Guest Author
Ashley Murphy, Skin to Skin
Follow her at @skintoskin1
skintoskinonline.com
I started Skin to Skin in 2021 with a vision to support women entering the biggest transition of their lives— motherhood. After a long and painful recovery with my first and a rushed postpartum with my second, I began to feel that childbirth and recovery lacked the essential components for a sustainable transition. Mothers seemed to be lacking connection from their pregnancies due to the conveyor belt care they received from the providers. They were facing a multitude of interventions during labor without the support team or the courage to advocate for their bodies. We were bringing our babies home to an overwhelming guest list and a lack of neither prepared nutritious meals or the necessary self-care products for recovery. It shouldn’t take having one baby to adequately prepare for the next.
I took these concerns and turned them into a birth-work career as a Certified Birth and Postpartum Doula. I made it my mission to help my clients connect to their pregnancies, to advocate for their bodies and babies, and to believe in the powerful lineage of natural birth that came before them. I made them balms, salves, sprays and blends to help them heal. And I brought them traditional teas, soups and broths meant to restore them back to health and to ease their transition into motherhood. Soon after, Skin to Skin was born.
Skin to Skin is an organic skin care line for moms and babies as they restore and grow through the postpartum period. My products are made with nature at its core and without parabens, sulfates, perfumes, synthetics or harsh preservatives. Everything is handcrafted with minimal, all natural ingredients including homegrown, hand-harvested Calendula.
Perineal Spray, (soon to be called Recovery Spray) is a potion to be used after birth on either the perineum for cooling relief from swelling, tearing and inflammation or on cesarean wound for faster recovery. Spray directly on yourself or on your pads. Great for padsicles! Following postpartum, this spray is great for irritation after sex or discomfort from UTIs and yeast infections.
Healing Salve is a universal salve in skin recovery! Before birth, use this salve for stretch marks and itchy belly skin. During labor, use it for the itchiness associated with epidurals. After birth, this salve is wonderful for perineum or cesarean healing. And following postpartum, use it for every boo-boo to come! Great for cuts, burns, rashes, bug bites, sunburns, and more! And THE SMELL. Like no other.
Baby Sleep Oil is a wonderful bedtime routine addition for everyone in the family. Use this blend of organic oils including lavender, cedarwood and frankincense on adult’s chest as a lovely aid to baby’s sleep. Or apply to baby’s feet or back of neck. This oil has also become a beloved routine for toddlers who feel it helps them, too, sleep well.
My Diaper Balm is the best I’ve tried, hands down. It’s a perfect blend of organic oils, lavender, calendula and a touch of zinc that not only heals diaper rash but any rash or skin irritation. Also great as a sunscreen!
Energizing Aromatherapy
My first ever creation as birth doula, this aromatherapy spray has now become a daily routine for so many. It’s beautiful blend of geranium, lavender, clary sage and frankincense leaves one feeling uplifted. Ideal for birth, the postpartum hormone crash, and a nursery air freshener!
Purchase Energizing Aromatherapy here
Nipple Butter
This versatile balm was made primarily for the early weeks of postpartum nipple pain but can be used on perineal and cesarean wounds, as a diaper balm and as a universal healing salve for any skin ailment. The key ingredients in this are homegrown calendula and chamomile with marshmallow root. Made with all natural ingredients, this butter is safe to consume. Use after every feed until nipples heal!
Herbal Bath
Every woman should have a sitz bath on her registry! Use this blend of all organic restorative herbs as a tea for your sitz bath by steeping tea in the reusable muslin tea bags provided for 20 mins in hot water then pour into sitz bath. Tea can also be used in regular bathtub or pour tea in your peri bottle as a healing wash for down there. Alternatively, you can pour the tea into your pads for padsicles. Used tea bags can be refrigerated and used as cool packs inside your pad as well! The uses are endless!
Purchase Herbal Bath blend here
And of course…Lip Balm!
The quintessential labor need indeed. My lip balm is perfect for labor as it’s made with calming lavender and restorative calendula flower and its thick bamboo tube makes it easy to find in the throws of childbirth.
Stay tuned for Labor, Postpartum and Baby Kits coming to stores in California and online with tips from a birth and postpartum Doula to you!
As a perinatal mental health professional and advocate, 1% of all sales are dated to Postpartum Support International. (www.postpartum.net)