Oh Mother Care Kits- A Review!

I know I’ve posted here before that I am not really a fan of subscription boxes. That hasn’t really changed. However. A few months back, in a fit of joining Instagram, and not long after a particularly challenging OB appointment that resulted in a spike in my feeling like a ticking time bomb with this pregnancy, I actually WON an Oh Mother Care Kit! It couldn’t have happened at a better time and I just picked up my box last week.

(Here I am picking up my winnings at the amazing Hazelnut and Rose maternity and nursing wear boutique in Dartmouth. And, hilariously, the dress I’m wearing is from there as well! 7 mos and 3 weeks preggers!!)

After using the products this week, I’ve been swayed to this specific subscription box for a bunch of VERY specific reasons:

1. Unlike other monthly boxes, these can be one offs (gifts!!), seasonal or quarterly. This means less waste and less likely you’ll get useless crap you’ll just never use or buy.
2. All products are handmade and carefully curated from Canadian artists.
3. The actual products themselves (see review below) are amazing and of substantial amounts- this is no samples box, these products will LAST.

The cherry? The story behind these boxes is super lovely– a local (to me) mom who is trying to give back to mamas everywhere and reminding them (us!) to really take time for self-care. As someone about to embark on her mama life changing journey, I am a firm believer that babies and children benefit from parents’ ability to maintain a good mental health. This means keeping up some form of self-care.

On to the unboxing- Care Kit Review!

The box is super cute and somewhat minimally packaged. I like that I can recycle the paper bedding and box itself and that there are minimal stickers and plastic wrapping involved. Some of the products came wrapped in bubble wrap or a small plastic bag, but seeing as they contained glass bottles I can understand the need.

Among the gorgeous handmade products are also nestled several recipe cards for healthy meals and snacks, a small card with product info (and discount codes!), and adorable affirmation cards that I will promptly stick on the fridge. I’m sure when shit gets real I’ll need some serious “I am brave” affirmations (although I’d likely add “mofo” or “bossass” cuz some days just need that extra punch ya know?).

Despite all the above positives, it really all comes down to the quality of the products provided, and would I actually purchase this stuff on my own?

The answer for 95%- Yes.

(Note- if you like surprises, STOP HERE!!!! Know that I am a picky natural beauty pampering product lady and have tested and approved of all included in this current Oh Mother Care Kit. You will loooove them. Seriously.) 

For those who want to read on, I’ll compromise (cuz I do think part of a subscription box is the fun of discovering what’s inside) and leave out the actual artisan names. They are all Canadian made and handcrafted, which is important and extra special.

First Up: Delicious smelling Coconut Vanilla Foot Soak. Oh wow. Just wow. It’s been YEARS since I’ve given myself a lovely foot soak and with my poor footsies handling 25-30 extra lbs lately, boy did I need them. Actually, tonight is going to be another foot soak night- woot woot! Foot soaking is something that can easily be done with a large bowl (you know, the kind you make cookies in?), a towel and some hot-warm water. Nothing too involved, takes minutes to set up and really should happen 10-15minutes before bed- maybe after the baby is finally asleep?

Next: Gentle face cleanser/makeup remover. Oh man, does anyone else just wash their face at night with water and a face cloth? I don’t even OWN makeup remover pads (I used to have these super cute felted pads made by a friend of mine, but they got lost in the shuffle…) so this was a special treat. After several nights of use, dabbing the corner of a wetted facecloth, I am a fan. My face feels soft, no red irritation or flushed skin (which is a big deal since I have very sensitive skin and typically only wash my face with honey in the mornings) and I’m finding that right now no extra moisturizer is necessary. WIN!

Whipped Body Butter: Ok, I like the texture of this stuff and it worked really well on a burn I have on my shoulders…. But since I make my own body butter I am a bit of picky lady when it comes body moisturizers. I find the scent lovely, but a bit strong. I am not really a fan of smelling like a body butter ALL DAY, and I made the mistake once of putting it all over my body. I got tired of smelling myself after an hour. It’s the same complaint I have for Lush’s body butters. Too much essential oils really. I’ll be saving this body butter for irritated skin or super dry spots. I might, though, buy some mango butter to try in my own whipped body butter recipe, since I do like the consistency.

My FAVOURITE though? The body scrub. Oh man. This stuff smells amazing, leaves my skin super duper soft and lightly scented and moisturized. Oh sure, I could make a sugar scrub easy peasy, but it wouldn’t smell as nice and sugar just doesn’t do the same job as himalayan bath salts. I am rationing this stuff to last as long as possible.

Other cool bits- a delicious iced tea blend (we had it today- yum!), fair trade organic chocolate (yeah, that lasted a day- how did she KNOW I love mint chocolate????), yummy lip balm and a natural deodorant tin (not sure about this last one… I haven’t had the best of luck when it comes to natural deodorants…).

Overall, I’d say Oh Mother Care Kits would be a FABULOUS gift for a mother in your life as a one off gift box or even a quarterly subscription. I’d especially support a one off or subscription for YOURSELF.