If there is one product I have really incorporated into my daily skincare routine since carrying baby Candy, it’s stretch mark oils for the belly. In fact – Mr C applies this for me every night and it’s a chance for him to catch any wiggles or movement (baby C likes to mess about at night near the surface it seems!). There’s an arm! There’s a bum!
I amazingly have not had any stretch marks apart from yesterday, I noticed a tiny 1cm-ish mark on the edge of my belly! I was comforted to be honest because I have been told by the Drs that they need to monitor the size of baby C as I look so small and neat. Other than that, I’ve had no marks which is surprising, as the women in my family are all very prone to them.
Here are 3 oils I’ve been rotating:
There’s also stuff like Bio Oil and you can of course use cheaper alternatives like Olive Oil and there’s lots and lots of natural oils you can buy cheaply from eBay (like Coconut oil). I wanted something that was relatively organic, and was a nice blend with scent.
Any stretch mark oil is going to sit on your skin somewhat – it’s an oil, obviously – but one that doesn’t leave my skin glossing like a stripper after a long shift is a winner.
Stretch mark oils can be used anywhere you are prone to marks, like legs and thighs, belly of course and boobs. Unless it states it’s ok for perennial massage then I wouldn’t use it (yeah, I went there).
1. Mum to Be Organics Stretch Mark Oil
Now, I’ve seen this brand around in the supermarkets and Boots – I think the packaging is cute, and it’s quite affordable and seems to be accessible to most people too. With this oil you get 200ml for £6.99. There’s a ‘for mum’ and ‘for baby’ range.
This has a slightly grapefruity smell but it’s not really that strong – there’s not much fragrance to this. It has a very runny oily texture so be careful where and how you apply it! It sits on the surface leaving a thin later where you apply.
I didn’t mind this one – I think it’s quite economical although you do have to be ok with it being quite runny. It’s very good value, the most affordable of the 3 and seems to do a decent job of keeping my belly soft.
Ingredients:
Mr C seems to favour this one the most, because it’s ‘glidey’ and smells ‘toasty’.
2. Earth Mama Angel Baby Natural Stretch Oil
I purchased this one near the start of my pregnancy. I paid £17.95 for this from their official site and to be honest, I felt quite fleeced because it’s expensive and a relatively known brand.
It comes in a plastic bottle, you get 120ml and doesn’t really smell of anything. The texture is quite runny.
This was my least favourite stretch oil. Although the ingredients are organic and it’s vegan friendly too, I found the runny texture a little bit annoying to work with and it REALLY sits on your skin. I didn’t notice any softening of my skin if that makes sense – usually after using a body oil my skin really glows but I didn’t get how this was any better than using plan grape seed oil and calendula.
For me really not worth the cost. Ingredients:
3. Mama Mio Tummy Rub
Mama Mio is the premium brand here – this comes in a heavy glass bottle and is the most expensive at £23 for 120ml.
I do love the texture of this though – it’s my favourite as it’s quite rich like a good quality olive oil and at the same time, isn’t a really pain to leave on the skin – it never felt too slick or greasy in my opinion!
There’s no colour added to this and once again, it has just a hint of a slightly citrus scent to it. Of the three it’s probably has the strongest smell but the nicest too (and it isn’t actually strong).
My skin felt very soft and moisturised after using this with a nice glow and no stretch marks either.
Ingredients:
To be honest, looking at the ingredients of these three, there’s no reason why you can’t mix up some oils yourself if you are on a budget – raw oils are available on eBay it just depends on if you have the time and inclination to do so. You might also need to practise blending and what quantities to use.
I personally quite like buying both premixed and making different blends at home. I actually bought some base oil and some pregnancy safe oil to mix up my own relaxation oil and one for labour (more on this later!) but there’s always options out there if you want to save money!
So back to the review! if I was choosing my favourite, it would go:
Mama Mio, Mum to Be Organics then Mama Angel.
Mr C prefers Mum to Be, then Mama Mio then Mama Angel.
If you have had a baby, did you get stretch marks? What products did you use for your pregnancy?
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
I got loads of stretch marks when i was pregnant,my mum was like oh you wont get stretch marks as she didnt,and we both have good skin. My stomach looks like a map of the underground in london.
18 years later they are faded but still there. I wasnt very big with my son,my belly button never came out. And i couldnt see what body part he was pushing out.Might be because i have a bit of a tummy anyway.
the first one.. The little me.. seems to be the best.. the ingredients in it, especially the jojoba oil is soo good..