With the countdown to baby’s arrival less than a week away, I thought I would take some time to talk about all the different kinds of belly butter and oils I have tested out over the last nine months.
Now, from what I understand, stretch marks are hereditary. If your Mom got stretch marks while pregnant, chances are you will too. So in many cases, these products cannot promise to prevent anything. But they sure do help to relieve the itching, tightness and discomfort that can happen as the baby grows inside the tummy.
Leven Rose 100% Pure & Organic Jojoba Oil
The very first product I tried was jojoba oil, which I had originally purchased for Dev to try to help with some intense dryness he often experiences in the winter. When my belly started to pop, I massaged a generous amount of the oil into my belly every night before bed. It absorbed quickly without leaving any sticky residue. I also really enjoyed adding some to my bath water to help soften my skin, although it definitely made my hair very, very oily when I got out! I also found that after some time, it started to smell a little funky, despite being fragrance-free…
Earth Mama Belly Oil
The first proper pregnancy targeted product I bought unfortunately didn’t make it into these photos. It didn’t take long to use up the 120mL bottle, which essentially consisted of organic jojoba, neroli, grape seed oil, and calendula. Much like the pure jojoba oil I used, it was light and easily absorbable. It had a slight, delicate scent that never made me feel nauseous. Personally, I didn’t like the pump and found that I had to use a fair amount of product each time, which meant it disappeared quite quickly.
Do I think it’s an overpriced, hyped-up product with a popular brand name attached to it? Slightly…
Burt’s Bees Mama Bee Belly Butter Fragrance-Free Lotion
By far my favourite “stretch mark preventer” was the Burt’s Bees Mama Bee Belly Butter. It had a rich, whipped texture but never made my stomach feel greasy. Much like all of these products, I’d use it religiously in the evenings and I never had to worry about it leaving an oily residue on our sheets. It was light enough that I didn’t have to spend too much time rubbing it in. And for some reason, I also found it quite cooling. I’ve often joked that I have a little heater inside my belly, so I really appreciated the short-lived chilled effect.
The only negative I can nit-pick at is the smell. But maybe this is more a user issue than a product issue. I often find unscented products to be a bit strangely scented…
NOW Solutions Sweet Almond Oil
Wanting to test out some different and more affordable oil options, I grabbed this sweet almond oil from a local health foods store. It seemed to be a little thinner than the other oils I tried, but again, absorbed easily. I liked that it contained just one ingredient (the oil derived from pressed almonds) and was deemed totally safe for both me and the baby.
Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula with Vitamin E Tummy Butter for Stretch Marks
Another product geared specifically towards pregnant women and stretch marks, the Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Tummy Butter was a bit of a miss for me. I absolutely love how it smelt, with the blend of pure cocoa butter, shea butter and coconut oil. But it had a solid, balm-like texture that I found difficult to use. In order to really coat my belly, I had to use the back of a fingernail to scrape some of the product out of the jar. Over time it melted with the heat of my hands and became liquidy enough to massage into my skin. But it took forever to absorb. And every morning I’d wake up to an oil stain on our sheets and my pregnancy pillow. I can’t imagine what it would have done to my clothing had I tried using it each morning instead…
Weleda Skin Food Body Butter
The belly butter I opted to use towards the end of my pregnancy is from a personal favourite line, Skin Food from Weleda. They make my favourite facial moisturizer (which I credit for eliminating a lot of pesky pimples in a little as a day) and I really enjoyed using the body butter on my growing baby bump. It has a rich, whipped texture that provides long-lasting hydration. Although I would say it is thicker than the Burt’s Bees Belly Butter. It’s also probably the strongest scented product featured in this post, with a pleasant orange creamsicle-like fragrance that I quite enjoy.
What products did you enjoy using to soothe your growing pregnancy belly? Leave me a comment so I can test them out next time!
xxx
