MOTHER NURTURE | COURTNEY ADAMO
Courtney wears knit from Island Luxe
Last time I had the pleasure of interviewing and photographing Courtney Adamo and clan, child number five, Wilkie, was a wee new thing, I think maybe four weeks old. This time round he was the very definition of a ridiculously healthy, energetic and cute as hell toddler. Actually lets correct that, both mum and bub are ridiculously healthy (and obviously cute as hell) which is why it made plain old sense to be sitting down to chat with Courtney on behalf of endota spa about the importance of listening to your body and honouring its needs during those important first years of becoming a new mother. Welcome to Nurture, the next generation in skincare for mother and baby.
endota spa have always been about self care but to create a range that really gives this in the most practical of ways to both mother and baby, to promote the importance of connection between the two, is incredibly important. I think Mel (owner and CEO) sums it up when she says the two have to be strong together, bond together, spend time together and feel the connection. Connection through touch, sound, feeding.
Any who I don’t want to stop you any longer from getting to our juicy conservation but I do want to say one more thing! The most exciting thing about Nurture, for me, is what isn’t in the product. endota partnered with women’s health scientist Dr Hayley Dickinson (stay tuned for our also juicy podcast. Dr Hayley holds a PhD in reproductive physiology, pregnancy and perinatal health) where she studied the role of the Vernix at birth which is natures skincare to protect the baby. Common wisdom is to leave it as long as possible. The Nurture range for mother and baby has been created to extend the role played by Mother Nature and preserve the delicate PH balance of the baby’s skin with products that are as close to nature as possible. Certified organic, dermatologically tested and hypoallergenic with no nasties in the formulation or the packaging, so what they leave out is just as important as what they put in. Interesting right?
“It’s not just a baby range that we have created it’s Mother and baby. Because the two together have to be strong together, bond together, spend time together and feel the connection. Connection through touch, sound, feeding.” - Mel Gleeson, CEO and Founder
Courtney wears Island Luxe knit, throw by Pampa
IN CONVERSATION WITH COURTNEY ADAMO
How has motherhood changed your relationship with your body over the course of five pregnancies?
I suppose, more than anything, it’s given me so much more respect for my body and what it has been able to do. I’ve carried, birthed and breastfed five babies! With each baby, I could feel the effects on my body more and more. Of course, it probably has something to do with getting older, but it made me realise just how incredible and powerful our bodies are.
When my kids were babies I could only find one product for hair/bath/skin that was considered ‘natural’. Even then, I still didn’t fully understand what was in it! How important is a skincare range like Nurture for the wellbeing of both mother and baby?
I’ve always been quite pared back in the products I buy for my babies. When Easton was a baby, we just used olive oil on any dry patches of skin. I never even thought to buy a specific skincare product for him. But when Quin was a baby, he had more sensitive skin and it was more prone to rashes. That was when I realised how difficult it is to find natural, effective formulas for babies. (And I agree with you that so many products that look natural — with images of plants and herbs on the packaging — are actually so often completely un-natural!) That was, of course, 12 years ago now, and there are many more options than there were back then.
The endota Nurture range is wonderful because you have everything you might need in one range, and you can rest assured that you’re not putting any harmful chemicals on you or your baby. We care so much about what we eat and how we feed and nourish our babies, and the same attention should be given to the products we put on our skin!
Is there anything you now know you would have done differently when caring for your body and the babies in those precious early stages of development?
I feel like we’ve always had a pretty natural approach when it comes to our babies, but of course, our knowledge for what is ‘natural’ has improved, especially in the last few years since living in Byron Bay. Since moving here, we’ve learned a lot more about natural remedies and herbs for treating certain ailments. Instead of first turning to conventional medicine and treatments, I usually walk down to our local natural food store, which has a wonderful herbal medicine section.
Courtney wears poncho by Pampa
What has your experience been like using the endota Nurture range?
I really love the products! I love that they smell and feel so natural — without any colours or scents. And the packaging is so pretty, you don’t mind having it on display on your bathroom shelves (unlike so many other baby products).
Does Wilkie have any favourites?
Wilkie loves anything he can rub in his hands or smear on his body! His favourite thing is for me to pump the bath and body wash into his hands and then he can wash himself in the bath. That’s what is so nice about the endota Nurture products — they’re so natural, you don’t mind if your toddler smears them over his body!
It is crazy that I have been a mother twice (nothing on your five) and yet I didn’t realise a babies skin needs three years to strengthen so that it can properly perform its role as a protective barrier. Did you know that?
No, I had no idea! But it makes complete sense. (Unless you’re talking about the bottom of Wilkie’s feet — he’s spent his entire life barefoot, and his feet are so tough, he must surely have a protective barrier on his soles! 🙂 )
Knit by Island Luxe
I also remember when I had my first child I invested in way too many products for both myself and Sugar. I was also a little overwhelmed by all the different advice on what skincare was natural and needed. Which endota Nurture products would you suggest for first time mums that want to keep things simple but effective?
I think that’s the classic new mama move — to buy everything you might possibly need so you feel like you’ve done everything you can to avoid failing at parenting. Of course, the more babies you have, the more you realise actually how little you both need.
I really love the Gentle Bath and Body Wash. And I wish I had had the Nourishing Nipple Balm when I had babies. I suffered from such sore nipples in the first few weeks, and that balm is even good for dry lips when your nipples no longer need the support.
Nature is beauty and your approach to life and motherhood is very real and organic which is why I adore you. Can you share your philosophy on self-care and the role it plays in your life as you juggle marriage, motherhood, career, family and friends?
I adore you too, for those same reasons! 🙂
While I don’t give too much attention to self-care in terms of beauty and treatments, I am such a believer in listening to your body and honouring its needs. I think it’s so important to pay attention to even the smallest signs of stress or exhaustion. I try to pay attention to my menstrual cycle, and the effect it has on my energy levels. I make sure I’m getting enough sleep, drinking enough water, and setting aside enough ‘me’ time. My cure-all treatment for anything from work stress to period cramps is to go for a surf in the ocean. Nothing makes me feel better, both emotionally and physically!
Creating Nurture meant really understanding mother and baby’s skin at critical stages of development so we could support these natural changes
without interfering with them. – Dr Hayley Dickinson
The endota organics NURTURE Range
Mother | Create joyful first connections
Nourishing Nipple Balm $20RRP / 30gm | Help restore and revive dry, cracked skin with this nourishing balm for breastfeeding mothers. Made with simple, Certified Organic ingredients. Dermatologically tested.
Moisture Rich Belly Butter $35RRP/ 170ml | Keep stretching skin feeling soft & supple and ease itching with this quick absorbing, vitamin-rich cream. Designed to offer intensive hydration using pure and simple, Certified Organic ingredients.
Baby | Care the way Mother Nature intended
Newborn skin needs special care to preserve its delicate PH balance and protect baby from environmental exposures while their skin barrier is developing. Extend the hand of Mother Nature with simple baby care products from our endota Organics™ Nurture range, where what we leave out is just as important as what we put in. Available in spa and online.
Gentle Bath & Body Wash $30RRP / 250ml | Calm and soothe while you gently cleanse baby’s delicate skin using this soap-free, all-in-one shampoo, body wash & bubble bath. Suitable for use from birth. Dermatologically tested.
Gentle Baby Lotion $30RRP / 250ml | Provide a gentle, protective moisture that nourishes baby’s delicate skin. Certified Natural extracts and hydrating oils restore moisture and provide soothing aromatic calm. Suitable for use from birth. Dermatologically tested.
Calming Sleep Mist $23RRP / 120ML | Infused with calming lavender essential oil, this delicate room mist helps encourage a positive bedtime routine and a peaceful, deep sleep. Gentle & non-toxic.
Protecting Barrier Balm $25RRP / 100gm | Protect baby’s delicate skin against acidic moisture with naturally effective zinc, cocoa butter & candelilla wax while you help strengthen and hydrate their developing skin barrier.
SHOP ENDOTA organics NURTURE
Photography | Sam Elsom
Photographer's Assistant | Hunter Amos Eakin
Shop | Island Luxe | Pampa
