A pregnancy must-have: Mustela® Stretch Mark Prevention Oil

I recently spoke about body-care products I have incorporated into my routine since my body started – ahem – growing. And I mentioned that there is one product which I feel has truly made all the difference. And this is it; the Mustela® Stretch Mark Prevention Oil.

I have never been a fan of body oils. Face oils, yes. Body oils, no. For no technical reason other than I find them high-maintenance. Having to stand around nekkid waiting for the oil to absorb and having to wash your hands after each application is not my idea of a user-friendly product!

However, the Mustela® Stretch Mark Prevention Oil is BEAUTIFUL. It absorbs beautifully, it does not leave an oily residue on your hands, and it does not leave marks on your clothes. And the scent… HEAVENLY.

I am currently 21 weeks pregnant so there is still a heck of a long way to go. I also have a long torso so my skin is already more “stretched”, and the chance of hectic stretch marks is less than a shorter person (or so they say). My stomach, however,, has popped, and is looking fairly large as I approach the 6 month-mark THIS WEEK.

So far I have not added one stretch mark to my bod. That being said, I do have faint stretch marks on my boobs, as well as on my hips. These are just normal growth spurt stretch-marks that I developed in my teens. I am totally prepared for stretch marks to explode all over me as I near the end though. I have a friend who swears she did not have one stretch mark until the week prior to her due-date.. and then she was covered.

That being said, I am happy with the fact that I have managed to keep my skin in a fairly nice condition thus far. NOT because I don’t want stretch marks, but because the itching drives me up the wall! Keeping your skin moisturised and hydrated is the sure-fire way of assuring your skin doesn’t itch. And scratching the itch is what results in stretch marks.

If you are someone who doesn’t want stretch marks, or if you’re like me and want to keep your skin heavily moisturised and supple, then these are my top items to include in your routine:

• Exfoliation cream or scrub
• Maternity oil. In this case, my favourite is obviously the Mustela® Stretch Mark Prevention Oil
• Body butter, maternity cream, nourishing lotion or similar. The richer the better.

Overall, the Mustela® Stretch Mark Prevention Oil improves skin elasticity and softness. This allows the skin to stretch without causing stretch-marks. Like I mentioned above, it goes a long, LONG way in keeping the skin hydrated and nourished and alleviating those feelings of itchiness. Seriously guys, I have mentioned the itch about 3 times in this blog post but it is no joke!

The rich and beneficial oils of pomegranate, avocado, musk rose and baobab nourish the skin and improve the elasticity, leaving it feeling soft and silky.

The proper application is twice a day (morning and night) and to be massaged into the boobs, tummy, thighs and hips. I am VERY naughty when it comes to this. Usually I only remember to apply in the evenings, after my bath, and I focus a bit more on my boobs and tummy. I really need to start giving my thighs and hips more love, especially as this is where my pre-existing stretch-marks are so clearly that skin is susceptible to stretching. You should also be applying it and massaging into the skin in a clock-wise direction. Again, I don’t exactly follow this to a T..

I use about 2 pumps at a time which makes the price tag of R235 extremely reasonable. Because this is an oil, the product goes a long way. You are advised to use it 3 months post-birth so even better that it will go so far.

I don’t know how many pregnant women I have as readers at the moment, but let me know if you decide to pick this up! I truly give it two thumbs up.

Rayne XX