Why what's inside your skincare matters — especially during pregnancy and those early baby days
Have you ever stood in front of a shelf of skincare products and wondered what the difference actually is?
One bottle says natural.
Another says gentle.
Another says botanical.
Another promises pure ingredients.
They all look lovely. They all sound reassuring.
But turn the bottles around and look at the ingredient lists, and you may find they are very different.
And when you're choosing skincare during pregnancy or for your baby's delicate skin, it can be worth taking a little time to understand what's actually in the bottle.
You don't need a chemistry degree. You don't need to recognise every ingredient. And you certainly don't need to feel guilty about the products you've used in the past.
It's simply about being informed and knowing what matters to you.
What actually makes one skincare product different from another?
At its simplest, skincare is made up of ingredients chosen for a reason.
Some ingredients moisturise or soften the skin. Others help a product stay stable, give it a particular texture, help it wash away, provide fragrance or keep it preserved.
Two products can both be called a body oil, baby wash or nipple balm, yet contain completely different ingredients.
That's why the front of the bottle only tells you part of the story.
The ingredient list tells you much more.
It can help you understand what you're actually buying and whether the product is suited to the person you're buying it for.
Natural doesn't automatically mean better — or safer
This is something I think is really important to say.
At Natures Touch, we choose natural ingredients because we believe there is a lot to love about thoughtfully selected plant oils, butters and botanical ingredients.
But natural doesn't automatically mean safe, and synthetic doesn't automatically mean harmful.
For example, essential oils are natural, highly concentrated plant extracts and can cause skin reactions if they're used incorrectly. Some also aren't recommended during pregnancy or for young children without appropriate advice.
So rather than simply looking for the word natural on the front of a bottle, I think it's more helpful to ask:
What's actually in it?
Why has each ingredient been included?
Is it appropriate for me or my baby?
And perhaps most importantly:
Do I trust the brand to be honest about what it's putting into the bottle?
What does "natural skincare" actually mean?
This is where things can get a little confusing.
The word natural can mean different things to different people, and there isn't a simple rule that means everything labelled natural is automatically the same.
A product might contain naturally derived ingredients alongside other ingredients needed to make the formulation safe, stable and pleasant to use.
That's why I prefer to talk about thoughtfully chosen ingredients and transparency, rather than suggesting that everything natural is automatically better.
For us, natural skincare is about choosing ingredients carefully and understanding why they're there.
It's about keeping things purposeful.
And it's about being honest with our customers about what's inside our products.
Why ingredient lists can feel so confusing
If you've ever looked at an ingredient list and thought "I have absolutely no idea what any of this means", you're definitely not alone.
Ingredients are generally listed using their recognised cosmetic names, which can make even very familiar ingredients sound complicated.
For example, you might recognise olive oil when you see it written on a label, but cosmetic ingredient lists use the standard name Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil.
It doesn't necessarily mean something strange has been added.
Sometimes it's simply the formal name for an ingredient you already know.
The important thing is not to panic when you see a long word.
Instead, look at the bigger picture.
What type of product is it?
What ingredients are being used?
How transparent is the brand about them?
And does the product make sense for what you want it to do?
Does more ingredients mean a better product?
Not necessarily.
A longer ingredient list doesn't automatically mean a better product, just as a short ingredient list doesn't automatically mean a better one.
What matters is why the ingredients are there and how the product has been formulated.
For example, a baby wash needs to do something different from a body oil.
A nipple balm needs different ingredients from a massage oil.
A product intended to moisturise and soften the skin doesn't need to contain every ingredient under the sun.
At Natures Touch, we like to keep our formulations purposeful.
We ask ourselves:
Does this ingredient have a reason to be here?
If it doesn't, why add it?
What about fragrance?
Fragrance is another area where it can be useful to look beyond the front of the bottle.
"Fragrance" or "parfum" can refer to a mixture of ingredients used to create a particular scent. For some people with sensitive skin, fragrances can be irritating, so choosing gentle, fragrance-free skincare can be helpful when skin is dry or sensitive.
This is particularly worth thinking about when you're choosing products for babies.
Newborn skin is delicate, and babies don't need a bathroom cabinet full of heavily fragranced products.
Sometimes less really is more.
Pregnancy is a time when you might look a little closer
Pregnancy can change the way your skin behaves.
Hormonal changes can contribute to dryness, itching, pigmentation and other skin changes, and some people find their skin becomes more sensitive than usual.
It's also a time when many women become more conscious of what they're putting on their bodies.
And I think that's a positive thing — not because you need to be frightened of skincare, but because pregnancy is a wonderful opportunity to become more aware of your choices.
If you're unsure whether a particular ingredient or product is suitable during pregnancy, talk with your midwife, doctor or other healthcare professional. Feel free to reach out to us at Natures Touch we're always happy to answer any questions you may have.
And then comes baby...
Once your baby arrives, it's very easy to become overwhelmed by the number of products marketed specifically for newborns.
Baby shampoo, Baby wash, Baby lotion, Baby oil, Baby this, Baby that.
But your newborn doesn't need a complicated skincare routine.
Their skin is still developing, and gentle care is usually the goal.
So rather than buying everything you see on the shelf, think about what you actually need.
Choose fewer products, choose them thoughtfully, and give your baby's skin time to be itself.
So, how do you choose a good skincare product?
Here are a few simple questions I encourage you to ask:
1. What's actually in it?
Turn the bottle around.
Don't just rely on the words on the front.
2. Do I understand why the ingredients are there?
You don't need to know every ingredient, but the brand should be able to explain what they're doing.
3. Is it appropriate for who I'm buying it for?
Something suitable for an adult isn't necessarily suitable for a newborn.
And pregnancy is another time when it's worth checking whether particular ingredients are appropriate.
4. Is the brand transparent?
Can you easily find the full ingredient list?
Does the company explain where its ingredients come from and why they're used?
Can you contact them if you have a question?
5. Does the product need to make so many promises?
Sometimes the simplest product is the most appealing.
You don't need skincare that promises to transform everything overnight.
You need something that feels right for your skin and fits into your life.
Why we choose the ingredients we do at Natures Touch
This is one of the things that matters most to us.
Natures Touch began from my experience as a midwife and a desire to create skincare that felt gentle, considered and trustworthy for women and babies.
We're not interested in performing the latest Tik Tok dance or putting an ingredient into a product simply because it sounds impressive on a label.
We want to understand what we're using and why.
Our Belly Oil, for example, combines carefully selected plant oils including olive, apricot, rosehip, evening primrose, jojoba, avocado and coconut oils.
Each has its own characteristics, and together they create a rich, nourishing oil designed to care for skin as your body changes throughout pregnancy.
Explore Natures Touch Belly Oil →
Our Baby Wash has been created with little ones in mind, with a gentle formulation for those times when you want something more than water alone.
Explore Natures Touch Baby Wash →
And our Baby Massage Oil is made specifically for those quiet moments of touch and connection with your baby. So gentle you can use it from birth.
Explore Natures Touch Baby Massage Oil →
You can see the full ingredient list for every Natures Touch product on our website and all of our labels because we believe you have a right to make an informed choice, knowing exactly what you're buying.
Explore Natures Touch Botty Balm →
A versatile balm is carefully crafted from Organic Apricot Kernel Oil and Sunflower oil, infused with calendula, chamomile and lavender to help prevent and relieve nappy rash, cradle cap, teething rash, and more.
It's not about finding the "perfect" product
I think this is probably the most important thing I'd like you to take away from this article.
There is no single skincare product that is perfect for everyone.
Everyone's skin is different.
Everyone's preferences are different.
And what works beautifully for one person may not suit another.
Choosing natural skincare doesn't mean you need to throw out everything in your bathroom or become obsessed with reading every ingredient label.
It's simply about making informed choices that feel right for you and your family.
And if you find a product that your skin loves, that you trust, and that you feel comfortable using?
That's a pretty good place to start.
A little more care, from us to you
At Natures Touch, we believe skincare should be about more than what's written on the front of a bottle.
It's about trusting what's inside it.
It's about knowing who made it.
It's about being able to ask questions.
And it's about choosing products thoughtfully for the women and little people who matter most.
Our products are made in small batches here in New Zealand, with care and with the knowledge that the person using them may be preparing for one of the biggest journeys of her life.
So next time you're standing in front of the skincare shelf wondering "Are all these products really that different?"...
Turn the bottle around.
Take a look.
And don't be afraid to ask questions.
You deserve to know what's in the products you choose.
As a thank you for reading to the end we'd love to offer a special offer. Save 15% off when you enter WELCOME15 discount code at checkout.
Explore the Natures Touch Mum & Baby Collection →