Checking out the organic Mums & Bubs Range at the New Neal’s Yard Remedies

Organic. In this day and age it’s almost a loaded word, yet it’s used so often that I often wonder if it has any meaning at all (other than extra super expensive in Singapore, that is). Last week I was invited to a workshop at the new Neal’s Yard Remedies shop at Millennia Walk – the first in Singapore – to learn more about their organic ingredients and how they can benefit mums and bubs alike.

Neal’s Yard was founded in the UK in 1981, and has become the country’s largest supplier of certified organic skincare and natural remedies. What does “certified” mean? That they meet the stringent standards of the UK’s Soil Association, which requires that products are at least 70% organic.

Bear in mind that all-natural ingredients like clay, minerals and spring water can’t be certified organic because they aren’t living, so many products simply can’t be 100% organic. That’s ok, mamas!

Neal’s Yard was the first certified organic skincare brand in the UK. In addition to their top-quality ingredients, they fully control their entire production process (“from herb to bottle”); their handmade in the UK products can actually vary from one batch to the next.

What I find appealing about Neal’s Yard is their focus on four key tenets: Safety, Effectiveness, Environment and Empowerment. Products are completely paraben-free (shockingly not so common, even in baby goods!), and their effectiveness is backed by university research.

Ingredients are sustainably sourced (for instance, I learned it takes the blossoms from 120 trees to make just one litre of Neroli essential oil!), and each shop provides heaps of useful resources to let customers make their own informed choices.

The shop at Millennia Walk stocks a full range of essential oils (did you know that orange can soothe kids in particular, that cardamom is good for clearing the mind, or that Frankincense is ideal for those with fears of flying or public speaking?), in addition to skincare and a lovely, gentle Mother & Baby range.

In keeping with Neal’s Yard’s apothecary roots in London’s Covent Garden, the shop is charmingly lined with jars of natural herbal remedies. I spoke with one of the trained herbalists on-hand about my baby’s persistent heat rash, and she recommended a bath steeped with lavender and calendula (marigold flowers). Not only does baba smell divine, but it’s actually worked a treat!

Every mama wants the best for her baby: anything that goes on that oh-so-soft skin needs to be gentle and free of harmful ingredients, of course, but we also want it to be effective. I can say that Neal’s Yard certainly ticks all those boxes. Organic, sustainable ingredients will probably cost more than something you grab off the shelf at Watsons, but their prices are fair and by no means exorbitant. So give them a looksee next time you’re at Millennia Walk, mamas – you and the bub both deserve it!

Neal’s Yard Remedies
#01-75 Millennia Walk, 9 Raffles Boulevard, 039596
Tel: (+65) 6298 1311
www.nealsyardremedies.com.sg