ICYMI: Here’s What Went Down at the Parentalk with Cetaphil Baby

Cetaphil Baby brought an insightful conversation on establishing positive habits at home at this year’s Parentalk, and we’re here to give you a rundown of all the important things to note

As parents, it can be really challenging to find the time to talk about our parenthood journey. Fortunately, this month’s Parentalk, in partnership with Momzilla, has brought us the opportunity of holding conversations and a safe space where we could all come together and share our stories.

Last August 19-20, 2023, the two-day Parentalk event was held at the Glorietta 2 Palm Drive Activity Center in Makati. At the heart of the event were the many compelling and honest series of discussions with fellow parents and key experts, from finding the best ways to care for our babies as they grow to teenagehood to parenting in the digital age and holding space and self-care. 

Ultimately, all these things begin at home. Whether you’re a seasoned or first-time mom, establishing positive habits can be a great learning experience for our kids that they can adapt as they grow. Brought to us by Cetaphil Baby, “It Starts At Home” discussed how moms can cultivate effective routines, starting with four healthy pillars that are essential for a healthy childhood. 

Developing healthy skin

Hosted by a mom and model-turned-writer, Kelly Misa, and co-hosted by Modern Parenting’s Managing Editor, Gretchen Fragada, they welcomed Dermatologist Dr. Mara Huber and actress, Cetaphil Baby ambassador, and mom Nikki Gil to Cetaphil Baby’s segment.

As one of the many great partners for moms like us, Cetaphil Baby highlighted the importance of the healthy pillars to provide newborns with a healthy start in life. The conversation began with challenges of a healthy skin. 

For Dr. Mara, one of my biggest challenges was that her kids had so many skin conditions when they were born. It felt like the world knew she was a dermatologist, yet she sometimes felt helpless. 

One important thing to remember is that it takes a village to raise a child. Dr. Mara knew she was not alone in this, and as she mentioned, “Even though I’m a dermatologist, I still talk to pediatricians so that we can work together for my kids’ skin.”

Nikki agreed to this, noting that every kid was different, but the one constant mainstay for her was having a good skincare routine. “They [my kids] both inherited my sensitive skin. Both kids have Cetaphil Baby, except I use different products on different kids. When Maddie was a newborn, I primarily used the Calendula line because it has organic Calendula.”

According to the Cetaphil Baby ambassador, the Calendula line alleviates dry skin and discomfort thanks to its Calendula ingredient, which helps soothe skin irritation. They also have the Cetaphil Baby Wash Shampoo and Daily Lotion in the Calendula line, which was super convenient for her and one she would recommend to first-time moms. 

“As a first-time mom, you need that bonding experience with your baby, so I find that it [using the Cetaphil Baby products] was one of the best ways to bond with Maddie when she was a newborn,” Nikki added. 

Practicing healthy diet

Gretchen then proceeded to the next healthy pillar. She posed a question about a healthy diet for Dr. Mara: “Can you tell us how breastfeeding or feeding our babies, in general, affects the total health of newborns?”

“Good nutrition will benefit every organ of the body, and that includes the skin. There’s no specific food as long as it’s good nutrition. Of course, we moms know that breastfeeding is the optimum nutrition because the breastmilk changes depending on your baby’s needs,” Dr. Mara responded.

Breastfeeding was always one of the best ways to feed our babies as it was tailor-fitted to whatever their bodies would need. But Dr. Mara also understood that some moms could not provide the milk their babies needed. 

Dr. Mara said that “If for some reason you can’t breastfeed, you do you. Just make sure you talk to your pediatrician to ensure the skin benefits from good nutrition.”

Establishing cues and routines

Establishing a daily routine for our babies could help them identify when nighttime and daytime are. Dr. Mara advised, “Ideally when it’s nighttime, you want to make sure na you don’t play with your baby too much and shut the blinds. I also love giving my baby a bath before sleeping.”

In the past, some people would argue not to bathe babies during nighttime, but as Dr. Mara pointed out, we live in a tropical country. 

“It helps my baby calm down, so my routine is to give a bath, massage with lotion, then shut down the lights. Parang signal siya na time to sleep,” she remarked.

Nikki also mentioned that it was all about cues, but with toddlers and preschoolers, or at least what worked for her son, Finn, was discussing what was about to happen, why it was necessary, and how it was relevant to them. 

“They’ll reach an age where they’re just, like, why? So I’ll explain that germs can attach to your body, and you’ll get sick, and when you’re sick, you can’t have your friends over, so it makes it relevant for them,” Nikki imparted. “So he realizes that he needs to do this for himself; it’s a necessary part of the routine.”

Making it play-proof 

Babies will be babies, and accepting that they’d play around and touch things they were not supposed to would better make us change our environment based on what they needed. 

“You’re gonna throw the word perfection out of the window when you have kids. Your home will be a beautiful mess, and you will do everything in your power to make it safe for the baby,” Nikki shared, smiling at the audience. More than making our homes baby-proof, we must also play-proof our children so they can have fun. 

“Kids will crawl, explore, and put things in their mouth,” Dr. Mara established, laughing as she remembered when her kid licked a stone. “So I think you need to play-proof your baby by always washing their hands.”

For Nikki, it was about adjusting and accepting the changes children go through. “When we mentioned earlier na, different stages require different skincare. What worked for my son Finn when he was a toddler was Cetaphil Baby’s advanced protection cream. There’s also the Cetaphil Baby’s gentle cleansing bar—it’s soap, but it’s gentle so that you can keep on washing and washing, and it’s not going to dry up their skin.”

These healthy pillars serve as a guide for our parenting journey. In building the foundation for love and care, our family becomes closer and more deeply connected than ever. 

After the event, moms and dads also got to experience Cetaphil Baby’s booth, where they played the memory game, took photos on the photo wall, and won exclusive prizes. For a happier and healthier life, Cetaphil Baby ensured the event was filled with inspiring talks and activities making sure that they give the healthy start baby skin deserves. 

For more information about baby’s skincare, visit Cetaphil Baby’s website.