I apply the Basq Body Boost Milk & Honey Stretch Mark Oil all over my belly, taking it down to my upper pubic area where my stretch marks start, and the sides of my hips up to my waistline where I have stretch marks too. 

I really, really regret not using this ever since I found out I was pregnant! It could’ve prevented the stretch marks but I was way too sick in my first trimester to take care of my skin. So I’m urging you ladies out there who are still early in pregnancy or are thinking of getting pregnant to find time to take care of your body no matter what! 

My stretch marks have not gotten worse, I haven’t gotten any new ones ever since I started using this in my early second trimester when the stretch marks started to appear. So I’m really happy about that, and I’m hoping this will aid in the healing and fading of the marks.

I love how the oil does not leave a sticky, greasy or gross residue. It is oily, of course, since it is oil, but it does not bother me at all because it gets absorbed into the skin pretty fast and just leaves the skin supple and moisturized. I love that it also nourishes my hands when I apply it.

Best of all, it smells amazing! Paired with the body butter, I feel like I’m swimming in a pool of milk and honey. Literally.

After applying the oil, I slather the Basq Body Boost Milk & Honey Stretch Mark Butter to the rest of my body, sometimes even going over the area where I’ve applied the oil with this.

The thick gel-type consistency is not too difficult to work into the skin which makes it perfect for use right before bed because it won’t make your skin feel tacky and greasy. It just makes the skin feel super smooth and supple.

Sadly, I think this has been discontinued for a while. However, there are lots of other alternatives out there!

Here’s a list of my other pregnancy body butter/oil favorites:

Sanctuary Spa Collagen Boosting Body Butter is an alternative I’ve been using on days when I want a bit of a change in scent. It smells sweet, but not as sweet as milk and honey. It has this soothing rose-infused sort of scent, mixed with shea and cocoa butter. The texture and consistency is of a thick, buttery gel, similar to the Basq.

Estelle & Thild Pregnancy Body Oil is an alternative body oil I’ve been keeping beside my bed on days when I’ve forgotten to apply body oil while in the bathroom (and can’t be bothered to return to the bathroom. LOL). Honestly, the cute pink packaging is the only reason I got this. The scent isn’t as pleasant, although not off-putting, and the packaging is very fragile. Mine has already gotten a dent from where I’ve squeezed it, and the cap is broken. Scent and packaging wise, not the best. But it’s organic so I guess that’s my favorite thing about it 🙂

Mustela Stretch Marks Double Action is another product I use a lot of. I use this in the morning, all over my belly, hips and thighs because I don’t shower in the morning since it’s winter here and I prefer showering at night. I find that the body oil and butters are too much to be used in the morning. This cream is so much lighter in consistency, but does require a much longer time to get rubbed and massaged in to the skin. Oh, and the scent isn’t pleasant at all, I actually really dislike the scent. But I’ve heard great reviews about this product and it does work tremendously well for a lot of people, including my sister in law who actually recommended this to me. She only got stretch marks in areas where she did not apply this. So I’m hoping this will prevent more stretch marks for me!

I’m sorry I don’t have a photo of this since it’s already wet and grubby in my shower! :p

This is basically a body moisturizer that you apply in the shower as your last step. How cool is that? If you’re lazy or tired and really don’t have the energy to moisturize after you shower, this is the perfect solution for you!

Once you’re done shampooing, shaving and doing everything else you need to do, turn off the shower for a bit and scoop out this product and slather it over areas you want to moisturize (for me, it’s the whole body!) and massage it in. Turn the shower on again and rinse it off. You’ll see the product get rinsed off, it doesn’t lather at all, but it does leave an oily film on your skin. Don’t fret though! It’s a good thing! It does feel weird when you’re still rinsing it off in the shower, but once you step out and towel dry your body, it will feel soooooo moisturized. It’s safe for you to go straight to bed or go about your day without applying an additional body moisturizer after showering with this.

For me, this is perfect for days when I’m fatigued and super exhausted after a long day out. I sometimes don’t have the energy to slather on different types of products on my skin after a long day, so I just hop in the shower, finish up with this body conditioner, towel dry and go straight to sleep.

A popular alternative is the Nivea In-Shower Body Moisturizer (it’s only A$5 at Chemist Warehouse!) but I’ve never tried it before. I’m halfway through my Lush Ro’s Argan Body Conditioner, and will be purchasing this after I run out since the Lush is so expensive at A$32.50 for 225g! This one is only a crazy A$5 for 250ml!

Words can’t describe how much I love this product. Since it’s winter, I only shower at night because that’s when I need it most, and showering twice a day during winter just worsens my dry skin.

So I use this in the morning before I start my day.

This is basically a body moisturizer in a bottle. It’s a very, very light oil that you spray on your body and you don’t even need to rub it in too much, unlike body lotions and creams. It doesn’t leave any kind of film or residue on the skin, so it’s great for use when you’re in a rush! You can immediately dress up after spraying your whole body with this without having bits of cotton and materials sticking on to the skin. I often rush in the morning so this is perfect for me.

The scent is also amazing and it lingers for quite a while!

An alternative I’ve been loving lately is the Vaseline Spray & Go Moisturizer. It has more of a lotion than a light oil formula, and it requires a bit more rubbing in than the Sanctuary Spa, and it’s slightly greasier and absorbs slower. Scent-wise, I also still prefer the Sanctuary Spa, but this is an excellent alternative nevertheless.

I can never get enough of facial mists! My skin gets so dry and dehydrated during the day, especially if I’ve spent a majority of my time outdoors, and ever since I was pregnant. So I always have one in my purse, even on my bedside table.

Facial mists really help your skin stay hydrated, it’s a great boost of hydration for when you don’t have time to re-moisturize of if you’ve got makeup on. These mists do not mess up your makeup at all. If anything, they can help your makeup stay on longer.

I have three favorite face mists, here they are:

My all-time favorite is the Avene Eau Thermale Thermal Spring Water because it’s the most basic and reliable of its kind. I keep this by my bedside and also have a mini size in my travel toiletries bag for when I’m travelling by plane. This is an air travel staple for me!

This was featured in my Holy Grail post – I’ve been repurchasing this over and over again for years no matter how many other face mists I have because this is the most reliable out of them all. It is created for sensitive skin by Avene, a French skincare company that specializes in skincare for people with sensitive skin. This one is the safest to use, and the only one I use, when my skin is a bit reactive, allergic or is breaking out because it’s non-comedogenic, oil free and fragrance free. It is the lightest in formula compared to my other mists, it just feels like you’re spraying fresh water on your skin. The mist is very fine, which makes it so easy for the skin to absorb, and it also has a continuous spray and there is no need for you to pat your skin dry after spraying.

So no matter how many other face mists I have, I will time and time again return to this face mist because this really is the most reliable. I know for sure that this will not break me out or cause irritations.

Another one of my favorites is the Jurlique Rosewater Balancing Mist. I love how the soothing rose scent lingers for quite a long time, I seriously love the smell of roses that are subtle and refreshing.

The spray isn’t continuous but it is very fine, and about 4-5 sprays are enough for the whole face. It doesn’t leave any kind of residue on the skin and does not require to be patted or rubbed in to the skin, which is always a plus.

However, one thing I’m not quite happy about is how heavy the packaging is. I’d love to be able to travel with this and throw this in my purse, but it’s so heavy! This 100ml bottle is the smallest they have, but the opaque, matted bottle is so thick and heavy. I hope they will release a travel-friendly version soon!

This is the one I’ve been keeping in my purse, the Chanel Hydra Beauty Essence Mist. Gosh I love the scent of this whole line, I’m currently using the Chanel Hydra Beauty Serum as well, and am loving it. I have also tried the moisturizing gel and it is divine.

Like the Avene, this also has a continuous spray and has a very fine mist. What I love most about this is that unlike the other face mists, this actually adds a glow to the skin!

The only downside to this is the price. It retails for US$90 at Nordstrom for 48g and the Avene is only about A$6-7 at chemists for 50ml! The price difference is insane but I would still repurchase this (and use it rarely) because I love the scent and the glow it gives!

b. Lush Tea Tree Water Toner

On mornings when my skin feels tight, and don’t want to dry it out even further, I avoid washing my face. However, since I do need to treat my hormonal acne, I still have to get any skincare residue from the night before to start fresh. To do this, I go straight to toning my skin. 

A toner/facial pad I’ve been loving is the First Aid Beauty Skin Rescue Blemish Patrol Pads, but I’m currently running out of it and won’t be able to repurchase it until I head back to the States at the end of the year. So I went looking for an alternative and am glad I remembered loving this back when I was in college.

This is a super safe, all-natural option for pregnant women out there who are afraid to use skincare products with ingredients such as Salicylic Acid, but still need to treat nasty breakouts.

This can be applied in two ways: by spraying it straight on to the face, or spraying it on to a cotton pad. On mornings when I don’t wash my face, I apply this on to the skin with a cotton pad to make sure it really gets the skin clean, but I spray it straight to the face on days when I do wash my face, just to freshen it up, balance out my skin’s ph level and prep it for moisturizer and sunscreen.

This feels like water on the skin and does not have an off-putting smell even though it is tea tree infused. I’m currently alternating between this and my First Aid Beauty pads until it’s finished (I probably have about 4-5 pads left) and my skin has never looked better.

This is a must have during pregnancy for me because it’s pregnancy-safe, is alcohol free, has natural ingredients, treats and prevents acne, and does not strip the skin.

Another one of my staples is paw paw ointment!

Paw Paw ointments in general are described as a topical ointment to treat cuts, burns, rashes, insect bites, chafing, open wounds, nappy rash and dry/flaky/chapped skin. This is not just a pregnancy must have for me, but a general must-have! Everyone needs to have this in their lives.

I used to use (and still have) the good ol’ Lucas’ Paw Paw Ointment which everyone and their mamas love. However, I recently spotted these cuties at Priceline!

Pure Paw Paw Ointments come in four different scents (or flavors?) and my personal favorites are the Grape and Strawberry. I forgot what the other two were, but one of them was Watermelon, I think.

These ones aren’t as thick as the Lucas’ Paw Paw Ointment, they’re much more slippery and thin in consitency but that’s why I love it. It’s a bit difficult to layer the Lucas with other lip products like lipstick and lip gloss, but these ones are so light that applying a light layer and then topping it off with lipstick makes the lipstick appear glossy and pretty.

But what really got me into these are the yummy scents! Well, obviously the cute packaging too. But the scent is seriously what makes me gaga over these, the grape scent is so divine! It doesn’t linger for too long, but when you apply, you can definitely sniff it. So adorable!

At night, I apply this not just on the lips but around the mouth area as well because I tend to get flakey skin around there. Sometimes around my nose as well. 

Prenatal multivitamins are a must, of course, but for those of you suffering from stubborn hormonal acne problems, taking additional supplements for the skin is unlikely to be harmful. My OB has given me the green light to add this supplement to my daily vitamin intake, and ever since I’ve been taking it, I’ve had no additional hormonal breakouts!

I’m currently only struggling with the acne marks/hyperpigmentation but don’t actually have any active breakouts. Maybe it’s my skincare routine, but it could be this as well!

PLEASE NOTE: Always consult with your practitioner(s) before taking extra supplements during pregnancy.

This supplement contains Zinc which is known to be great at reducing acne, and it is considered safe for consumption during pregnancy because it doesn’t contain Vitamin A, which is generally a no-no during pregnancy.

Consult your OB for additional skin health supplements to help with your acne. This has personally made a huge difference for me.

I’m not gonna write an essay on this, even though I could! But seriously, greens are so important, even when you’re not pregnant, but you need it even more when you’re pregnant. Not just for the health of your bub, but yourself, and your skin!

Check out this great article about the benefits of kale, my favorite green veggie! I drink kale juice every single day and love it blending it with berries and apples.

I’d love to do a separate post on this one day! 🙂

Yes, so cliche. But it’s true! Water hydrates your whole body and thus nourishes your skin. There are numerous benefits of staying hydrated with water, not tea, coffee or carbonated drinks – but pure water.

This has been fun! Of course I have a lot of other skincare favorites, but these are just a few of my staples.

Hope you’ve enjoyed this and do share with me what your pregnancy favorites are/were!

XO