MOTHER MADE

Ingredient Spotlight: Botanical AHA

AHA (alpha hydroxyl acids) are an essential part of our exfoliating routines. They are great. They help to make your skin bright, treat acne, reduce hyperpigmentation and redness. But they also can lead to over exfoliating, irritation and damaged protective barrier.

So, what’s the alternative?

Some skin types react better to enzymes derived from papaya or pineapple, which provide similar effect to AHA, but not quite. But the recent kid on a k-beauty block has been flower acids – milder, gentler versions of AHAs. They’re taking beauty world by storm, it’s efficacy being backed by a growing body of research. In fact, it’s so good that we formulated our newest toner – All Green Tea-rouble-away Toner with it! So today we wanted to talk about flower-derived AHA, what it is, why it’s good and address a common question that people always ask – if it’s so mild, will it do anything for the skin? Continue reading to find out.

What is flower AHA?

First, what is flower AHA? While the majority AHA have natural origins, flower AHA – as the name clearly indicates – is derived from flowers. It can be just one type of flower or several.

Let’s start with one type.

Hibiscus flower extract is the most popular form of naturally-derived AHA. For centuries, hibiscus has been known for its anti-inflammatory properties and used in teas and health cocktails. But it turned out, hibiscus extract has impressive skin benefits. Specifically, it contains malic acid and citric acid that gently exfoliates and brightens as well as helps with hyperpigmentation and improves overall skin clarity. While it’s a very mild acid, it still provides same benefits as conventional AHA and even helps to repair UV damage.

Now, onto the blend.

Some products may contain an AHA blend derived from several flower extracts, In case of our All Green Tea-rouble-away Toner these are:

Hibiscus
Viola
Rosehip
Celosia

In addition to Hibiscus benefits, Viola extract helps the skin to look and feel younger by providing essential vitamins and minerals. Rosehip extract clarifies and Celosia extract has antibacterial and antimicrobial properties as well as the ability to strengthen skin barrier and stimulate cell growth. Flower power? It sure is.

MOTHER MADE All Green Tea-rouble-away Toner

Needless to say that when compared to conventional AHA’s flower acids were found to be more gentle on the skin, more hydrating, provide greater cellular renewal and even reduce appearance of wrinkles by inhibiting breakdown of elastin and boosting production of hyaluronic acid. Gentler nature of flower acids also means it has wider usage – extracts can be added into skincare products we use daily – such as toners or lotions without risking to damage the skin.

Will it do anything for my skin?

One of the common questions that people ask after learning about flower AHAs is – well, if it’s that gentle, will it actually do anything for my skin? The question comes from an outdated belief that the product (especially exfoliating product, which acids are) must give a burning or stinging sensation as an indicator of a product doing its job. But that just isn’t true. Stinging feeling means that your protective skin layer is being thinned out (at best) or even destroyed all together. Even though strong AHA peels might give you an instant satisfaction of brighter (when redness goes away) and smoother skin, stressing your skin regularly can easily backfire in the years to come.

The bottom line. We strongly believe that the best way of going around skincare is being gentle. Less is always more. That’s why we always recommend to opt for milder products suitable for daily use – it’s an indicator that AHA in that product is very mild and percentage is relatively low. Instead of harsh exfoliators, try gentle products with acids and use them consistently. At the end of the day, incremental changes add up and with diligence and patience, you’ll notice healthier, clearer and brighter skin emerge.

Australian Bushfire Disaster. How can we help?

Australia bushfires that started in late December 2019 and continue up to this day is a devastating catastrophe. Millions of acres have burnt, billions of animals have been killed and thousands of homes have been destroyed. It’s a true ecological disaster that affects not only Australia, but the whole worlds. So, in today’s post we wanted to talk about the tragedy and what can we do to help.

Bushfire impacts.

One of the major impacts is biodiversity impact. Yes, fires have killed many billions of animals, but it doesn’t end there. Another billions of animals, bats and insects are expected to die in the next months due to the loss of habitat and food resources. This is an enormous hit on global biodiversity which recently has been in steep decline. Biodiversity is important for survival not only animals and insects, but humans as well as it impacts ecosystems vital for our own global food production.

If such extreme megafires continue at the same rate as we’ve seen in 2019, estimated 1 million species will become instinct in the upcoming years.

Health impact. Smoke from the wildfires affects our health more than we think because it contains a mixture of hazardous gases and produce fine article air pollution which can cause fatalities. Continuous exposure to polluted air can result in various diseases ranging from eye and respiratory tract irritations bronchitis and asthma.

What is worse, smoke from wildfires can travel great distances meaning that its implications span way outside of Australia. Smoke from wildfires reportedly drifted across Pacific and affected Argentina and Chile.

Impact on global warming. Wildfires aren’t only caused by global warming which made forest burn more intensely, they also add to it. Just in past three months, due to the bushfires, Australia has emitted the amount of carbon dioxide it usually emits in a year. This will not only increase overall Australia greenhouse gas emissions, which in turn will cause the likelihood of such intense megafire happening again.

What can we do to help?

There’re multiple organizations that work tirelessly to alleviate the devastating consequence of bushfires.

Australian Red Cross. You can donate to Red Cross Disaster Relief and Recovery Fund that will be used for helping with evacuations, coping and recovering from the disaster, emergency payments for people whose homes were destroyed, support community recovery and many more.

WWF. The Australia Wildlife and Nature Recovery Fund has set to receive donations that will be used to care for injured wildlife and help restore forests.

Port Macquarie Koala Hospital. A donation can be made to a hospital that helps ensure the survival of koalas whose habitat was completely destroyed.

Foodbank is an organization that delivers emergency food relief and water, helping firefighters and local communities.

There are many more organizations that are doing wonderful things to help Australian wildlife and people affected. So we encourage to do your own research and consider donating to help our Mother Nature to recover.

With love,

MOTHER MADE

All Green Tea-rouble-away Toner

Meet the newest member of MOTHER MADE family – All Green Tea-rouble-away Toner. This product has been in the works for the longest time, and we couldn’t be happier to drop the curtain finally.

What it is

As the name tells you, it’s a toner. But we like to think that it’s a bit more special than a regular toner. Here’s why.

The toner is called “all green” for a good reason. First, instead of regular water, we went for green tea water, so your skin gets maximum benefits that this amazing ingredient has to offer. “Green” also refers to the overall concept of this product – entirely plant-based, non-irritating, and ultra-soothing. Needless to say, there isn’t any added fragrance (natural or synthetic) or artificial dyes. The toner has a warm, brownish color (like a brewed cup of tea would) and a very faint green tea scent that doesn’t linger.

But the “green” concept isn’t the only thing that sets our toner apart. It’s full of proprietary botanical AHA and PHA blends and herbal complexes that aim to do one thing – calm down skin redness and stress caused by breakouts, active acne, or post-acne scars.

Why we made it

Toner is a tricky product. It isn’t essential per se, but often we feel like our routines aren’t complete without a right toner. And fair enough. Toner does a necessary job of providing your skin with the first layer of hydration and soothing effect to replenish moisture loss and combat any skin redness or irritation. Depending on how toner is used, it also serves as an extra cleansing step to ensure all makeup, dirt, and grime is gone and exfoliate just a tiny little bit to maintain healthy skin texture for longer. What we’ve noticed over the years, that it’s extremely hard to find a multitasking toner like so that’s also suitable for daily use. The majority of toners with AHA/BHA are too strong to be used daily, and hydrating toners often feel like they don’t do much.

That is how the idea for our toner was born.

What it will do for your skin

The result is a perfectly balanced toner that genuinely does it all. It has a thick, almost essence-like texture that feels very rich and nourishing on the skin. Thanks to a 6-sprout skin-soothing complex and mild botanical AHA and PHA blends, the toner helps to calm down redness and provide a very gentle exfoliating effect, just enough to not let any harmful bacteria accumulate and grow. We didn’t have any specific skin type in mind when developing the formula. Instead, we aimed to solve a particular skin concern. Oily or dry or combo, if your skin gets red and irritated easily and/or struggles with acne and breakouts from time to time, this will make for a perfect daily toner that will help to minimize and prevent all the concerns mentioned above.

And that was All Green Tea-rouble-away toner at a glance! We’ll be doing an in-depth overview of ingredients, packaging, recycling, and using the toner in the future blog posts.

Hope to see you again!

Stay nourished and hydrated.

With love,

MOTHER MADE team.

Ingredient series – Aquaxyl

It’s a common knowledge that healthy glow everyone is after is a result of a hydrated skin with well-functioning, strong barrier. That is why when re-developing a formula for our Pure Pearl Sheet Mask, our research team was searching high and low for the ingredients that can provide these benefits while also being suitable for various skin types. Because let’s face it, coconut oil or shea butter can definitely help with damaged barrier, but it’s a disaster for people with oily break-out prone skin.

When we discovered xylitol and a compound called Aquaxyl that offers all the xylitol has to offer and more, it was one of those “we have to have it in our formula” moments. So, that’s what we want to talk about in today’s post.

Although the name sounds a bit like a laundry detergent, it is actually a wonderful blend that helps your skin to maintain healthy hydration levels. Keep on reading to find out what Aquaxyl is and why it is oh so good for your skin!

So, what is Aquaxyl?

Aquaxyl is a trade name of the ingredient developed by French company SEPPIC. While it is called an ingredient, it’s technically a blend of three – Xylitylglucoside, Anhydroxylitol, and Xylitol.

Xylitol, the most familiar of all three, is a sugar alcohol (“good” alcohol) that naturally occurs in many fruits and vegetables like bananas, strawberries, lettuce and plumps.

You might have heard of xylitol as a sugar substitute and yes, it’s a great more nutritive alternative. It’s considered a “healthy” sweetener that has prebiotic action and therefore can positively influence the gut microbiome.

But it also has proven skincare benefits.

Just like glycerin, xylitol replenishes moisture and helps to prevent it from evaporating by strengthening skin barrier. If for some reason your skin barrier isn’t functioning properly (i.e. no matter how much product you put, your skin always feels dry in a couple of hours), xylitol can help with restoring healthy barrier function.

Anhydroxylitol and xylitylglucoside are both natural, plant-derived humectants also help skin to stay hydrated for longer. These compounds work to enhance skin’s dermal water reservoirs, so the skin can absorb more moisture and help with barrier function, so accumulated water doesn’t evaporate easily. Bonus points – these ingredients help the body to produce more hyaluronic acid, which also helps with hydration.

Aquaxyl, then, is a combination of plant-derived ingredients that target dry and dehydrated skin by improving water circulation and reserves. On their website, SEPPIC defines Aquaxyl as “anti-hydration shield” and this is probably a very accurate way to describe its main skin benefits.

Here’s a breakdown of how your skin can benefit from Aquaxyl:

Restructure and strengthen the upper skin layer (stratum corneum).
Boost all skin hydration elements – lipids, proteins, polysaccharides (dermal and epidermal hyaluronic acid), NMF.
Smoothes the skin and improves its tone.
Strengthens glycerin benefits and removes its side-effects.

The bottom line. Aquaxyl is a great ingredient that all skin types can benefit from (there’s no such thing as too much hydration, right?), but it will be especially beneficial for people with dry and/or dehydrated skin.

Physical vs. Chemical Exfoliation – which one is right for your skin?

Exfoliating is an essential step in our skincare routines that helps to keep skin healthy. Not only does it have an instant benefit of cleaning pores, smoothing, and brightening your skin. It also allows serums, sheet masks, and moisturizers to absorb better and work more effectively. But with so many exfoliating products now available on the market, which one to choose?

There’re two main types – acids (think AHA, BHA, PHA), a.k.a. chemical exfoliants in a liquid form (they look like toners) and scrubs – cream- or gel-like products with microbeads or other grainy substances.

Chemical exfoliants sink deep into the skin, where acids work hard to unstick the cellular glue and remove dead cells. Physical exfoliants do mostly the same process – breaking the bonds between healthy and dead cells. But instead of “melting” the dead cells, scrubs work to buff them away mechanically.

These days beauty world tends to favor chemical exfoliants and demonize physical scrubs, but we believe there are a time and place for both in our routines. The argument here is that traditional scrubs can cause micro-tears in the skin, which can lead to infection and breakouts. However, beauty science has come a long way, and there’re plenty of physical exfoliants like peeling gels or gommage peels that are very gentle on the skin. Which one to choose, however, will heavily depend on your skin type/ concerns, what type of exfoliation you’re looking for, season, and many other factors. You might prefer one over the other or successfully combine both.

So, how to choose the right one?

Chemical exfoliators.

This category includes different acids (AHA, BHA, etc.) as well as enzyme extracts (papaya, pineapple). This an excellent choice for warmer months when your skin gets oilier and needs to be exfoliated regularly. Most have very gentle formulas that can be used daily (or every other day) to maintain a healthy, clear complexion.

BHA is better suited for people with oily skin, congested pores and blackheads while AHA and PHA help with redness and breakouts. Enzyme extracts are gentler than acids can be a great alternative to people with extra sensitive skin.

The drawbacks. Chemical exfoliants are not great at helping with skin texture issues. Nor will they be of much use if you have dry, parched skin that needs to be buffed away manually. That said, for people with scrub-sensitive skin, chemical exfoliating products are an excellent choice.

Physical exfoliators.

As briefly mentioned above, this is a broad category that includes everything from professionally done microdermabrasion to traditional scrubs to peel gels. Scrubs usually contain small-sized particles (most popular are coffee, salt, sugar, etc.) that help to remove the dead cells from your skin manually. These are not the best to use on your face where the skin is delicate. But that’s not to say they can’t be. If your skin loves the post-scrub feeling and doesn’t feel sensitized or irritated – by all means, use it. Just make sure not to rub too hard. Apply little pressure, and that would be more than enough to reveal that silky-smooth new skin that was buried underneath.

Peel gels (or gommage peels) are considered the mildest and the least abrasive in the family of physical exfoliators. They either don’t contain any grainy substances at all or formulated with very finely milled non-abrasive particles (i.e., cellulose) that give a gentle scrubbing effect. Peeling gels are usually used on dry skin and start balling up as you rub them against your skin. These types of exfoliators are great for people who can’t handle full-on scrub but need some manual exfoliation from time to time to help with skin texture issues. It is also an excellent choice for people who need to get rid of dry patches while hydrating the skin.

The drawbacks. The potential to sensitize the skin is an obvious one. If you have extremely sensitive skin, suffer from rosacea or eczema – this won’t be for you as you need to apply as little external pressure to the skin as possible. Also, since they’re only working on the most upper layer of the skin, the effect might seem fleeting, especially for someone who’s used to acid exfoliators. The solution might be to look for a gommage peel that has acids or enzymes in the formula that help to improve cleansing results.

The bottom line. Physical and chemical exfoliators have their pros and cons. With the right approach, the correct dosage, and frequency of use – both can serve you well in your skincare routine.

Anti-aging skincare: when and how to start?

It seems like in the current beauty world, everyone (even teenagers) is constantly encouraged to inspect their skin for the first signs of fine lines and wrinkles and take the necessary steps, a.k.a. start an anti-aging skincare routine. But what exactly is the anti-aging routine? And how early is too early to start incorporating anti-aging skincare in your routine?

First, what is anti-aging skincare? In the most general sense, anti-aging skincare is moisturizing and daily sun protection. This is the best way to prevent aging-related skin troubles like severe dryness and UV damage that results in hyperpigmentation, wrinkles, and loss of skin elasticity. This means that regardless of age, “anti-aging” skincare must be in everyone’s daily routines.

On a more specific level, anti-aging skincare is supplement products that help the skin work more efficiently and combat the damage that has already been inflicted. Such skincare consists of products full of antioxidants to fight free radical damage, intensive lipid-rich creams and oils to restore skin barrier function, and acid exfoliators that help to boost cell turnover that slows down as we age.

So, when should you start incorporating these heavy-duty supplement products in your regimen? It really depends on your skin type and condition. Generally speaking, you can begin using skincare that is high in antioxidant content as soon as you reach 20. These are low to non-irritating products with various Vitamins or natural ingredients like a snail, green tea, and other extracts to provide extra support for healthy skin barrier function. If you have extremely dry skin, you might benefit from adding richer creams and oils to your routine early on. But if your skin is an oily, combination, and/or acne-prone, you don’t need this. Such heavy products will only result in breakouts, clogged pores, and an increase in blackheads and sebaceous filaments.

MOTHER MADE Anti-aging Rich Snail Deep Moisturizing Sheet Mask

In your early 20s, steer clear of exfoliants with high acid concertation. “Heavy-duty” exfoliators are meant for more mature skin when normal cell turnover rate slows down, and skin can’t regenerate itself. Your 20-something skin simply doesn’t need this. Also, make sure that only one product in your daily routine contains acid. Often, people go overboard and include acid in toner, serum, and cream. This results in redness, skin flaking, and damaged the skin barrier.

Once you get in your 30’s and beyond, start to consider incorporating more active ingredients in your routine. It’s an excellent time to introduce higher concertation of Vitamin C and A (a.k.a. Retinol) in your routine together with peptide serums and heavier night creams. That doesn’t mean that you should completely forget about more natural and less harsh alternatives. While they might not miraculously erase your wrinkles overnight (no product will), they will help to support healthy skin functioning. Alternate between harsher products and their natural alternatives to ensure you’re not ruining your barrier and sensitizing the skin.

The bottom line. Your skin is the best guide when it comes to choosing what product to start and when — experiment with adding different products to your routine and note your skin’s reaction. You shouldn’t feel pressured to use a particular expensive serum just because you’ve reached a certain age, and that’s what people do. And most importantly, remember that signs of aging are completely normal. Aging is a beautiful process, and skincare is just a tool that you use along the way to minimize any “side-effects” that come along.

How to be a more conscious (skincare) consumer in 2020.

Skincare is a lot of fun. Buying new products, testing them, learning about new ingredients and their combinations, getting to know your skin better and better each day – what’s there not to like? But as with all good things in life, love for skincare comes with a price.

From the impact on the planet to personal finance issues, this fun little hobby can quickly spiral out of control if not approached responsibly. Sure, it’s fun to giggle at a “my bank account vs. me” skincare memes until you’ve spent half of your paycheck on skincare and have to eat instant noodles until the end of the month just to make it through. Yes, this comes from personal experience, and no, it wasn’t as fun.

So today, we’ve compiled a list of actions that you can start taking right now that will hopefully help you to develop a healthier and more responsible relationship with skincare in the upcoming year. Read along!

Setting a budget (and sticking to it)

Whether you’re an aspiring skincare blogger or just an enthusiast who lives and breathes for new releases, it’s essential to know your boundaries. There are so many great products out there, but it’s impossible to buy and try all. After all, you’ve got only once face. Plus, with all the buzz happening on YouTube or IG, it’s easy to lose track of what it is YOU really want/need to try vs. what social media makes you believe you want. Budgeting is an excellent way to cut out the noise and hone on to your inner (skin) cravings. Since you can’t go over a certain amount per month, your brain will start prioritizing and hopefully save you from many an impulse purchase.

Track skincare spending

Even with a budget, it’s a good idea to record every skincare purchase you make. By doing this, you’ll be able to go back and review your buying patterns and might get some interesting (and eye-opening) insights like routinely buying lipsticks when all you wear is a tinted lip balm. If you want to take it one step further, when you do a monthly review, write a quick note next to each purchase. Did you enjoy it? Did you use it as much as you thought you would? Did you have something similar already, and how did this new item compare? These quick notes will help to understand why you make certain choices and to avoid buying mistakes in the future.

Make a wish list

This is an oldie, but goodie and works like magic every time. When a product is not a necessity, don’t rush into buying. Put it on a wish list first and leave it for a couple of weeks. If, after all this time, you’re still thinking about this product – get it. But most likely, you’ll have already forgotten all about it and moved on.

Use it up

This is self-explanatory, but you’ve got to use the stuff up. If a product wasn’t the greatest fit for your skin, see if there any friends or family who might enjoy it. If not, repurpose! Face cleansers can be used as body washes or for cleaning your makeup brushes and sponges. You’ll be surprised to learn that old creams can be used to remove makeup. Just google it, and you’ll find plenty of articles and videos showing you exactly how to do that.

Try shopping fast

There’s a growing number of people going on various shopping fasts from no-buy months to no-buy years or replacement-only purchases. It’s easy to get caught up in a cycle of needing (or thinking that you need) more and more, which often leads to anxieties and stress. These kinds of exercises help to stop chasing elusive trends and just enjoy what you have since you’re not constantly thinking of what to buy next.

Bottom line. Ultimately, conscious consumption isn’t about numbers or excessive restrictions. If ten different serums make you happy and serve a purpose in your skincare routine – so be it. If you’re happy spending more money on skincare/makeup because it’s how you care for yourself – by all means, do it. The purpose of conscious consumption is not to not buy or consume, but to buy with meaning and purpose.

Holiday skincare tips for healthy skin

Ah, the holiday season, a.k.a. the time of the year that takes the biggest toll on our skin. Festive foods that are high in sugar and carbs, alcohol, lack of sleep, and added stress – all that makes your skin start freaking out. If holiday breakouts are an annual thing together with the first snow, Thanksgiving, and Christmas, we’ve put together a little guide to help you take this tradition off your calendar this year.

First thing first, if you haven’t already, switch to a low pH, ultra-gentle cleanser. Dry air, heating, and winter winds weaken your skin barrier, and you don’t want to finish it off with a harsh face wash that strips last bits of oils off your skin. In the morning, consider washing your face with water only to minimize the damage even further.

On a similar note – stop with scolding hot showers. Yes, when outside temperatures take a dip to the sub-zero area, a hot steamy shower or bath feels very nice. But it can severely dry out your skin and also bring unwanted rosacea or eczema flare.

Do detox wash off masks regularly. If you’ve been saving a jar (or a pack) of the mask that promises to fight off dull, lackluster skin, now it’s the time to bring it back to your routine. Creamy non-drying clay masks are the best because they help to clear your skin without sensitizing or irritating.

Double on a moisturizer. ‘Tis the season to finally bring out your heavy-duty moisturizers and oils. Don’t neglect your body, too. Even if you’re not big on body lotions, try to incorporate them into your body care routine at least several times a week. Pay attention to elbows and knees as the skin on that areas tend to dry out the most.

Eat as healthy as possible. That doesn’t mean saying no to all of the festive foods. Instead, but be strategic and smart. For example, if you know you’ll be having a big dinner at night where you’ll definitely overindulge, have a light salad or green smoothie for lunch. It’s all about balance! The same goes for alcohol. It’s okay to have a couple of drinks, but drinking every night is probably not a good idea. If your social calendar is packed with parties that you have to attend, consider sipping a club soda instead of a cocktail whenever you can.

Take your makeup off. Yes, even when you’ve had one too many and feel like passing out. For the days like this, stock up on makeup removing wipes or consider getting yourself a cleanser that can remove makeup and clean the skin in one go.

Finally, stay as consistent as possible. One of the biggest reasons why our skin starts to misbehave during holidays is because our familiar routines come crumbling down. At the very least, stay consistent with your skincare and exercise regimen. Feel free to do some minor tweaks to be able to maintain it throughout a busy month of December. For example, if you typically enjoy a 10 -step skincare routine, consider pairing it down to the basics for a while. That way, even when you’re dead tired, you will have no excuses not to do it. The same logic applies to exercise. If you can’t fit a gym session in your schedule, try simple 10-15 min workouts at home instead. It will keep you moving and help not to fall off the habit of daily physical activity, so it’s easier to go back on track once the New Year celebrations are officially over.

And that’s it! Hope you found at least some of these tips helpful.

Have a wonderful, stress-free December,

With love,

MOTHER MADE team xxx

5 tips on how to get your partner into skincare

The age-old perception that skincare is something feminine and that only women do has finally started to fade, and we have male skincare bloggers to thank for it. But the skincare landscape is still very gender-biased, and a significant percentage of the male population doesn’t take adequate care of their skin.

If your husband, boyfriend, or even brother is refusing to give his skin real TLC, it deserves, you came to the right place. In this blog post, we’ll go over some tips that will help you to help your man to start taking care of his complexion and never stop.

Tip 1. Start slow.

Sure, you might be doing all ten steps religiously and want him to try it all immediately and fall in love with skincare just like you did. But, hold your horses and try putting yourself in his shoes. For someone whose skincare hitherto has been consisting of splashing water on his (severely dehydrated) face and calling it a skincare routine, this might be a little too overwhelming. Remember how you started? It took you a while to learn, understand, and appreciate each product. He should be allowed to do the same. So, chill out and start from the beginning.

Tip 2. Go basic.

A basic skincare routine that is absolutely non-negotiable for anyone is a cleanser, moisturizer, and a sunscreen — nothing more, nothing less. Choose a gentle (low or neutral pH is the best) quality cleanser, lightweight, non-greasy moisturizer that can be used day and night, and a 50+ broad-spectrum SPF.

There’re tons of great moisturizers on the market for every budget, some even come with SPF, but we don’t recommend them. Why? Because a) he’ll need another night time moisturizer, which will complicate things unnecessarily, b) to get adequate sun protection, he’ll need to put on A LOT of said moisturizer and things can get very greasy very quickly. So, it’s best to start with 3 separate products – two to use at night and all three for the morning.

Tip 3. Solve the problem.

Most men are rational, plus they love challenge, so start with highlighting a problem. Do you notice that he wakes up with a papery flaky skin? Does he have super-enlarged pores? Acne? A deep wrinkle on his forehead? Tell him that, explain why this is a problem and show how to fix it (remember, it should be super easy!). After you bring attention to something he might not have noticed before, he will be more willing to listen to you talk about skincare since now it’s the topic he’s interested in. And while you have his attention, feel free to explain the science behind a product(s) you’re recommending. Point out one or two main ingredients in the products and tell why they’re an excellent solution for his skin concerns.

Framing “the skincare talk” in the “problem-solution” discourse will also help him to become more aware of his skin issues and will be more motivated to continue once he notices an improvement.

Tip 4. Throw on a sheet mask.

Ok, let’s say you’ve succeeded, and he now washes his face regularly and doesn’t need a reminder to apply sunscreen. Great news! Now it’s time to take things beyond basics and to the next level. But proceed with caution. Introduce too many new things at once, and it can backfire. One extra step you can easily add to spice up his regimen is sheet masks. They’re beneficial to the skin, and received social approval as a genderless skincare item thanks to Instagram that is pollinated with selfies of couples boasting their sheet masking experiences.

When you’re about to curl on a couch to watch some Netflix in the evening, tell him you’re going to put on a sheet mask and casually ask if he’d like to try one too. Choose a mask that isn’t messy and will stay put on his face. Explain how to use it or better so, apply it for him. He’ll feel loved, and his skin will glow – it’s a win-win in our books! And who knows, maybe it will become your new weekly ritual that he’ll look forward to.

Tip 5. Share products .

Sometimes, it’s easier to start building the skincare habit by getting one of those “for men” lines. They usually come in handy sets and feature very slick, minimal design. Another plus – he will most likely have no qualms about using a cleanser, toner, and lotion since it’s a set. However, we all know by now that there’s no such thing as “skincare for men.” For the most part, this is a simple marketing trick to sell guys mediocre, highly fragranced, and overpriced products.

As time goes and he starts being more and more comfortable with having skincare as a part of his everyday life, try bringing up the idea of using the same products. If your proposal is met with resistance, appeal to the money factor – buying separate skin care can add up quickly, not even mentioning the extra clutter in the bathroom. No guy will say no to the prospect of saving up. But it’s not just about the money. Heavy fragrance in men’s skincare can easily irritate the skin, not even mentioning the fact that the ingredient list isn’t always the cleanest.

Going for “gender-neutral” well-formulated products is the best for both, your man’s skin and your wallets. If you have similar skin types, you can comfortably share the majority of your routine, introducing only some small tricks where necessary. But even if not, you can still share some of the products, like a cleanser, toner, or exfoliator, since they’re less skin-type specific.

And there you have it! Five tips to help your man get healthy, hydrated skin.

Do you have anything to add? Or personal experiences to share building a skincare regimen for your better half?

Drop us a comment or DM us on IF (@mothermade_global). We’d love to hear from you!

The renewal of the Rich Snail Mask: what’s changed?

You’ve loved our Deep Moisturizing Rich Snail Mask. We’ve loved our Deep Moisturizing Rich Snail Mask. And while the saying goes “if it ain’t broken, don’t fix it,” we felt it was the right time to update our favorite baby, so it better aligns with our current brand philosophy and values.

Today, we’re spilling all the tea there’s to know about the revamping of the snail mask. Everything from formula to packaging got a handsome upgrade while remaining the mask that all of us know and love. Keep on reading to learn more!

The Fragrance.

First, let’s talk about the formula. We wanted our new formula to reflect MOTHER MADE’s core principles, which is clean and safe skincare that everyone, even the most sensitive skin types, can enjoy using worry-free. And that meant we had to solve one big problem – the fragrance.

In the past, using natural fragrances like blends of various essential oils that can adequately cover any unpleasant base odor, but also are beneficial to the skin, worked well for us. Sadly, though, a lot of essential oils are classified as allergens, which makes them unsuitable for people with allergy-prone and sensitive skin. With essential oils out of the equation, we turned our gaze to the world of synthetic fragrances. One thing to note about these types of fragrance is that “synthetic” doesn’t immediately translate to “bad” or “harmful.” Beauty science has come a long way, and we now have allergen-free synthetic fragrances that are safer than many natural alternatives (read, essential oils). Admittedly, the choices are still limited, and while the absence of any allergy inducing parts is excellent, the smell is a work in progress. As the “synthetic” moniker in the name implies, the scent is, well, synthetic.

We requested several samples from the lab, hoping it won’t come off as strong when mixed with the natural smell of other ingredients in the formula. But each sample proved us wrong. It didn’t feel (or smell) like our snail mask.

The conclusion? We bit the bullet and chose not adding any scent at all. The mask still has a faint smell that comes from the base formula and other ingredients, but it’s barely noticeable and doesn’t linger.

The Snail Filtrate.

Previously, the mask featured 5,000 ppm, which is a pretty standard amount (if not on a higher side) for sheet masks. But our renewed formula boasts a whopping 10,000 ppm. Double “yes” for a double snail mucin goodness!

To put these numbers in perspective, more budget-friendly brands choose to add as little as 1-2,000 ppm while some might go as high as 7,000 ppm. Generally speaking, 5,000 ppm is considered pretty high, and finding sheet masks with even higher concentration is rare. Why? Snail filtrate has a natural texture that is far from ideal for a sheet mask essence – it’s thick, gloopy, and extremely sticky. The essence/serum for a sheet mask, however, must have a watery enough consistency so that the sheet can be fully saturated. That is why snail filtrate has to be diluted quite a bit to become “sheet mask friendly.”

That isn’t, however, to say that since snail mucin in the sheet mask has lower concentration, it isn’t effective. The smaller amount of filtrate is compensated by the fact that sheet masks adhere closely to the skin, making sure ingredients in the mask get absorbed better.

Still, we wanted to see how far we can push to create a really “rich” (snail-rich, that is) product. Our partnering labs worked hard to come up with a formula that is more concentrated and more effective, yet feels light and non-sticky on the skin. It took us more than six months to settle on a final formula, but the wait was well worth it, and we couldn’t be happier with the result.

The Packaging.

The third and final major update in the mask is our packaging. We’ve been slowly transitioning to more sustainable and eco-friendly packaging options for months now. That’s why we were so thrilled when we discovered a packaging paper that doesn’t use virgin wood. You can see on the picture below a label that guarantees just that. FSC stands for Forest Stewardship Council, and it’s a non-profit organization that provides solutions for sustainable management of forests. FSC Mix is an official FSC label that means wood that was used to produce this paper comes from a mix of sources: recycled materials, FSC-certified forests, and a so-called “controlled wood,” which is a type of forests that can’t be harvested illegally. Deforestation is a huge worldwide issue, and we were so happy we could minimize our impact by choosing paper that doesn’t deplete the resources of virgin wood.

And there you have it! Three significant upgrades that make us (and hopefully you too) about the revamped Rich Snail Mask.

The mask will become available on Amazon.com and our website from November 27. Follow us on Instagram (@mothermade_global), where we’ll be sharing more info about these masks and other upcoming products.

With love,

MOTHER MADE xxx