DIY Whipped Anti-Stretch Mark Belly / Body Cream
Heya friends!
At the time of writing this blog post, I am currently 24 weeks pregnant with my first baby! I’m equal parts terrified and excited! As my belly has slowly been growing I have looked up and down for a body cream that I would actually want to rub on my body twice a day. I looked at quite a few different products, read reviews, and bought some store bought creams that just totally fell flat for me. I have naturally dry skin and I’m very particular about the kind of “moisturizer” that I use. Sometimes store-bought moisturizers just feel like they are full of total crap. They leave my skin feeling sticky or worse, more dry as the product wears off! And so, I decided to try my hand at a DIY cream that I knew exactly what was in it. I like to know what the ingredients are and the base of this cream is tried and true. You can’t really go wrong with the basics, right?
I’ve been using this cream for a few weeks now and it has been heavenly. It’s my favorite part of my nighttime routine. I lay down in bed and rub the belly and then I feel my tiny human kicking and swimming around. My skin STILL feels moisturized in the morning 8+ hours later. I love the way this cream smells. I love the texture. I love how much product it made that will last me for weeks (maybe even months) to come!
What you will need:
A double boiler (If you don’t have a fancy double boiler, I just used a pot of water with a glass bowl resting on top and it worked perfectly fine).
Spatula
Empty containers to transfer your mixture into. I like to use little mason jars with these reusable lids I found on Amazon.
A hand mixer to whip your concoction!
½ cup Mango Butter (I’ve link you to Hera Nature’s mango and cocoa butter here - which is what I used an is absolutely amazing!)
½ cup Cocoa Butter
½ cup Coconut Oil
⅛ cup Olive Oil (Or you can use something like jojoba or grapeseed oil if you prefer)
3 drops of your preferred essential oil. For this recipe I used:
Let’s first talk about these ingredients!
Why mango butter? Like its close cousins, shea and cocoa butter, mango butter is a light, non-greasy butter that glides on skin smoothly and absorbs well into skin and hair and feels more like a body oil than a lotion. It’s rich with antioxidants, fatty acids and vitamins that nourish the skin and boost its elasticity and suppleness - and when you’re pregnant you can use all the elasticity you can get! Cocoa butter contains antioxidants and helps to reduce inflammation. Cocoa butter and coconut oil are mostly made up of fatty acids which help create a protective barrier for your skin and prevent moisture from escaping.
The mango and cocoa butter I bought was from Hera Nature and it is incredible. The smell is divine and it melts right onto my skin.
The essential oils I used were a personal preference - you can put whatever you like in your cream or none at all. You will just want to make sure that the oils are added to the cream after its taken off the heat and solidified a little bit (but before you whip). All of the oils I chose are beneficial to the skin in some way. Here's a little bit about some of the oils I chose to include:
Rose
Rose oil helps balance moisture levels in skin, reduce the appearance of skin imperfections, and promote a healthy-looking and even skin tone. It also helps the skin retain moisture. Pure rose oil is extremely expensive. For example, DoTerra’s Rose 5mL bottle is made from 10,000 freshly picked rose blossoms. Rose oil is also comforting, calming and reduces anxiety.
Lavender
Lavender oil gently moisturizes skin, and is non-comedogenic for pores - meaning it won’t block your pores. It is anti-inflammatory and can reduce redness, blotchy patches, and acne scarring. Lavender is also naturally antibacterial, meaning that it kills acne-causing bacteria that might infiltrate your pores.
Helichrysum
Helichyrsum reduces blemishes, the appearances of wrinkles and promotes a glowing, youthful complexion.
Frankincense
Referred to as the “King of Oils,” Frankincense rejuvenates the skin as a healing oil. It's also thought that frankincense can help support cellular function, so it's often used to soothe skin and reduce the appearance of blemishes.
Yarrow/Pom
Yarrow/Pom is great for lymphatic drainage and detoxification. It has the potential to promote a smooth, youthful complexion. Both Yarrow and pomegranate seed can help to moisturize and restore healthy-looking skin, while also working to reduce the appearance of skin imperfections.
HOW TO PREPARE:
Get your water boiling in your double boiler.
Cut your mango butter and cocoa butter into cubes/chunks so that they melt easier in your boiler or bowl.
Add in your coconut oil and olive oil (or jojoba, or whatever oil base you want to use here).
Let the mixture melt and stir it well while it’s on the boiler.
Once everything is completely melted, remove from heat and let cool. You want the mixture to cool enough so that it’s no longer a liquid. You can stick the bowl in the fridge for an hour or two to help speed up the process.
After your mixture has cooled, you can add in your drops of essential oils.
Mix with your hand mixer to whip the ingredients up. Do not over-whip! Just mix enough so it’s light and frothy.
Store in a jar or empty container and ENJOY! :)
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