Mustela

The Mustela brand is the brainchild of the French pharmaceutical company Laboratoires Expanscience. Since the middle of the 20th century, the brand has not only been producing popular and high-quality products intended for expectant mothers and small children, but also engaged in research activities, developing new product lines designed to make life easier for pregnant women, and in the future, baby care.

Brand history: how it all began

To some extent, the company can be called a family business, which was founded in 1950 – it was then that Paul Bert, the father of the current head of the company, was puzzled by the creation of new, innovative products, suitable specifically for the delicate skin of babies. Together with representatives of the pharmaceutical sector, Paul registered the company Laboratoires Expanscience.

Work on the development and creation of a line of care products for children was primarily based on information received directly from potential consumers. Surveys were conducted among mothers of babies in order to find out exactly how they care for babies and what hygiene products they use. Most of the mothers preferred ordinary baby or toilet soap, and this is not surprising – at that time there was simply no alternative, despite the fact that such products dried the baby’s skin, made it more rough and rough. A small part of the mothers used various recipes of traditional medicine, such as herbal decoctions, but the convenience of these procedures, of course, left much to be desired – what kind of decoctions can be prepared if the child needs to be constantly monitored, while having time to perform household duties. Someone used almond oil and talcum powder at every diaper change and after washing, but this scheme is also not simple and convenient.

Having studied the problem and determined the demand, the creators of the company developed the first unique product – a 2 in 1 emulsion, which had both cleansing and moisturizing properties. At that time, in 1950, it was the first lotion of this type, with a soft texture and a recognizable aroma.

The released product quickly found its fans and gained popularity around the world, so the founders of the company needed to think about expanding production, increasing and improving the product range.

The Mustela brand was registered in the 80s, and since then has held a leading position in its niche. Since 1982, the company has established its own foundation, through which it participates in various research activities in the field of pediatrics, gynecology and obstetrics.

Product range: what the company offers to the consumer

The general direction of brand development is skin care products.

Mustela offers products:

• for expectant mothers, as well as women who have recently given birth to a child;
• for infants.

The entire range is represented by four series:

• Mustela 9 Months: these are the products intended for women during pregnancy and after childbirth;
• Mustela Bébé: everything for hygienic care of the baby, including bath time, diaper change;
• Mustela Dermo-Pediatrics: products designed specifically for problematic and sensitive baby skin;
• Mustela Sun Protection: Everything you need to protect your baby’s skin from harmful UV rays.

The body of a woman during pregnancy and after the birth of a baby undergoes a huge number of changes – weight, volume, hormonal processes undergo changes, and adjust to the bearing of the fetus and further care for it. All stresses, changes and shocks inevitably affect the skin – it becomes prone to the appearance of stretch marks, dryness, flabbiness.

Mustela offers the Mustela 9 Months Maternité Range for expectant mothers, designed to maintain the beauty and health of the skin during and after pregnancy:

• skin tightening gel;
• creams and gels against stretch marks;
• means for strengthening the bust;
• oils for stretch marks and dry skin.

The skin of an infant, even healthy and normal, is still weak and has a small degree of natural protection from environmental influences. The products offered by the Mustela brand contain natural substances and are based on the company’s proprietary formulas. A special biomimetic component in the composition helps to strengthen the natural protective barrier of the child, and also protects the skin at the cellular level.

Mustela has developed all the basic types of baby care products that a mother may need:

• cleansing and moisturizing lotions;
• moisturizers;
• soothing and moisturizing baby oil;
• cleansing wipes for face and body;
• bath foam;
• cleansing liquids and gels for the scalp and body;
• shampoo.

A series of products for children’s skin prone to dryness, designed taking into account the need for increased hydration and nutrition. Products are approved for use for newborns. This is especially true in the winter season, when cold and dry air strongly affects the skin, for example, while walking. Mustela offers nourishing cream and nourishing lotion for very dry skin. The products can be used for both face and body.

Atopic dermatitis is a problem familiar to mothers of babies. This common skin disease usually appears in babies older than 3 months, but can develop earlier. Atopic skin looks dry and irritated, itchy and flaky, causing discomfort to the child. With intensive combing, the place of peeling begins to bleed. The disease may be active or inactive. Most often affects the skin of the face, but can also form on the body.

Dermatological care is the main component of the treatment of atopic dermatitis. The Stelatopia line consists of 4 products with soothing and moisturizing properties, selected specifically for skin irritated by dermatitis. The use of products helps to reduce the manifestations of atopic dermatitis, and is acceptable even for newborns from the first days of life.

For babies with atopic skin, Mustela offers:

• two types of moisturizers;
• bath oil;
• wash cream.

For irritated skin on the face and body, you can use a special regenerating cream – it helps to normalize the condition of the skin after burns, insect bites, scratches and bruises, as well as sores and cracks behind the ears and along the contour of the lips.

Seborrheic dermatitis in infants is an inflammatory skin reaction that appears as small, yellowish crusts that are greasy to the touch. Basically, the disease affects the scalp, but can also spread to the body, limbs. This condition does not cause particularly unpleasant sensations to the child, but, in any case, it is a manifestation of existing violations in the normal processes of skin functioning. These disorders are caused by an excessive level of sebum production, and can develop due to improper nutrition, care, or under the influence of aggressive external factors. Mustela Newborn Cream and Shampoo are designed to solve this problem and normalize the production of sebum in the baby.

Daily wearing of diapers in a baby, one way or another, is associated with the appearance of diaper rash or chafing of the skin, irritation and peeling due to close contact with urine and feces, as well as with the diaper itself. For fast and convenient diaper changes, as well as to prevent diaper rash and irritation, Mustela has developed special cleansing wipes, as well as a cream to apply before putting on a diaper.

Of course, it is very important for children to choose the right protection against exposure to ultraviolet rays, especially for the spring and summer period. Indeed, even for an adult, prolonged exposure to the sun without a special protective cream is fraught with burns and skin diseases, and children’s skin is even more vulnerable to UV rays. Therefore, Mustela offers parents of babies several types of sunscreen lotions with different degrees of protection, as well as moisturizing and restoring products after exposure to the sun.

The pleasant smell of things, bed linen and clothes of the baby can be provided by non-alcoholic and hypoallergenic children’s toilet water.

Nuances and production technologies

Laboratoires Expanscience positions itself as an adherent of high quality standards. Naturally, it is quite difficult to monitor compliance with them at all plants and facilities, if they are scattered around the world. That is why all the company’s products are produced only in France. The entire production cycle of goods takes place in factories located in the city of Epernon.

The choice of raw materials for the production of the products themselves, as well as packaging for them, is made in accordance with the requirements to reduce the negative impact on the environment. According to the company’s policy, it strives to use only natural ingredients and components as much as possible, which is why Mustela products contain approximately 92% natural ingredients. The primary requirements of the brand itself for its products are safety, efficiency and customer satisfaction from using the product.

Synthetic elements are also used in manufacturing processes, but only in cases where natural substances cannot replace them without loss of quality or effectiveness. At the same time, the company refuses elements and components of dubious quality, as well as those that have a negative impact on the environment.

Scientists, biologists, physicians and chemists actively use plant substances and components of plant origin in recipes, and also develop new active ingredients based on them.

At the same time, the company distinguishes between the concepts of natural ingredients and those that are of natural origin. In the first case, we are talking about any substances that exist in nature, unchanged, or changed by physical methods (water, beeswax, vegetable oils). As for ingredients of natural origin, they are also taken from nature, and have been processed by applying chemical methods to them – these are thickeners, emulsifiers, xanthan gum, and some other elements.

Any synthetic components are used only in extreme cases, when their use is justified by the requirements of safety and an effective finished product. Only those components are allowed for production that are permitted by the current European regulations. Among them are some preservatives, fragrances, acidity regulators.

In addition, Mustela refuses ingredients that are questionable and unsafe for the environment.

Brand products are produced:

• paraben free;
• without essential oils;
• without alcohol;
• phthalate free;
• without GMO extracts;
• without phenoxyethanol;
• without camphor, menthol, cineole;
• without triclosan;
• free from animal ingredients other than lanolin, bee products and dairy products;
• without aluminum hydrochloride.

All production facilities of the company are designed with the calculation of maximum prevention of wastewater pollution. In general, the issue of protecting and preserving the environment is very intensively lobbied by the leaders of Laboratoires Expanscience.

So, for example, in the process of producing packaging for its products, the company is based on three principles:

• reducing the amount of plastic production;
• reuse;
• processing.

As of 2013, most Mustela products have eliminated unnecessary instructions, outer packaging, and the weight of individual plastic packaging for each product has been reduced as much as possible. In addition, the production processes for the recycling of plastic used previously in Mustela products have been established, thanks to which the production and consumption of new plastic for packaging can be significantly reduced. Even promotional materials developed by the brand are made from environmentally friendly elements.

Issues of quality control of the finished product

The Mustela brand has been considered the “flagship” of its niche market for more than 60 years. He manages to maintain this position, not least thanks to a multi-stage product control system.

For the most clear understanding of the needs of the skin of a child and a future mother, the brand’s research body in the laboratory studies the features of the structure, functioning and reactions of children’s skin. In addition, scientists collaborate with leading experts in the field of obstetrics and pediatrics.

All components and ingredients of the Mustela formulas are hypoallergenic, do not contain any irritants, and act on the skin in such a way as to exclude the possibility of allergic reactions. The company cooperates on an ongoing basis with independent medical laboratories that constantly test products, including their tolerance.

The brand pays special attention to the issues of proper storage of its goods in order to be able to provide it to the buyer completely safe and usable.

The nuances of the use of preservatives to preserve the shelf life of products, of course, are of interest to the consumer. Mustela refused to add preservatives to its products, the safety of which has not been fully proven – these are parabens and phenoxyethanol.

In return, the firm opted for ingredients that are fully approved by the health authorities and are considered completely safe for all skin types. In addition, appropriate storage rules are developed for each specific product, in accordance with the principle of developing its formula, and also depending on the constituent ingredients.

Products that are intended for irritated or sensitive skin do not contain any preservatives at all. The guarantee of their safety is a special vacuum packaging, airless containers, which exclude the possibility of contact of the substance with the environment and air. On average, the shelf life of Mustela products is about 30 months.

In addition, the manufacturer draws the attention of buyers to the fact that Mustela products require a special storage regime so that their expiration date does not end earlier than the specified time, and also in order to prevent contamination of care products with bacteria and mold.

The company itself, before releasing products to the market, necessarily subjects them to a long chain of tests to confirm safety. In laboratories, tests are carried out on the tolerance of the product to the eyes and skin, the hypoallergenicity of the product, and its phototoxicity. For tests, artificial children’s skin specially synthesized in the laboratory is used.

Products intended for future and new mothers must undergo toxicological control to assess its possible impact on the development of the fetus, on breastfeeding processes.

Of course, one of the conditions for the release of a particular product on the market is its effectiveness. Specialists in gynecology, pediatrics and dermatology conduct a mandatory list of clinical trials for each product.

Quality control is carried out not only in the process of manufacturing goods, but also after its completion. All products are tested for bacterial contamination, and the stability of their formula is also tested.

This is not the end of monitoring the quality of products – the company works with all customer reviews and reactions, thus identifying side and undesirable effects from use, analyzing the causes of their occurrence in order to eliminate them in the future.

To meet the high level of customer requirements, the leading European brand manufactures its products on modern, highly automated equipment, which is constantly subjected to control tests and checks.

In total, about 450 different tests, checks and measurements go through each new product of the brand before being released to the market. The entire process of assessing safety and efficacy is carried out in 11 stages, each of which is carried out by independent medical institutions, as well as specialists and laboratories of the company. Experts in toxicology and allergology evaluate the skin, eye and neurosensory tolerance of the product in adults, as well as the tolerance when applied to the skin of children. Pediatricians, dermatologists, ophthalmologists, gynecologists are also involved in the checks.

With regard to product standardization and certification, European legislation, namely EU regulations, contains strict requirements and guidelines on these issues, including a list of prohibited substances for use in cosmetics, restrictions on the use of certain components, as well as packaging and storage requirements. specific substances. Mustela brand products are constantly subject to appropriate checks in France, throughout Europe, as well as within each state in which products are sold. Products produced by the brand have the appropriate ISO (International Organization for Standardization) certificates, as well as certificates from the Ecocert Certification Center, which establishes rules and regulations for ecological and biological cosmetics.

It should be noted that Laboratoires Expanscience, as a champion of environmental cleanliness, does not resort to testing its products on animals – for this, samples of child and adult epidermis are recreated in the laboratory.

Brand popularity in the global market

According to the company’s statistics, as of 2016, its sales volumes reached 247,7 million euros, and 71 million units were produced during the year. The main office is located in France, in addition, 16 branches are open around the world. In total, Laboratoires Expanscience employs almost one and a half thousand people. The most popular brands are Mustela and Piasclédine 300. Mustela products are sold in one hundred countries around the world.

The basis of the company’s work and development strategy is the goal of helping people maintain and improve their health, including skin health – all the company’s activities are built around it.

The partners of the firm are various international and national medical organizations, including the French Association of Rheumatology, as well as national associations for dermatology and pediatrics.

Mustela, in a way, is a pioneer in its niche, as its specialists develop and implement new technologies and scientific achievements aimed at improving the quality of products. Since 1996, the company has registered about 900 patents for scientific discoveries.

According to the AFAG 26000 assessment, Laboratoires Expanscience makes an exemplary contribution to the sustainable development of medicine and cosmetology in the world.

Laboratoires Expanscience is a member of the Ethical BioTrade Alliance, which aims to preserve biodiversity as well as ethical trade.

The achievements of this company are constantly under the spotlight of public attention, and periodically receive international recognition. For example, in 2017 at the in-Cosmetics Global exhibition, which was held in London, the company received a gold award in the Best Ingredient nomination. The in-Cosmetics Global exhibition, hosted by Barcelona in 2015, recognized the company with an award in the Green Ingredient nomination. In 2014, she was awarded the Sustainable Packaging Award at the Sustainable Beauty Awards for successfully reducing the amount of plastic used to package her products.

Important activities of the company

The work of such a large-scale brand cannot be limited only to the production of goods for sale. Laboratoires Expanscience is very concerned about the impact of technological processes on the environment, so every year new developments are introduced to reduce waste, reduce electricity and water consumption. In addition, emissions into the atmosphere that cause the greenhouse effect are also controlled – the company is constantly striving to reduce them.

As a member of the Union for Ethical BioTrade, the company expresses its commitment to the main criteria and directions of the work of the Union: respect and conservation of biological diversity, fair distribution of income from trade, observance of moral principles and human rights.

In addition, since 2004, Laboratoires Expanscience has been operating in accordance with the adopted policy of Corporate Social Responsibility. One of the requirements of the company’s policy is to extract and obtain plant components for production that does not cause environmental harm to states, as well as farmers. In the process of developing new formulas, recipes, as well as packaging design, the company follows international environmental standards and principles.

Naturally, the main activity of the company is scientific research. Mustela is the first brand to extract from avocado one of its biomimetic components used in formulas and recipes to protect the cellular resource of babies’ delicate skin.

Biomimetic is a concept used in the dermocosmetics industry, and refers to the creation of such a component that reproduces nature in its structure or functioning. These components, firstly, have a positive effect on the skin, and secondly, due to their naturalness, they have a high level of human tolerance.

To protect the cellular resource of the skin of babies, Mustela scientists chose avocados among other plants. Through in-depth, innovative research, they were able to identify and extract unique molecules from the plant that are responsible for the development and ripening of avocados. The isolated and concentrated molecules, purified in accordance with the requirements of technological processes, became the basis of the natural active ingredient Avocado Perséose, patented by Laboratoires Expanscience.

Avocado Perséose is highly adapted to the needs of children’s skin, and has a scientifically proven positive effect on it, enhances the formation of proteins and lipids in cells, and also helps the development of the protective function of the skin, and itself acts as a shield for skin cells when needed.

Avocado Perséose is part of a new generation of biomimetic ingredients that have an active effect on the skin of babies. It was his company Laboratoires Expanscience that was selected for use in the line of children’s cosmetics Mustela Bébé. The use of the substance Avocado Perséose makes it possible to protect about 80% of the original cellular parameters from external factors.

In addition, this active element, due to its natural origin, contributes to the preservation of the environment. The extraction and use of the component takes place in accordance with the requirements of minimizing the impact on the natural resources of the planet and its biological diversity.

For a company that positions itself as one of the world’s leaders in scientific research, it is natural to have a desire to support healthcare professionals, which is why Laboratoires Expanscience is the founder of a number of initiatives aimed at educating consumers, patients, and physicians. Scientific experiments and research processes in the field of studying the barrier function of the skin have led to the registration of 898 patents for various cosmetic and medical discoveries.

In cooperation with leading scientists, biologists, physicians, chemists, Mustela launched research programs to study the skin of newborn children. Thanks to these programs, the company’s scientists were able to synthesize human skin, including infants, in a laboratory without involving a person as a donor. The synthesized samples made it possible to study the structure, features of functioning, as well as the reactions of the skin to various substances and active components.

The scientific and philanthropic activities of the company in 1982 took shape in the creation of the Mustela Foundation. Its goal is to provide products of its own production to physicians who work directly with babies. In addition, the Foundation’s scientists are constantly involved in various international studies in the field of obstetrics and pediatrics. The foundation operates under the auspices of the Fondation de France and is committed to promoting child development and parenting around the world.

The Foundation cooperates with obstetricians, pediatric nurses, child psychiatrists and psychologists, pediatricians, neonatologists, and pharmacists. Its activities are based on three main principles: on the principle of supporting research and scientific experiments through the provision of grants, scholarships and awards to specialists who combine theory and practice of medical science; on the principle of promoting parental education and prevention of various childhood diseases through the creation and distribution of free information booklets, brochures, posters, infographics; as well as on the principle of financing the implementation of projects in the field of humane treatment of children, respect for the rights of children in France, including through the awarding of the Social Pediatrics Prize.

In addition, Mustela is involved in research in the field of osteoarthritis, including an annual award since 1998 to two selected scientists for the scientific interest and innovative nature of their projects.

In the field of dermatology, the company has been presenting an annual dermatological research award since 2002 to support an applied or theoretical project.

Where to buy quality Mustela brand products

Pharmacy 911

The online pharmacy 911 has products for newborns, as well as for pregnant women and women who have given birth. These are bathing products, for moisturizing and cleansing the baby’s delicate skin, as well as products for women’s skin care (against stretch marks, against loss of elasticity, for moisturizing and healing the breasts). There are also products for problematic skin, such as atopic dermatitis, and sun protection.

WER.RU

The WER.RU pharmacy offers customers a wide selection of products for babies – for skin care under diapers, for washing hair, for taking a bath, for cleansing and moisturizing the skin. In addition, the catalog contains positions for expectant mothers and women who have recently given birth – anti-stretch mark creams, oils, moisturizing and tightening serums, and anti-swelling leg creams.

EUROPHARM

The EUROPHARM catalog contains positions for both babies and their mothers – these are creams, lotions, serums and products for hygienic care for the scalp, body and face. Here you can buy the Bébé range for normal or problematic skin, as well as Mustela 9 Months products.

The Mustela brand over the past 60 years has become a confident leader in the production of products for the most vulnerable category of users – for babies and their mothers. Strict requirements for such products are due to their very purpose, and the company treats the processes of selecting raw materials, manufacturing, packaging and distribution of its products with great responsibility.