Mater Mothers' Hospitals Skin Care Review: For Mum And Baby

When I went to the Bloggers Brunch a few months ago, I had the opportunity to talk with some brands about collaborations, including Mater. You might have already seen my Mater nappies review. This time around, I'm reviewing their skin care range! They kindly sent me all four products to try out.

Just like the nappies, the skin care range was developed by Mater midwives and mums! The products are all Australian made. They are specifically developed for sensitive skin with low irritant ingredients, dermatologically tested and do not have petrochemicals or added parabens. You don't need a newborn to enjoy them either, I've included some other uses in the review.

As a mum and find these products are perfect for our family. I also love that the proceeds from the sale of the Mater maternity and baby care products go to support Mater Little Miracles, helping fund life-saving care and research for Australian babies. Read on for the details about how you can use and how we have used each product.

Mater Body Balm For Pregnancy

No, this isn't an announcement post! I'm not pregnant! While this product is formulated to help reduce the appearance of stretch marks, I think the ones I have gained over my pregnancies (that have been around for over 4 and a half years) might be a little too stubborn for this cream to have any effect! I still enjoyed using it though.

Uses:

• During pregnancy to soften and replenish stretching skin
• An all over intensive moisturising treatment (during, before, and after pregnancy)
• As a light moisturiser in summer that quickly absorbs into skin without being greasy

It smells really nice - not overpowering at all. It is really moisturising and it made my hands feel softer right away. I have eczema on my hands but this soothed the skin and didn't make it react at all - possibly the oat extract helping there. It's a great all over moisturiser and one I'm going to continue to use even though I'm not pregnant. I found myself reaching for this over my regular moisturiser. This smells so much better!

Mater Baby Wash

A soap free, no SLS cleanser. Developed for the sensitive skin of newborns, but suitable for older children and adults. Ideal for daily use, and can be applied to the skin like a shower gel or added to the bath to create bubbles.

Uses:

• All-in-one wash for skin and scalp of babies
• Anyone with sensitive skin who needs a soap free cleanser
• Dogs who need a gentle soap free wash (yes, gentle enough to use on your fur-babies too!)

I love that this is soap free - having come across more than one baby wash that's irritated my eczema. This is so gentle, there are no issues to my skin when I fill up the bath with it. It creates plenty of bubbles despite the lack of SLS, as you can see from the photo above. It smells so good too, leaves a nice scent behind after a bath. So easy to dispense with the pump as well.

Mater Baby Moisturiser

Extra mild moisturising lotion designed to protect against dryness and keep skin smooth. Full of wonderful emollients like the pregnancy body balm.

Uses:

• After bath time to keep skin soft
• For baby massage before bedtime
• As a makeup remover

On my skin, I didn't like this product as much as the body balm for pregnancy above. On the kids it was perfect though. Nice and moisturising without feeling greasy, and smells beautiful. The pump makes it so easy to dispense the moisturiser while also trying to apply it to a wriggling toddler too. Such a good feature that parents of older kids will appreciate, I certainly did!

Mater Nappy Balm

The Mater nappy balm is unique in that it was formulated to closely replicate vernix! (That's the substance produced in the womb that coats and protects the baby, the 'waxy' white substance many are born with). Forms a protective barrier to repel wetness while also moisturising.

Uses:

• as a protective nappy balm after changes
• to soothe and heal irritated skin
• as a spot treatment on mozzie bites or sunburn

I was really impressed with this product, particularly the tube packaging. It's really hygienic when you are changing multiple babies (as I was when I had 2 under 2!) and this would have come in very handy then. With the easy flip top to dispense it's a great one to have in your nappy bag, and will be a staple for us. To be honest, I wasn't expecting much, a nappy cream is a nappy cream right? This made such a difference and made changing nappies much faster. I am so glad I got to try it, has definitely replaced our usual go-to cream.

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Don't just take my word for it! As you can see from all the stickers on the products, these have won multiple Mother & Baby and My Child awards. Definitely worth checking out. Their website has a full list of the ingredients in each product, along with the purpose of each, so you know exactly what you're getting.

Shop the range here: https://www.materbabyproducts.com.au/skin-care

Aren't the dogs cute? Even if the products aren't for you, you can get your own Miracle Max plush dog to show your support for Mater Little Miracles. The boys have been having so much fun with theirs!


Items in this post were provided to me for review purposes. As always: all thoughts, opinions and photographs are my own.


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Ruffle Dresses In The Office: Printed And Plain with Purple Balenciaga Work

Like anyone with a large wardrobe, there are many different factors that come into play when picking what to wear. Mood, planned activities, weather... however the only reason I wore these dresses was because I saw them hanging in my wardrobe and realised I hadn't worn them in a while! They are sleeveless, but it was easy to layer them up for cold mornings.

While both of these dresses look different, they are exactly the same style with a ruffled neckline, sheer top layer with opaque lining, and an elasticated waist. Because one is printed and one is plain, they look like two completely different dresses.

What I wore:

Jacket: Barkins beige trench coat 
Earring: Jeanswest Evy dangly earring
Scarf: Louis Vuitton monogram shawl in bleu
Dress: Jeanswest ruffle neckline animal print dress
Shoes: Marc by Marc Jacobs black logo plaque ballet flats
Bag: Balenciaga raisin purple 2009 giant silver G21 hardware work bag

Why I wore it:

While this dress does have a lot going on - it's a busy animal print, with a lot of ruffles on top - it never feels overpowering. The neutral colours make it really easy to accessorise. I went with some bright colours, picking the blue Louis Vuitton scarf and the purple Balenciaga work bag for another touch of colour.

While it is spring, when I wore this a few weeks ago it was still quite cold in the mornings, so my cosy trench coat and some fleece lined tights were much needed additions for my early morning commute.

As I wonder every time I wear this dress, I'm not sure why I don't wear it more often! It's a beautiful piece and got me a few compliments through the work day.


Last worn: camel trench, dangly earrings, Louis Vuitton shawl, animal print ruffle dress, Marc Jacobs ballet flats, Balenciaga purple work bag.

Other ways to wear: camel trench and burgundy pants, Louis Vuitton shawl and black pencil skirt outfit, animal print ruffle dress and blazer, Marc Jacobs ballet flats and sheath dress, Balenciaga purple work bag.

Perfect for pregnancy: camel trench in first trimester, printed dress hiding 4 month baby bump.

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What's In My Bag: Balenciaga Work Edition

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What I wore:

Jacket: Jeanswest Monica Mac coat in Indigo
Scarf: navy bird print scarf
Dress: Jeanswest deep pink ruffle neckline dress (updated version)
Shoes: Walnut Melbourne 'Ava' black lizard ballet flats (also available in silver)
Bag: Balenciaga raisin purple 2009 giant silver G21 hardware work bag

Why I wore it:

This dress is just as bold as the one in the first outfit, although it's due to the colour rather than the print. It's a lovely plain dress, a very berry toned pink so it looks more red here, but it looks more pink in other photos. I wouldn't ordinarily go with a purple bag for a red dress, but felt this reddish pink was pink enough that I could wear the combo. I've worn this dress with another purple bag before too.

The only downside to this outfit was that I realised on the way to work that the 'I think I've forgotten something' feeling I have most mornings I go to work was actually valid. I'd left my cardigan behind at home. Since we moved to 'hot desking' at work, I don't have a permanent desk or a desk drawer to stash a cardigan in and have to take one to work each day. I ended up taking my scarf off and tying it into a kind of kimono as I needed my shoulders covered for a few meetings. I figured a strange cover up was better than no cover up, plus the air con was particularly cold that day. It may also have felt colder because I was coming down with the bug the boys had.

So while I liked this outfit when I put it on in the morning, the lack of a cosy layer to cover up the sleeveless design and feeling a little unwell meant I wasn't too happy with it in the end!


Last worn: navy macintosh, bird print scarf, berry ruffle neckline dress, Walnut Melbourne flats, Balenciaga work bag (above).

Other ways to wear: navy macintosh and colourful pants, bird print scarf and stripes, berry ruffle neckline dress and LV speedy, Walnut Melbourne flats and skinny jeans, Balenciaga work bag.

Perfect for pregnancy: Walnut Melbourne flats in second trimester.

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Ruffle Dresses Under $50:

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How You Can Wear It:

Ruffle dresses are perfect for a business casual workplace. A bright colour or print makes it a fun change from a classic black pencil skirt. Just make sure to bring something to cover up with in meetings or to battle the office air-con, particularly if your dress is sleeveless like these 😂


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Skinny Jeans, Bright Tanks and Kimonos With Colourful Rebecca Minkoff Bags

Spring weather means kimono weather for me! I'm wearing really simple outfits below with bright tanks and skinny jeans, you know I love my simple outfit formulas. I also love how the addition of a kimono makes a simple outfit a little more interesting.

What I wore:

Jacket: Rebecca Minkoff Ruana poncho
Necklace: ZuriCollections blue polymer clay necklace
Tank: Jeanswest Maya gather back tank in chartreuse
Jeans: Jeanswest Cecile dove grey skinny jeans
Shoes: Marc by Marc Jacobs silver tuxedo flats
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff micro Regan satchel in Harvest Gold

Why I wore it:

This was a last minute thrown together outfit. We'd had a quiet day, with the overcast and rainy weather, and then got an invitation in the afternoon to go out for dinner that evening. I picked my brightest tank to offset the gloomy evening. It's not the first time I've worn this mustard tank and bag together, it's a combination I love even though the shades of yellow don't match exactly.

With the mustard tank and bag, I kept everything else in the outfit neutral. I really loved this kimono with the grey skinny jeans. Everytime I wear them together (like here) I always like the resulting outfit. No exception this time around, again I loved this. I appreciated that this kimono is really just a giant blanket so it kept me cosy when we stepped out of the restaurant at the end of the night!


Last worn: Rebecca Minkoff poncho, mustard yellow tank, grey skinny jeans, silver ballet flats, Rebecca Minkoff micro Regan bag.

Other ways to wear: Rebecca Minkoff poncho worn two ways, mustard yellow tank in the office, grey skinny jeans and navy top, silver ballet flats and pencil skirt, Rebecca Minkoff micro Regan bag with green.

Perfect for pregnancy: silver ballet flats in third trimester.

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My Rebecca Minkoff Handbag Collection:

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What I wore:

Jacket:  Cotton On 'Gemma' cocoon kimono in Laos blossom navy print
Necklace: Uniquely Made with Love Sea Change necklace
Tank: Jeanswest Maya gather back tank in mid turquoise
Jeans: Jeanswest blackberry super skinny jeans
Shoes: Converse Chuck Taylor All Star low in black
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff mini MAB tote in plum

Why I wore it:

There must be something about these jeans! Once again I unsuspectingly wore them to playgroup, where ti was another messy play day. I did really well, watching the boys from a distance and keeping fairly clean until right at the very end. The boys were playing with pigs in 'mud' (cornflour, cocoa and water) and apparently the pigs liked to cannon ball in from great heights. I wasn't standing far enough back so got a bit splashed.

I didn't mind myself and the boys were soaked through as due to the cocoa it all smelled quite lovely, haha! We got some strange looks in Woolies grabbing groceries on the way home later though!

Messy morning aside, I really liked this outfit! These purple pants are frequently worn with blue, and I loved the bright tank with the darker purple. With the bright blue tank, navy floral kimono and purple mini MAB tote bag, I really liked all of the colours in this outfit. It felt so spring-like!


Last worn: navy cocoon kimono, blue tank, purple skinny jeans, Converse, Rebecca Minkoff mini MAB tote.

Other ways to wear: floral kimono and stripes, blue tank in the office, purple skinny jeans and ombre knit, Converse for exploring Sydney, Rebecca Minkoff mini MAB tote and maxi skirt.

Perfect for pregnancy: navy cocoon kimono at 39 weeks, purple skinny jeans in first trimester, Converse for second trimester travel, Rebecca Minkoff mini MAB tote in second trimester.

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Bright Tanks Under $50:

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How You Can Wear It:

Add some colour to your outfit with a plain but colourful tank! It's so easy to wear with jeans to add an extra touch of colour to your look. If you're unsure how to wear a bright tank, try pairing it with neutral layers like in the first outfit. You can go bold and pair it with other complementary colours like the second outfit if you prefer.


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