Saturday Skin Care - Ours Anything Balm

I was looking for a cream during my pregnancy that would moisturize, allow my belly to stretch and hopefully prevent stretch marks!

I was very cautious and paid special attention to the ingredients in various creams especially if they could potentially harm my baby! I was all set to start using the Bio Oil I purchased when I decided to do a little bit of research. This product is marketed heavily to pregnant women but they are the ones who should avoid using it the most!

Here’s why!

Bio Oil contains Retinol Palmitate (Vitamin A) which is a big no no for pregnant woman. The Vitamin A can be absorbed by your skin, enter into your bloodstream and build up in your body! High doses can be harmful for the developing fetus, especially in the first trimester!

Bio Oil also contains additives like CI 26100 (Red 17) which is a class 3 carcinogen, fragrance (rose) which is a hormone disruptor and BTH which has been linked to endocrine dysfunction, tumor promotion and organ system disruption. Oh and did I mention it’s a big fat “10” on the Think Dirty app!

As a concerned mommy to be, at the time, I decided it may not be the best idea to use this product!

A better alternative is Ours Anything Balm by Cheryl Hickey!

Once again I found this product on the shelves of the drugstore. This product is silicone free, paraben free, phthalates free, cruelty free and uses things like shea butter, coconut oil and grapeseed oil. Unfortunately its not yet rated on the Think Dirty app but the ingredients below don’t raise any red flags!

Ingredients:

Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Cera Alba, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Cera, Candelilla Cera, Tocopheryl Acetate, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Citrus Limon (Lemon) Peel Oil, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil, Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Oil, Camellia Sinensis Seed Oil.

It’s a very thick cream and you have to warm it up to room temperature to get a good spread across your skin. Because it is very rich it doesn’t absorb into the skin right away. I applied this cream at night so it wouldn’t transfer to my clothes during the day.

My experience with this cream was fantastic, I used it throughout my whole pregnancy and did not get one single stretch mark on my stomach, breasts or thighs. I don't know if its is a combination of my genes and the product or the product alone but I will take it!! It can be used anywhere you need serious hydration and it can even be used as a diaper balm for baby!

I find myself still pulling out this cream even though my pregnancy is over. The price is very reasonable at $12.00 a container and it can be purchased at your local drug stores.

Why not give it a try yourself!

Simply Truly Jenny…