If there’s one thing that I have been told repetitively for the past 6 months, it’s that my belly is bigger than the average first-time preggo bump.
That’s when I started giving more importance to stretch mark preventive care.
I’ve always been pretty skinny but for some reason, ever since the day I found out I was pregnant (at week 5) I was already extremely bloated, and my bump completely popped at week 15. That means I have been moisturizing and wearing maternity jeans to prevent stretch marks ever since.
Everyone started telling me how when you’re pregnant with a boy, the bump tends to bigger…
I don’t know if that’s just a myth, but it was definitely true in my case. That’s why I’ve been moisturizing daily from the very beginning.
Preparing my skin for the big stretch was important to me because even though I admire women who wear their stretch marks with pride, (I have my own on my hips and legs from teenage years), I want to do as much as possible to prevent them from appearing on my belly. I’m writing this in my third trimester, (week 28) and haven’t gotten any yet.
Since I get a lot of questions on Instagram regarding what products I chose for my own skin (I usually research a LOT before buying stuff), I decided to make a list of my “anti-stretch mark choices” so that you guys get the same info I found when I researched, and also links to where I got them.
Here’s the stretch mark prevention list:
STEP 1. Trofolastin cream
This is the “less natural” product, bought at a pharmacy in Spain (or amazon worldwide) It’s a bit more expensive outside of Spain but still worth it.
The cream is made with medicated ingredients by Novartis (a real drug company) and is the only product that has been proven to PREVENT stretch marks in actual pharmaceutical studies. Since it’s a cream instead of oil, I apply this first and wait for into dry (like1 minute) before the next steps.
Step 2: Add rosehip oil and vitamin E oil to unrefined Shea butter.
Since I read such great things about 3 of these, (benefits below) I preferred to be safe than sorry and apply all 3. Since the shea butter is unrefined, it’s a bit hard to apply on its own so I usually add 2 drops of each oil to help to mix everything up. Then, I apply this to my belly and breasts and then put on my maternity leggings. After hours have passed, I love how my skin still feels very hydrated.
Rosehip:
Rosehip oil is naturally a rich source of essential fatty acids and vitamin C, which penetrates the skin and is easily absorbed by the upper dermal layer. It helps in stimulation of collagen fibers and trans-retinoic acid helps to regenerate damaged skin tissues as well.
Vitamin E:
Vitamin E supports new skin cell growth and revs up cell regeneration by increasing elasticity. With more elasticity, your skin will be less susceptible to tears and stretch marks.
Shea Butter unrefined:
Shea butter is rich in vitamins which help to increase skin elasticity. Also, the quality of shea butter should be pure, unrefined to ensure that the product has high levels of essential fatty acids and vitamins A, E and F. Authentic shea body butter should have a slightly ivory or beige color to it and variation in color indicates the quality and type of the shea nuts and the processing methods used to produce the butter. It promotes healthy skin hydration, protecting and softening to smooth the skin’s texture and complexion.
3. Cocoa butter.
Since I can’t always take my creams everywhere, I got this one to take in my purse. Whenever I start feeling itchy (they say this is when stretch marks appear) I take my cream out and apply it. Not only does it help soothe the itchiness but it also moisturizes a lot and i love how it smells.
Cocoa butter unrefined: Cocoa butter is natural based plant-derived fat, incredibly rich in vitamins A, E, and stearic acid. It absorbs not only into the epidermis layer of the skin (top layer) but the dermis as well (middle layer) and smells AMAZING!
