The Baby Cheek Test: How motherhood changed the way I think about skincare

Before I had my daughter, I’m not sure I’d ever really considered the ingredients I was slathering onto my skin daily. I knew I had to be somewhat careful of retinol and acids due to sensitivity, but beyond that I hadn’t worried too much. However, only a few months into motherhood I very quickly realised I had a tiny person’s cheeks squished against mine for a big part of the day. This miniature girl could frequently be found attempting to eat my arms, lick my face and generally squash herself against me. And that’s before we get into breastfeeding. It was that experience, more than anything, that made me start to question the products I put on my own body. And I’m not the only one.

For many women, motherhood or life-stage shifts change how they think about ingredients, their home, and trust in brands. Not always overnight, but gradually. You start noticing what sits on the bathroom shelf or what ends up on your hands, your chest, your baby’s face, your bedsheets. What you spray onto surfaces, burn in the room, or wash your clothes in, wash bodies with. The everyday products that once felt like background noise suddenly become part of the environment you’re creating around someone else. 

Of course, like many new mothers with a phone, a lack of sleep and a slightly overactive nervous system, I then went a little too far the other way. I obsessed over ingredients, stressed if my husband sprayed aftershave inside the house, and threw away my entire product stash (RIP to my YSL perfume).

And for me, that’s where Nourish London has felt like an obvious choice ever since - not because it’s about fear-led “clean beauty”, or pretending natural automatically means better. Dr Hili takes formulation seriously: organic ingredients, scientific expertise, skin health, and the idea that efficacy and more considered choices can belong together.

If you’re also finding yourself in that state of ‘where do I begin’ with low-tox living (and you’re trying to avoid the more extreme corners of ‘low-tox culture’), giving your skincare an overhaul is a really sensible place to start. With or without a small child squished against your person each day.

My favourite family-friendly Nourish London picks

• Daily Moisturiser SPF25 - I love that this is suitable for babies over 6 months. Makes such a difference when you’re rushing out of the door and you only need to remember one product. Great for tiny cheeks

• Antioxidant balm - this one earns a place on the changing table, on my work desk and in my bag at the same time. I’ve used it for dry patches (my hands are terrible in the winter), chapped lips and anything that needs a fast hit of moisture. Works brilliantly on babies too, particularly for persistent dry patches

My favourite me-time products:

• Kale Enzymatic Exfoliator - as a Millennial I’ve been kind of scared of physical exfoliators since my teenage years (looking at you, St Ives…), but Dr Hili introduced me to this exfoliator and I absolutely love it. It really feels like it’s 'doing something' without stripping my skin. I also didn't realise that exfoliation becomes more important as we age as cell turnover slows, so this is now a staple in my routine

• Argan Rescue Oil - this absorbs quickly without feeling heavy and I really notice a difference if I switch over to other oils. I’ve suffered with perioral dermatitis on and off over the years and this seems to really calm it. Plus I love the smell

• Probiotic Mask - the first thing I’ll pack for our holiday later this month. Quite possibly my favourite face mask ever, and I’ve tried quite a few. I really enjoy understanding the science behind this one (see here for more on that), and knowing it’s there to calm my skin at the end of a long day at the beach

Skincare was the first place I started, but once you start noticing what’s in one area of your life, you tend to start noticing everywhere. A few other everyday swaps I’ve made:

Purdy & Figg for cleaning sprays that still feel genuinely enjoyable to use (I’m an absolute sucker for their seasonal scents). Bouclé candles and Octo London candles for evenings when I want the house to feel calm without burning something synthetic and overpowering. And this Sanex deodorant for everyday. Greenscents is next on my list - laundry feels like the next obvious place to tackle after skincare, especially bedding and towels.

I also use apps like Yuka and Ivy when I want a quick sense-check on ingredients, although I try not to treat them as gospel. They’re tools, not rules, and for me that distinction has become quite important.

I don't have a completely low-tox home, far from it. The point isn't to be perfect. It's just to notice a bit more, and make considered choices where they feel worth making. The baby cheek test is still a useful one (even now she’s about to turn five!). If I wouldn't put it on her skin, I take a second look before putting it on mine.