Pregnancy Skin Goodies

[KristaY]

My daughter is 10 weeks pregnant with our 1st grandchild (the baby is the size of a kumquat ) so I want to make her some goodies that will be helpful for her growing baby belly. I plan to make some decadent soap using my triple butter recipe but also lotion and balm. I'd love to hear your suggestions and advice on what is best (and safest) for use during pregnancy. I'm so excited to start this project!

 

[shunt2011]

I made my daughter and nieces a sold lotion bar with meadowfoam, argan, shea and a couple other goodies. I let them pick out their fragrance. They all loved them. They just used any of my soaps that they liked.

 

[BlackDog]

I would think a lotion bar or lotion or body butter using cocoa butter would be appropriate. I haven't been pregnant, but the women close to me were always slathering cocoa butter on themselves since it's supposed to help with stretch marks.

 

[snappyllama]

I'll third lotion bars and/or body butters.

My feet ached like crazy when I was pregnant - I would have loved a foot soak/bath tea with for them. My doctor advised against epsom salts for me (had a high risk pregnancy), but your daughter would know if they are allowed for her.

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

Joboba and almond oil just as an oil blend for her skin will work wonders. Non-scented in general would be my suggestion - better to be safe than sorry with that sort of thing

 

[earlene]

A peri-bottle or two and some calendula flower leaves with instructions how to prepare a calendula tea infusion to use post-partum. There are peri-teas, too but I'd say leave that to her midwife if she has one. If not, here is a recipe that might interest your daughter.

 

[KristaY]

Thank you, everyone, for the replies! Mostly you confirmed what I was thinking: lotion and/or whipped body butter containing meadowfoam, argan, jojoba, SAO, cocoa butter, shea butter, etc.

I was thinking the same about non-scented, TEG, so I'm glad you brought that up.

Snappy, thanks for the tip on the foot soak. I have no doubt as she'll have aching feet by the 3rd trimester so I'll give that a go once her doc approves the ingredients.

I haven't thought as far as post-partum yet, earlene, so I appreciate the link to the peri tea. Again, I'll have her get the OK from the doc before I put it together but it'll be nice to have a plan ahead of time!

If anyone else has any particular things that helped during pregnancy I'm all ears!

 

[Arimara]

Skin wise, I have nothing. I'd steer clear of most teas (black was said to be the safest when I was pregnant) and anything herbal (without proper guidelines set out). At ten weeks, her nose would probably be insulted by certain smells and what not. If she likes anything scented, better to let her choose and to keep the scent light. But generally, I agree with unscented items.

 

[KristaY]

Good point, Arimara. Scent, like food, during pregnancy can be so much different than in non-pregnancy. What she loved before might be something she hates now and vise-versa. I'll talk to her about it before I decide on scent (if I add scent).

My primary focus right now is a lotion/body butter she can rub on her tummy, thighs, breasts, etc to help avoid stretch marks. Our family is blessed with excellent skin (none of us have pregnancy stretch marks) so she probably won't have any problems but it's always best to do whatever can be done to help avoid it!

 

[PuddinAndPeanuts]

The only thing I can think to add that I don't think anybody else mentioned is you might try to make a belly butter that has a ton of vitamin e. (I don't know the max that's ok for safe usage, but you'd want way more than you'd usually use strictly for its antioxidant effects). Vitamin e is great for reducing the appearance of scars, so it should help fade any stretch marks she ends up getting.

 

[Arimara]

Lucky. I didn't develop stretch marks til my last trimester and I've was using shea butter like a champ. I think vitamin e would be a nice addition for a belly butter but you do also have to pick and choose which s best. I think capsules would be the best bet personally.

 

[KristaY]

Thanks for the reminder about vit E, P&P! I got focused on the other oils so it slipped my mind. I probably would have remembered it...eventually.

I agree with Vit E capsules too, Arimara. Certainly the easiest to come by and each will deliver it's specific amount.

I'm going to make a small batch this afternoon then tweak if necessary. Thanks everyone for the input!

 

[earlene]

Great idea, PuddinAndPeanuts. I used loads of vitamin E in my youth due to a burn scar from a fire when I was 10. Both externally and internally. My plastic surgeon recommended the vitamin E, which was rather unusual in that day and age for most mainstream medical doctors.

 

[PuddinAndPeanuts]

I think the cheapest vitamin e around is the t-50 from soapers choice, but u have to get a whole pound

 

[artemis]

What about lanolin? During and after pregnancy (I have 4 children) I loved lanolin. I rubbed it into cuticles and on rough patches and even lips! I've heard of people adding it to soap, but I've never tried it myself. I probably would have appreciated a variety of items with lanolin in them.

 

[Arimara]

Lanolin's a nice idea but is that something that some people love and some people hate?

 

[KristaY]

I thought about lanolin too. When I first looked around to buy some for a shaving soap recipe I found it in the pharmacy in the baby care area. It was packaged for use when breast feeding so my thoughts ran to post partum uses. Maybe I could try a bit in a whipped butter. Has anyone tried using it that way?

 

[snappyllama]

No, but I use lanolin in lip balms (10%) and shaving soap(2%-5%). In both of those applications, it sinks in and leaves a soft, protective film - which is really nice in arid environments. DH really notices its inclusion in his shaving soaps. He has really thick facial hair with sensitive skin that chaps and gets red spots. Lanolin shaving soaps stopped all that - though it does means he has to more thoroughly wash his brush.

I think it would be lovely in whipped butters and will have to give that a try. I think I'd start off around 5%-10%.

 

[KristaY]

Thanks so much Snappy! I'm definitely going to give it a try. If she doesn't like it, no harm. I'll just use it myself.