STRETTTTCH!!

Every time I look down at my growing belly that word comes to mind. The elasticity in our skin is pretty remarkable, and pregnancy is a glowing example of that. We gain pounds and inches in such a short amount of time only to say goodbye to them literally overnight (plus the months it takes to shed the rest of the weight) and our skin beautifully gives and takes right along with us.

Stretching bellys and hips don’t come without skin discomfort, though. From pain to itching to burning and those dreaded stretch marks, the stretchhhhhh can take a toll on our skin – which is why lathering up and hydrating regularly is essential. I keep a well-stocked beauty cabinet of options and rotate them in and out depending on my mood, and more importantly, what I’m suffering from. Plus, I take the application time to do a little pregnancy self-massage to relieve my aching muscles and joints and connect with the baby. It’s my favorite pregnancy ritual (a longer post to come on this).

I don’t use lotions since most of them contain parabans, fragrance, petroleum, BHA, formaldehyde, etc. but love love love oils and butters which I apply every morning after the shower and every evening before bed.

Here are the oils and butters that I like most and why:

One Love Organics Gardenia + Tea Antioxidant Body Serum

Ultra-light and easily absorbed, I leave this right in the shower and spritz (literally, it’s a spray which is pretty genius!) when I’m in a rush. It’s packed with antioxidants, firms and smooths your skin, and smells delightful.

Kimberly Parry Belly Butter

This USDA organic belly is a creamy, nourishing balm that glides on beautifully and is neutral in scent. When I’m super itchy, I lather this on and find it to be incredibly soothing and deeply nourishing.

Drifter Organics

The body butters by Drifter’s are some of my favorites! I leave a jar right in the shower, one by my bed, and one in my travel kit since they’re nice and little and pretty on the eyes.

Bio-Oil

Major key for stretch marks! And if you don’t believe me, believe the 223 skincare awards the product has won making it the No. 1 selling scar and stretch mark product in 18 countries. Why the hype? This product helps reduce the possibility of stretch marks, improves the appearance of existing stretch marks and helps improve the appearance of pigmentation marks.

OSEA Undaria Algae Oil

The ultra-concentrated, yet lightweight Organic Seaweed and botanical-based body oil is loaded with luscious Acai, Babassu, Passion Fruit and Ayurvedic Sesame oils to deeply hydrate skin, visibly firm things up and minimizes the appearance of stretch marks. The USDA Certified Organic Undaria Algae is soaked in barrels of botanical oils for 6 months to naturally distill the vitamins, nutrients and minerals into their purest, most potent forms, making this product what it is. Plus the aromatic notes of Citrus and Cypress Essential oils invigorate the senses.

Any that you recommend? I’m all ears!