By: Sunbin Song, New Mom & Chief Science Officer

Whenever I feel I’m not getting mothering quite right, I remind myself that every woman has a unique reaction to new motherhood. For example, my grandma told me that the happiest times of her life were those spent breastfeeding her babies. In contrast, breastfeeding has made me feel like an on-call human cow subject to the whims of a nine pound despot.

My baby is so beautiful. And, she is a miracle aided by modern IVF science and the joy and happiness we feel when we gaze at our baby’s sweet face is unmeasurable. That is of course until her face turns purple in a screaming fit. We call this baby “Hungry Baby” unless of course it’s “Gassy Baby”, “Dirty Diapey Baby”, “Overtired Baby”, “Lonely Baby”, or the most dreaded “Of Unknown Etiology Baby.” Last week our baby went on a bottle-strike and the handle we thought we had gained on the situation went out the window. 

I can see now why my sister, who had her first newborn over two years ago, decided to start a baby skincare company after her son developed eczema. I encouraged her as I already led R&D for a women’s skincare company and knew I could help her realize her goals. Together, we launched Song Lab Skincare: a science-backed, allergen-conscious, microbiome-friendly baby skincare line designed for today’s parents. Indeed, research-backed, barrier-first baby skincare was a great idea given the lack of well-designed baby skincare in the market. 

Now as a newborn mom myself, I appreciate on a more personal level her desperation when eczema flared up on the skin of her precious baby. She had tried product after product. I can only imagine her distress. Baby skin issues - eczema, dry skin, irritation - are just one more thing in a sea of stressors for new parents. Skin issues are just one more thing against a mountain of things that need to be tackled everyday with a new baby.

My baby has not yet developed eczema or any skin issues - it’s still early - but I’m already using Song Lab’s dermatologist-tested baby skincare products. Knowing what I know, I cannot easily put anything else on my baby. Even popular options like Aquaphor contain lanolin, one of the top contact allergens identified by the American Contact Dermatitis Society (ACDS). Shockingly, most baby products on the market include ACDS-listed allergens.

While my baby may not be one of the 1 in 5 babies develop contact allergies to these ingredients, who has the energy or mental space to go through trial and error? I don’t. And I definitely don’t want to add “Skin Allergy Baby” to my growing list of nicknames.

What makes Song Lab Skincare different?

• Free of ACDS top allergens
  
  

• No food-based ingredients that trigger allergies
  
  

• Supports the natural baby skin microbiome
  
  

• Fragrance-free, dye-free, and cruelty-free
  
  

• Developed by scientists, dermatologists, allergists and moms
  
  

Sure, my grandma raised five healthy kids without specialty baby products. But she also didn’t have the scientific knowledge we do today. She gave birth at home in post-war South Korea, when infant mortality rates were still high. I delivered in a trauma-equipped hospital, with access to modern medical care and safe pain relief.

It’s easy to romanticize the past. But I’m grateful to raise my child in a time when we understand the science of baby skin—that it's 20–30% thinner, loses moisture faster, and is more vulnerable to irritation.

Today, we know how to:

• Protect the skin barrier
  
  

• Prevent trans-epidermal water loss
  
  

• Maintain healthy skin pH
  
  

• Nurture the developing microbiome
  
  

And now, thanks to Song Lab, we can apply that research directly to our daily routine.

Choose baby skincare backed by science, not nostalgia.
Explore Song Lab: Barrier-First, Allergen-Aware Care for Babies.

Trusted by scientists. Made by moms.