Mothers of Invention: The Best Beauty Inspired by Motherhood
April 27 | 3 minute read
Words by Danielle Gay
The overwhelming love experienced through motherhood remains a rich source of inspiration, too – think Violette Serrat colour-matching a blush to her baby daughter’s teething-flushed cheeks.
Then there’s ‘the gap’: in the process of becoming mothers, women founders often come to realise what’s missing from the market – or what isn’t working. Case in point: Lara Henderson of Pure Mama, who developed a new approach to body care for pregnant and postpartum women.
In honour of Mother’s Day, these are some of our favourite beauty brands and products inspired by motherhood.
‘One and done’ may as well be the beauty mantra of mothers everywhere: what is the quickest, fastest way to a healthy, glowing complexion? For Palmer, who founded OSEA in 1996 and now runs the brand with her daughter, CEO Melissa Palmer (pictured together, left), motherhood has taught her the value of simplicity: “All it takes is a simple daily ritual to make you feel beautiful,” she says, adding, “I love using Anti-Aging Body Balm daily because it lifts my spirits and keeps my skin glowing.”
We have Lara Henderson’s journey to motherhood to thank for Pure Mama, the indulgent Aotearoa (New Zealand) skincare brand built for pregnancy, postpartum and beyond. The mum-of-two (left) was inspired to launch the brand while expecting her first child in 2018, after being confronted with a lack of considered body care options for pregnancy. “I was both surprised and really frustrated by the lack of pregnancy-specific body products available, especially as our skin changes so much during this time and needs extra support,” she tells The MECCA Memo.
Henderson’s products quickly reached hero status, with bestsellers including the Belly & Body Oil – often described as ‘liquid gold’ – and the Magnesium Body Rub, designed for at-home massage to ease discomfort during the tricky third trimester of pregnancy.
LOVEBYT was born both in response to her daughters’ values and as part of a long-term vision for something they could build together. The result is a collection of modern oral care products that bring the efficacy of conventional formulas into a more considered space, using Australian ingredients. Standouts include the Peppermint Botanical Mouthwash and Cinnamon & Clove Botanical Toothpaste – plant-derived formulas that gently clean, clarify and refresh.
Bee Shapiro (left) had been covering beauty news for the New York Times for close to a decade when she started Ellis Brooklyn in 2015 – and she was so inspired by her love for her soon-to-be-born daughter that she named the entire brand after her!
“I was pregnant at the time, and I knew I was having a girl and was prepared to name her Ellis,” she tells The MECCA Memo. “I thought it would be this ideal representation of what could be. How badass would it be to show my daughter what a woman could do in the fragrance space?”
Each fragrance is still overseen by Shapiro today, including Dear Sky EDP – named for her second daughter.
