Our Story

Some of the first ways we show our children love are also the simplest.

We bathe them. We moisturize their skin. We dress them, feed them, cuddle them, and tuck them in. Before they can even understand the words “I love you,” they already know what it feels like to be cared for.

I'm a mother of twin boys who were born prematurely and have dealt with eczema since they were babies. From the beginning, caring for their skin required extra attention. I learned to pay close attention to fragrance, fabrics, laundry products, moisturizers, and the everyday things that touched their skin.

Over the years, their needs changed, and so did the way I cared for them. What worked when they were babies wasn't necessarily what they needed as they got older. Through years of trial, error, doctor's visits, and simply knowing my children, I learned what worked for them, what didn't, and how important it was to choose everyday products thoughtfully.

Then my boys grew up and went to college.

Like so many parents, I packed everything I could think of before sending them off. I made sure they had the personal care products I knew they could use, along with the things they had learned to rely on over the years.

But there was one thing I couldn't pack: myself.

For the first time, I wasn't there to notice when something was running low, remind them what to buy, or stand in the store checking products with them. And like many busy college students, when something ran out, convenience sometimes won. They bought what was available and kept moving.

Eventually, one of my sons called me because his skin had become so uncomfortable that he needed to visit the doctor on campus. Afterward, we had the kind of conversation we'd had many times before: What have you been using? What changed? Was there fragrance in it? Was it something you knew worked for your skin?

That experience stayed with me.

A few days later, as I thought about what they were running out of and what I needed to replace, I wondered: Why isn't there an easier way to do this?

I started looking for a college care package that focused on practical, everyday personal care essentials. I found plenty of wonderful packages filled with snacks, treats, gifts, and items for special occasions. But I wasn't finding what I had been looking for as a mother. I wanted something that could take some of the guesswork out of sending everyday personal care from home.

That was the beginning of First Year Fresh.

First Year Fresh was created to make it easier for parents and families to send full-size personal care essentials to their college students, with sensitive skin and everyday college life in mind.

It isn't about doing everything for our children. Part of sending them into the world is trusting them to use everything we've taught them, make their own decisions, and become the adults they're meant to be.

But independence doesn't mean we stop caring.

Our children may eventually be too old for us to bathe them, dress them, tuck them in, or stand beside them making sure they remembered everything. But that instinct to care for them doesn't simply disappear when they leave home.

Sometimes, it just has to travel a little farther.

For the student opening the box, I hope First Year Fresh feels like a little piece of home.

And for the parent sending it, I hope it brings a little peace of mind. Even from miles away, there's still something practical you can do to say:

I'm thinking of you. I know you. I love you. And I've got this one thing covered.

That's what First Year Fresh means to me.