Stretchmarks. I have a few beautiful silky white lines on my thighs from when I was a growing teenager and a bunch on my breasts. I look at them and smile as I’ve now learned to embrace them, they remind me of my childhood days. My dear mother earned her beauty from bringing my twin sister and me into this world. But when I fell pregnant and my skin started to stretch, and that unbearable itchy feeling suddenly hit me. I then knew what all my pregnant friends were talking about — round the clock itchiness. And, I’ll be honest, I was so scared of getting stretch marks. I was so focused on what I would look like for my husband and my friends.
So out I went, I brought a basket of products, and every morning and night after the shower I would lather my baby bump in every single product I had. My clothes were saturated and I smelt like a candy shop. It became a ritual, soggy clothes, and oily skin. As I watched my bump grow day by day, I suddenly started to grow a new found love for my body. I felt so beautiful. By the 38 weeks, I was on a constant high from the hormones, knowing that my little Oliver would be earthside soon. And that day he came into my life via emergency C, words will never ever be able to describe the happiness and love that I felt.
How Stretch Marks Helped Me Learn To Love My Body
Now that I am 11 months postpartum, I look at my body in the mirror searching for any kind of memory that I earned from when I was pregnant with my little Olly. Nothing is there, not even that dark line that appeared on my bump. Maybe it was genetics, or maybe it was all those creams and oils I slathered onto my skin or was because of how much self-care I took for my health, nutrition, and skin while pregnant. I was certain I would get just a few, but nothing, not even one. I miss that time and those feelings and I suddenly think to myself now I wish that I did get a stretch mark, Olly’s mark of life on me. It’s crazy how much I changed once Oliver was born.
I was so fixated on my looks, but it’s funny how when I started to grow Oliver, everything changed, how I viewed myself, and how I looked at myself. It’s hard to explain. But now I look down at my C-section scar. It’s there to stay and every night when Oliver is away from me in his crib fast asleep, I lay in my bed with my hand on top of it, because it reminds me of him — and lets me know that he’s always with me.
To this day, I still use all of the below creams and oils, not because I want to get rid of a scar, but because it’s become a beautiful ritual for me as the scents (especially the Palmers Cocoa body butter) take me back to those days of when I was pregnant, the memories of Oliver’s hiccups and those days I would just lie in bed talking to him. Becoming a mama taught me to love myself, scars, and all.
The Best Stretch Mark Creams and Oils
1) Bio-Oil
Image Bio-Oil
Bio-Oil was recommended to me by my twin sister. She now has 2 boys and swore by the Bio-Oil while she was pregnant both times. Even though it’s a little on the pricier side, I often reserved this oil for my night time latherings to save my pennies. It has a multitude of benefits and even assisted in reducing that itchy skin feeling I had on my baby bump.
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2) Rococo Body Oil
Image via @Rococobodyoil
Another great oil is Rococo Body Oil. This oil is hand made in Australia by a mother herself and she infuses the oils with crystals to deeply hydrate, repair, and nourish the skin. I use the Amethyst body Oil and love that the crystals she used are positively charged Amethyst Crystals, a powerful stone to protect our energy field and balance our energy.
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3) Palmers Cocoa Butter
Image: Palmers.com
Ok, I LOVE this one, it’s so affordable and the scent is just delicious. My husband Simon always says I smell like chocolate whenever I massage it on my skin. I went through tubs and tubs of this one. I always applied morning and night, after a shower when my skin was damp. At night I’d use it as an overnight treatment. Then, I’d hop into bed and my sheets would always smell like chocolate. I’d wake to the smell of chocolate.
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4) Tata Harper Redefining Body Balm
Well, if you want to splurge, then this is the one for you! It’s more of a rescue balm style of treatment and also smells beautiful. This is also a firming body treatment and it also minimizes the appearance of stretch-marks. It also provides intense hydration for smooth looking skin. It’s best for dry, mature skin and I highly recommend if you are willing to splurge
Tata Harper
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5) Mutha Body Butter
While the above products are the ones that I use on a daily basis and still do, I recently was introduced to the Mutha Body Butter And Body Oil. It’s a beautiful uplifting citrus-scented butter and oil crafted with 100% natural origin ingredients, and I’m sad that I didn’t get to experience this while I was pregnant. But then again, for the nights I do some self-care, I use the Mutha for an all-over overnight body treatment which, is divine!
Image: Mutha Body Butter
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While you’re here, check out these 9 nighttime skincare tips that actually work.