What is the best thing about free samples? Being able to try out products before having to spend money on them to find out whether you like them or not. This is ESPECIALLY important when you are pregnant! Why? Because your sense of smell, the sensitivity of your skin and your patience are all very different during this time? Patience? Yes!! Because I am going to tell you today about the items I tried for stretch marks and patience comes into play when drying and absorption times come into play. Waiting for them to dry so you don't feel gross when putting on your belly band, or leave stains on it, can play a BIG role in deciding what you want to use, if anything. Some of you may be fine just sticking with lotion, especially if you don't have a lot (or any) stretch marks.....lucky you. But, helping the elasticity of your skin can help prevent them (just in case) and help after when you are trying to shrink it again. Here are the ones I tried and what I thought....
1. Belli Beauty Elasticity Belly Oil Stretchmark Protection. I did love how easy it was to spread around my belly so I did not feel like I was wasting any or going through it too quickly. I had a few sample packets, and each one lasted about a week. Each one also came with a sample face wash as well for acne. My biggest problem was the smell. I could not stand it!!! With either product. It may have just been my sensitive pregnancy nose, but I feel like they should take that into consideration when choosing ingredients and smells on pregnancy products. It also took a long time to absorb into my skin. I felt like I was waiting forever to finish getting dressed. Not good when you are trying to get ready for work. I also did not feel like the face wash did anything. It was hard to keep on because of the smell, and I did not notice any difference with the acne I had (which was not much, but still....).
2. Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Massage Lotion for Stretch Marks. This one was better for me than the Belli. It was also easy to spread and dried very quickly. The lotion was nice and not too thick. Still, the smell bothered me. It was more annoying than anything else. It did not smell like Cocoa Butter, but I can't quite put my finger on what it was. Either way, I had to move on....
3. Motherlove Pregnant Belly Slave. While I have heard nothing but wonderful things about this company, this is one product that I definitely was not impressed with. I may try more of their products in the future, but do not recommend this one. It was very thick and very hard to spread. I felt like I was using so much and wasn't even getting all of my belly (imagine if I also needed some for my back, boobs or thighs!!!). It was also the slowest to absorb into the skin and dry. I would stand in front of my fan to try and help it along and it would STILL take forever. The smell on this one really bothered me as well. It has a really funny smell that I felt stayed with me all day. Not my cup of tea....
4. Palmer's Cocoa Butter Skin Therapy Oil. I kind of liked the oil better than the lotion. It was hard to use out of the pouch and you had to move fast because it dripped down my belly (which ticked a little), but it was easy to cover my whole belly with a small amount. I also had to wash my hands after because I didn't like the feel of it on there. The smell was the same as the Palmer's lotion, but didn't seem to linger as long. Fairly quick to dry, especially with the help of a fan. I would definitely say it is worth a try, but you make not like the oil....
5. Bio Oil for Skin, Scars Stretchmarks and Uneven Skin Tone. The last one i tried (well, bought because I used it before for stretch marks when working out a lot and really liked it a lot) was Bio Oil. It is on the expensive side (though all of these are, which I think is crazy. That's is why I recommend and only used during my third trimester), but it is worth the money. Also, you can use it for other reasons, so if you have any leftover it will not go to waste. It has a very light odor and a very fast dry time. I feel like it gets absorbed the second it touches my skin. It also does not linger on my hands, so I don't have to run back to the bathroom to wash my hands right after. Maybe just dry them on a towel if I use a little too much that day. It is very easy to spread over the skin and cover any areas needed. I also like how it does not drip. It has a good top that allows me to put right against my belly and disperse in small amounts all over then rub in. Check with your doctor, but it should also be safe to use on any scarring after birth, especially if you have a C-Section.
Good luck to all of you during the end of your pregnancy. And, if you have tried any other products that I have not mentioned, please comment and let us know what and how you liked it. I would love to see what else is out there.....for next time..... ;)
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