Mama Mio

From our interviews we’ve come to realize that there are some products that most, if not all, moms swear by, one of which is Mama Mio. We sat down with its co-founder, Tanya Kazeminy Mackay, to talk about the success and the story behind her renowned skincare line.

 

How did Mama Mio begin?

Mama Mio was born though all of our personal needs.  We are all skincare experts with over 100 years of experience between the four of us.  But first and foremost we are a bunch of selfish women who create the perfect products with the most potent formulations created to tackle our skincare needs. With nine kids between us, we had a vested interest in creating the very best maternity skincare!

 

What are some of the hero ingredients in your products?

We create products that are a cocktail of “hero” ingredients – ingredients that are totally specific to the task at hand. So if it is cellulite we are busting, it is a blend of 10 ingredients all designed to stimulate microcirculation.  If it is a pregnancy product it is a blend of omega 3, 6 & 9 rich natural ingredients to effectively build strength and elasticity in the skin.

 

What are the most important skincare tips you give to moms-to-be?

You are going to grow 30 inches in 40 weeks – that is a serious skin challenge! Please use the very best product you can afford and use it often (twice daily). Make sure you are very careful about ingredients – parabens, petrochemicals are all a no-no in pregnancy.

 

Your beloved Tummy Rub Butter – what makes it so amazing?

Mama Mio Tummy Rub is your superhero in fighting stretch marks. Rich in omegas and shea butter, it is thick and rich and amazingly moisturizing. One scoop and you’ll know our Tummy Rub Butter deserves every award and accolade it has won. It smells gorgeous, makes you feel gorgeous and is a pleasure to use…and it is amazingly effective.

 

What is your can’t-live-without beauty product? Why?

Lots of sleep and lots of water– basic but super effective. And to make sure I always look like I have lots of sleep, our Eye Know is the very best eye serum I have ever used. It is like 8 hours of sleep in 60 seconds!

 

What makes mothers beautiful?

Their inner glow of love and softness. I watch my friends and they can be out looking like a million bucks in their best and finest, but it’s the next day in their sweatpants — with no make-up, mid-gesture of motherly love– that they look their most beautiful.

 

What do you find inspiring?

People inspire me. I absolutely love people. Hearing a story, understanding an emotion, learning a lesson…my favourite is to spend time talking to people and taking it all in.  It can happen anywhere and anytime: Sian and I caught a cab at 5am in the snow to get to JFK and the woman driver told us her story and it blew me away. A story of self-sacrifice and motherly love, of family duty and cultural constraints.  So if you open your ears and your mind there are inspiring people everywhere.  More and more I realize this is how I fill my tank with inspiration and wonder.

 

As a busy mom, how do you make sure to still lead a healthy lifestyle?

There are some things that I have discovered through the years keep me happy – and I am committed to being happy so I do the stuff I need to do– like a prescription. I have to sleep well 5 nights a week and I have to run 4 times a week. This stuff is non-negotiable to me… my capacity to mother well and work well and live well depend upon it. So I just make sure I make the time – when you commit to it, it becomes easier. Never easy, but easier!

Illustrations by Regina Yazdi