Price Tag: 1 oz. $9.95, 2 oz. $15.95
Official URL: http://www.motherlove.com
Rating:

When my son was first born I bought the only nipple cream I could find locally, and it pretty much single-handedly saved my nursing relationship and stopped me from crying whenever my son was latching on. It was lanolin-based and it was not without its shortcomings. So flash forward past my initial breastfeeding problems and into the next fall and winter following my son’s birth. I had become a milk donor and was pumping in addition to nursing my teething son. I needed to use nipple cream again, and my tube of lanolin had somehow become solid since I had used it last.

And so I investigated the other options, and have fallen in love with Motherlove Nipple Cream. It is what the other nipple creams are not, and it is not many of the annoying things that other nipple creams are.

HOW IT WORKS

The ingredients of this cream are: Extra virgin olive oil, marshmallow root, calendula, Shea Butter and beeswax.

Extra virgin olive oil helps to keep the nipple cream soft and easy to spread and moisturizes the skin as well. Shea butter is a moisturizer and an emollient which softens and soothes the skin. It is excellent for chapped nipples, lips, or the diaper area. Marshmallow root is an emollient that has anti-inflammatory properties. Calendula has anti-fungal properties which inhibit yeast growth and is anti-inflammatory. It is known to soothe cuts and bruises, both of which can occur from nipple trauma. Beeswax is antibacterial, antimicrobal, and a preservative. It’s the beeswax that gives this cream its texture and its waterproof properties.

Each of these ingredients works together against the common nipple injuries of a nursing mom: Bruising, cuts, chapping, soreness, callouses and scabs.

Compare that to the single ingredient lanolin creams, and you can see why I like this cream a lot more.

TEXTURE & SCENT

The texture of this cream is similar to the texture of petroleum jelly when you dip your fingertip into it, but the similarities end there. While petroleum jelly leaves you feeling “coated” while not necessarily soothing anything, Motherlove nipple cream slides on smoothly and creates a very thin protective and water resistant barrier that moisturizes and that seals moisture into the nipple. If you’re familiar with lanolin-based creams then you are familiar with how they become “sticky” and almost plasticine. I found that lanolin never felt as though it was soothing, only as if it were acting as a barrier. This cream has a thinner texture but it feels as though it sinks into the skin and moisturizes and heals rather than only being a barrier.

The scent of this cream comes from three of its ingredients: olive oil, Shea Butter, and beeswax. It is not overpowering in the slightest and it has a pleasant neutral smell.

WHAT IT’S BEST FOR/WHAT IT’S NOT BEST FOR

This cream doesn’t reduce sensation so much as it promotes healing and soothes pain. So as much as I love it, I wouldn’t consider it a full replacement for Lanolin. For example, I’d probably use this cream before and after nursing. But Lanolin is still my preferred nipple cream for use pre-shower (to protect your nipples from the water, soap and from the pressure of the shower’s stream), and also to use as a pre-nursing coating over more severe cuts or sensitive spots.

I have also used this cream on my son’s diaper area to relieve his teething-related diaper rash, on a 1″ gash and bruise on my head that I got when I stood up too quickly under playground equipment in an attempt to catch my two year old, chapped hands, and chapped lips. It’s become somewhat of an “all purpose” cream for skin irritations around here.

All of the ingredients are safe for ingestion by infants and are less likely to cause an allergic reaction than lanolin or other nipple creams.

PACKAGING

This cream comes in a one or two ounce glass jar with a white top. The glass in the one ounce jar (and probably the two ounce jar as well) is very strong and has been dropped and even thrown at the ground multiple times without cracking or shattering. A printed label tells you the ingredients, assures you that the ingredients are organic (Both USDA Organic and certified by the Oregon Tilth)

ABOUT MOTHERLOVE

Motherlove is simply awesome.  They have been producing products for pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding and babies since 1990, and offer some of the most effective and well-thought-out herbal concoctions for moms and infants. Among breastfeeding moms they are best known for their “More Milk Plus” drops and gel caps which contain a variety of herbs that stimulate milk production.

Reading the “About Motherlove” section of their website is an exercise in feeling good about the company. They share a wide variety of information with their customers, reassure their customers of the safety of their products, and are very communicative. They are eco-friendly, not only in product manufacturing but also in their office practices.

Even more feel-good goodness: every purchase of this nipple cream supports http://nurturinglifefoundation.org/ a Motherlove-founded organization for supporting and promoting breastfeeding and making a difference in the lives of children and mothers.

BOTTOM LINE

This nipple cream is more than “just” a nipple cream. It soothes, protects, and heals. It’s safe for your baby to ingest which means you don’t have to irritate your nipples by washing them off before a feeding. And when you’re done breastfeeding, it makes a great diaper rash cream, hand cream, boo-bo0 cream, bruise cream, and lip balm.