Pregnancy and early motherhood bring a constant stream of questions, especially when it comes to safety: “Is this actually safe for my baby and me?”
It’s a very real concern. During this time, your body goes through major hormonal shifts, and what you put on your skin can matter more than ever. Ingredients that once seemed harmless may now raise questions about absorption, skin sensitivity, or whether they could affect your baby during breastfeeding.
But despite how common these concerns are, clear and practical guidance on topical care during pregnancy and lactation is often limited. This leaves many mums feeling unsure, and even healthcare professionals looking for better ways to support them.
At Max Biocare, we see this gap not just as a challenge, but as a responsibility. Through science-led education and practical frameworks, we aim to make safety in maternal care clearer and easier to apply in real life.
That’s why we joined the conversation at the SPS Health Symposium 2026 — to help bridge the gap between real-life concerns and evidence-based guidance, and to make maternal safety in everyday care clearer and more accessible.
Why We Choose SPS Health Symposium
The Sarawak Pharmaceutical Society Health Symposium cum Annual General Meeting 2026 was held on 28–29 March 2026 at the Borneo Cultures Museum, Sarawak. This key professional event brought together pharmacists, healthcare leaders, and industry partners [more details about the event here].
Graced by The Honourable Datuk Amar Prof. Dr. Sim Kui Hian, Deputy Premier and Minister for Public Health, Housing and Local Government Sarawak, the symposium reflects a strong national commitment to advancing healthcare standards and empowering professionals on the ground.
We chose to be part of this symposium because it aligns closely with our mission at Max Biocare: to support healthcare professionals with science-led solutions and contribute to better, safer care for communities, especially mothers and families.
By participating, we aimed to not only support the event as a sponsor, but also to actively contribute to knowledge-sharing, professional development, and meaningful healthcare conversations that make a difference beyond the counter.
What We Bring to the Conversation
Our presence at the symposium was guided by a clear purpose:
- To support continuous professional development (CPD)
- To contribute practical, real-world knowledge
- To strengthen collaboration with healthcare professionals on the ground
Rather than just participating, Max Biocare’s role was to help frame and guide the conversation — bringing clarity to complex safety questions that healthcare professionals encounter in daily practice.
Supporting through sponsorship
We participated in the symposium as both a Gold Sponsor and exhibitor with the intention not just to support the event, but to actively contribute to the advancement of pharmacy practice and maternal care. At our booth, we:
- Showcased brands under MBc Group, including MBc Medicine Supplements, Little Étoile, Garden of Wellness, and Salvarity
- Demonstrated how chlorine exposure can affect skin barrier function, especially in children and individuals with sensitive skin
- Conducted skin demonstrations and chlorine testing to showcase the effectiveness of our Little Étoile Swimprotect 2-in-1 Shampoo & Body Wash
- Provided practical insights to pharmacists on how to explain these effects to parents, and how to recommend appropriate care solutions
- Engaged in direct discussions with pharmacists and healthcare professionals on product use, safety considerations, and patient needs
- Shared our ingredient evaluation approach, helping attendees understand how to assess product safety beyond marketing claims
Through these interactions, Max Biocare acted as a bridge between product science and real-world patient needs.
As a Gold Sponsor, our role extended beyond visibility — we support professional learning and contribute to community health education, which aligns with the symposium’s role in strengthening pharmacist capabilities and healthcare collaboration.
Putting maternal safety in the spotlight
A key highlight of our participation was an educational session delivered by Dr Sharon Lee, PharmD, MSCR, representing the Max Biocare research team.
The topic we chose for this discussion is “Beyond the Counter: Maternal Care in Pharmacy Practice – Evidence-Based, Safe Approaches for Skin & Wellness” — a key area of focus within Max Biocare’s broader efforts to improve maternal care in Malaysia and SEA countries.
The session focused on topical care and personal care safety during pregnancy and breastfeeding—an area frequently encountered in practice but not always clearly addressed.
Key topics covered included:
- Prenatal and postpartum skin changes
- Safety considerations for topical and personal care products
- Ingredient risks and common misconceptions
- Structured safety screening approaches
These are common, real-life concerns raised by mothers.
As Dr Sharon Lee shared during the session:
“Studies have detected multiple environmental chemicals in pregnant women’s blood, and some of these substances can cross the placenta or be transferred through breast milk […] it becomes critical for healthcare professionals to understand what they are recommending and how it may impact both mother and child.”
Building on this, Dr Sharon also highlighted Max Biocare’s internal approach to safety evaluation:
“When we evaluate products for breastfeeding or pregnant patients, we should apply the same ‘inscreen’-style approach that Max Biocare practices — ingredient-by-ingredient checking using reliable references, supported by manufacturer safety data where available. This is exactly how we protect patients under a ‘first, do no harm’ approach.”
The content shared during the session was not theoretical; it was built on insights gathered through Max Biocare’s continuous research, product development, and safety evaluation processes.
From ingredient screening to formulation decisions, these learnings are part of how our team approaches the development of products intended for sensitive groups such as pregnant and breastfeeding mothers.
This approach provided healthcare professionals with a clearer framework for assessing and recommending products in maternal care.
It also highlights a key difference in how Max Biocare approaches product safety: through structured, multi-layer evaluation systems developed internally, rather than relying solely on general guidelines or assumptions.
Empowering pharmacists with practical tools
In addition to knowledge sharing, the session addressed how pharmacists can apply this information in practice. Using structured frameworks introduced by Max Biocare, pharmacists were guided on how to:
- Counselling
- Triage
- Follow-up care
This reflects a broader shift in pharmacy practice, from product-focused interactions to patient-centred advisory roles.
Equipping pharmacists to deliver not just answers, but confidence and clarity to mothers.
This reinforces the importance of evidence-based maternal care and the responsibility of healthcare professionals in minimising risk and misinformation.
What This Means for the Healthcare Community
Our participation translated into tangible outcomes across both professional practice and community impact.
Increased awareness of maternal care
We received positive feedback from delegates, including male healthcare professionals who found the session insightful and relevant. This reflects a broader shift: maternal care is no longer seen as a niche topic, but one that resonates across the healthcare ecosystem.
Importantly, the session helped bring greater attention to topics that are often under-discussed, such as ingredient safety, topical exposure, and everyday product risks during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
The symposium also contributed to raising awareness of maternal health and wellbeing, particularly in the area of:
- maternal skin health,
- safe topical care during pregnancy,
- product safety during breastfeeding.
By bringing these topics into a professional setting, it encourages more structured and informed conversations in daily practice.
Expanding access to quality products
Beyond the educational session, the engagement also gave us new partnership opportunities with pharmacies and healthcare professionals.
These connections support a wider goal: bring high-quality, science-backed Australian products to more people, making them more accessible to families across different communities.
Driving collaboration and future development
Through this CPD event, we reinforced our position as a science-led and education-driven partner—supporting healthcare professionals not just through products, but frameworks, knowledge, and practical tools.
This creates opportunities to:
- Collaborate on future initiatives
- Co-develop solutions in maternal care
- Expand education and research efforts
Across pharmacy, maternal care, and healthcare practice.
Overall, the response and outcomes highlight a clear direction forward:
there is growing interest, increasing awareness, and strong momentum to advance safer, evidence-based maternal care.
More importantly, the engagement demonstrated that there is a clear demand for deeper, more structured conversations around safety, and that Max Biocare can play a role in helping lead these conversations through both scientific insight and practical application.
From Conversations to Community
During the symposium, we saw growing interest in The Nurture Nest: Ibu Sihat Malaysia – Raising Families With Confidence) – a Mums & Bubs community developed by the Max Biocare and Little Étoile team.
This platform was created to support parents with clearer, science-based guidance, while bringing healthcare professionals closer to the communities they serve.
Pharmacists, lactation consultants, and other healthcare professionals showed strong interest in being part of this space. Many shared that they wanted a platform where they could:
- Continue conversations beyond the pharmacy counter
- Share real-life patient experiences
- Help parents navigate everyday concerns with more confidence
Shortly after the SPS Health Symposium, we reached an important milestone: The Nurture Nest is now 100 members strong.
Be Part of The Nurture Nest
We invite you to join us.
Whether you’re:
- A healthcare professional looking to share and learn
- A parent navigating questions and uncertainties
- Or someone who cares about improving maternal and child wellbeing
The Nurture Nest is a space for you.
Moving Forward – Our Commitment
The conversations don’t end here.
We will continue doing what matters: making everyday care safer for mothers and families.
