I made the switch to clean beauty many years ago, and after a month of quarantine, like most of us, I edited down my beauty routine significantly. Then we found out we were pregnant and I realized I might need an oil or cream for my growing baby bump. I started to research belly oils and creams. Stretch marks weren’t too much of a concern for me, but keeping the skin hydrated was at the forefront of my mind. I went down the rabbit hole, big time. I read about every $100+ cream and was told by friends that simple organic jojoba or coconut oil was best.
I also had another issue- a major rash all over my belly and back. It was similar to the rash I would get in the winter time on my hip bones- just red, itchy bumps. My doctors said it was most likely just aggravated eczema. This didn’t help soothe my rash, by any means.
Before I spent any money on miracle baby bump creams, I looked to what I already had in my beauty bag. I have always used organic jojoba on my face, so that was a no-brainer, I used that twice a day, and while it kept my skin hydrated, it did not help make my rash go away.
STRETCH MARK OIL
So I turned to a trusted brand, Weleda and gave into their Stretch Mark Massage Oil. Again, my goal was not to prevent stretch marks, but to keep my bump hydrated and try to heal my rash. The combination of sweet almond, jojoba and wheat germ sounded more soothing than just straight up jojoba oil, so I spent the $25 and ordered a bottle. After using it for a few weeks, it did help ease my rash more than the jojoba oil, but it did not eradicate it all together. The rash would come and go, which was a nice break, but not my goal. I needed to get rid of this uncomfortable rash.
SHEA BUTTER
At this point I was desperate to get some relief from itching, so I gave in and bought a $40 cream from evanhealy: Whipped Shea Butter with Olive Leaf. I immediately did not like it, as there was a weird gritty texture to it at first- and I did not care for the smell. It went on like a lotion but stayed oily like an oil. I started using it over a layer of jojoba oil, but it did nothing for my rash- it came back in full force.
BAG BALM
Finally, my husband was so annoyed with my scratching keeping him up all night, that he decided to look in our closet to see if there was something that might give us both some relief. He came out with a can of Vermont’s Original Bag Balm that had been in our closet for years. He used it in the winter when his hands would crack from dry skin. I was up for anything at this point. I lathered it on over a layer of jojoba oil, put on a heavy t-shirt dress for bed (in an effort to save the sheets from this vaseline-type balm) and slept without a scratch! Who knew, this 121 year old salve – which was originally developed to soothe irritation on cow’s udders – would work for my eczema! And it was only $8. I was delighted and Dermot was very proud of himself. So over the next few months we went through our tin of Bag Balm oil, with minimal rash outbreaks here and there.
SKIN FOOD
When I finished the tin of Bag Balm, I thought I would try a new option, since my rash was still popping up every now and then. So I turned back to the trusted brand of Weleda and opted to try their Ultra-Rich Skin Food Cream. This has done the trick! I’ve been applying it to my belly and back twice a day for three weeks now and my rash is gone. I am so grateful I finally found something that worked. I still apply it over a layer of jojoba oil, which helps the cream go on easier, making it go further than if put directly on the skin.
What worked best for your growing baby bump? Share in the comments below…
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