Belly Oil Routine

"Look for magic in the daily routine" - Lou Barlow

For starters.... Let's state the obvious.

Every body is different. Some may develop stretch marks, others may not. It is still very crucial to take care your skin.

Let's learn a bit of science:

Stretch marks are referencing the 'stretching' of skin when there's growth involved.

The Dermis is what makes up the structure of the skin. Think of it as a bunch of circles next to each other (trypophobia unlocked) and that's what the typical pattern of the dermis looks like under a microscope.

When it's been "stretched", there's tension that is created on each circle that changes its shape. So, the circle, now looks like an oval. With your naked eye, a stretch mark has been formed.

So many theories as to why a stretch mark is formed -- could be genetics, lack of elasticity, spike in cortisol levels, too much scratching, and many more...

Without further a do, I want to share what I did for my skin during my pregnancy.

*** The entire routine products linked on Amazon Storefront - Belly Oil Routine ***

What's worked for me -- not to prevent stretch marks, but to hydrate the skin, and to enhance the texture. My skin is extremely dry in some areas, and I've dealt with many issues in the past, that I wanted to feel comfortable in my own skin during and after pregnancy by creating some sort of routine. It's not the same every day, I use different lotions, the order is different, and it depends on the time of day. Let's generalize it.

Before showering:

Let's exfoliate using this EcoTools Dry Brush - I see tons of skin flakes that just fall when I scrub for about 15-30 seconds in the belly, pelvic region, hips, butt, and upper thigh.

During shower:

Let's use Dr. Teal's Sugar Body Scrub - I've tried so many scents, and Blackberry is my favorite! I use this on my belly, my hips, my lower back, and my upper thighs. I find it to be so helpful and soothing especially when I'm having the urge to scratch my skin with a pitchfork. I bought 6 of them my entire pregnancy, so stock up girlies.

After the shower exfoliation, I use Ivory Body Wash -- this is something I SWEAR by for many reasons. I've used this brand for the past 10+ years due to my skin dryness. I suffered with Keratosis Pilaris AKA Strawberry Skin -- it's basically dry, rough skin that turns into small bumps. It didn't itch, but I needed to upgrade my soap from Dove to Ivory in my youth years. It worked!

Post shower: There are so many products out there for "stretch marks"/scars, etc., but there are a few people recommended, some I saw on TikTok, and products I swear by. A couple months before I got pregnant, I used Bio-Oil Skincare (dupe for now, since it's out of stock) for my mole removal scars, and it worked like magic, so I decided to use it for the stretching of my skin. There are a couple of lotions I've been using: Palmer's Stretch Mark Butter, La Roche-Posay Body Lotion,and Dr. Teal's Body Lotion. All three are amazing products, and I rotate them in my routine. So pick and choose which you prefer, and what is more cost effective.

Last, but not least -- let's not forget about the main character: VASELINE. This is my ride-or-die. I use this ALL the time to hydrate my face, my body, my lips, everything you can think of. Most importantly, I seal in the moisture at the end of my belly routine with Vaseline before I go to bed.

Pro tip: Leave Vaseline / lotion by your night stand, because you WILL wake up in the middle of the night, and want to scratch your skin. Apply the ointment to prevent from scratching.

Interesting Read:

Stretch mark science: What happens to your skin when pregnancy gives you a stretch mark? Most topical treatments currently available are not evidence-basedDon't believe the hype when you see those creams and ointments promising to prevent or reduce pregnancy stretch marks. Dermatologists are still learning about what causes stretch marks in the first place. For a new study, researchers investigate what could be causing them at the molecular level.

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