Pregnancy Skincare

I’ve always had a mass of silver tiger stripes on my hips since I was a teenager and they have never really bothered me. Post pregnancy stretch marks looked like a far scarier beast however and not something I particularly wanted to be left with. Although I was quite prepared for my body to change, and knew the outcome would be worth it, I really wanted to limit the damage as much as possible.

Mama Mio | The Tummy Rub Butter

I had seen this advertised in many pregnancy magazines and on forums online. When I found a free sample in one of the bounty goodie bags you get I decided to give it a try. I liked the sample enough to order the tub (£23.50 for 120g) and give it a proper try.

A little goes a very long way. Unlike some butters, the body shop version for example, it spreads very easily so it’s a decent sized tub for the price.

I didn’t use this passed the first trimester to be honest. The smell I found a little too much, it’s a very strong citrus and as I used it before bed it was just too overpowering. I also found the butter very sticky. I really hate putting clothes on over moisturiser before it’s dry and this never fully soaked in, often leaving me a big hot sticky mess so not great.

Elemis | Japanese Camellia Body Oil

When I googled stretch mark miracle cures (yeeesss i know they don’t exist, but that’s what you search for right?) this one came up A LOT. Even Victoria Beckham used it apparently! It was a little more expensive than I would usually spend on a body care product (although I found it reduced to £24.95 for 100ml) but I thought it worth a try.

I LOVED this one. It’s a very light oil, soaks in very quickly and the SMELL is divine.

I used this for my entire pregnancy and beyond. It became a little evening pamper treat and part of my self care ritual. I started using it from around 3 months and I finished off three whole bottles of the stuff during my 2nd and 3rd trimesters. That sounds like a lot but considering I was using it morning and night I think that’s pretty good!

Mama Mio | The Tummy Rub Oil

After not loving the body butter I wasn’t intending on trying the other products in the range, but when my aunt sent me the tummy rub oil I gave it a try (£27 for 120ml).

It’s similar in consistency as the Elemis oil but I still wasn’t a fan of the smell. It also has a massive nozzle so you get loads of product out in one go, which you don’t really need. This meant the product ran out very quickly and I didn’t think it was particularly very good value.

I did end up using it, mainly as an emergency spare while I was waiting for the next Elemis oil delivery to arrive! but I only really used it in the morning when the smell wasn’t a massive issue.

Verdict

I think it’s obvious that I preferred the Elemis over the other products. It’s the first Elemis product I’ve tried and I wasn’t expecting it to be such good value for money let alone such a lovely product to use.

But did it work? Well obviously I did get stretch marks, of course I did, it wasn’t a miracle cure BUT, the damage was minimal. I can’t say that the result wouldn’t have been the same without the oils and potions but several months later they have almost faded away with the exception of those below my pubic line. An area I completely neglected when it came to the oil, mainly as I couldn’t see it after month 5!

I’m pretty confident they will fade further over the next few months and unless I plan on wearing a very daring bikini that cheese wires my vajayjay what marks remain are unlikely to be visible.