ingredient’ may even sit below the essential oils and preservative, indicating it is less than 1% of the total product. At Maternology we are absolutely committed to formulating with effective, quality ingredients used in recommended effective quantities.
Every ingredient is considered, and has a purpose and a function - even water, which enables the use of water-soluble extracts and actives. We were determined to use a significant percentage of speciality oils, often excluded by other makers due to cost. Luscious oils, rich in omega fatty acids and nutrients, like baobab, chia, blueberry, cranberry, watermelon, rice bran, cucumber, rosehip and pomegranate. We found beautiful emollients, proven to increase hydration, maintain the skin’s biome and relieve irritation and researched the topical benefits of botanical extracts like centella asiatica (aka gotu kola, aka cica), marshmallow root and desert lime. We have created products that we are very proud of, and we hope that you love them too.
Thank you!
(We are grateful to the family, friends who been so supportive. We are truly thankful to everyone - especially those pregnant midwifery and medical colleagues - who have willingly been product testers slathering on oils and lotions, and giving great feedback. None of this could have happened without you!)
