Lotion for stretch marks

[Chispa]

Hello,
My wife is six months pregnant and getting a bunch of stretch marks. I've been applying some expensive face cream which is paired with a vial of rosehip oil. I know the rosehip stuff works well cause I bought it to treat some fairly ugly burns caused by hot oil on my arms and chest, which healed without a scar. However since it's just a little jar of face cream and a 15ml bottle of oil, it's getting used up pretty quickly on my wife's big tummy.

I want to make a rosehip based lotion, with a lecithin emulsifier and a drop of mandarin essential oil, but Im not sure of the proportions needed. The rosehip oil sinks in pretty fast and doesn't feel very greasy after application, so I reckon I might get by using just a little water.

I'd be tempted to wing it, and try to make it like mayonnaise, but unlike my mayonnaise attempts, the ingredients are pretty expensive and I cant afford too many failures before a success.

Can someone point me towards a simple recipe using similar ingredients? I checked out this , but I cant get Germall in Australia. I'm thinking I'll just make a weekly batch and keep it in the fridge, as I'm a bit hesitant to use a preservative on my baby's home.

anyways thanks for reading and I hope you can help

-Jeremy

 

[soapbuddy]

Why don't you just make it with oils? That way you wouldn't have to worry about an emulsifier or a preservative. Or you could make it like a balm with some nice cocoa butter, jojoba oil and/or almond oil. With lecithin you would need a co-emulsifier.

 

[Chispa]

I was thinking about that. I guess I cant think of a terribly compelling reason to make it into a lotion rather than leaving it as an oil other than it wont be so runny as a lotion. Also the stuff I'm using now calls for the oil to be applied before getting rubbed in with the cream. So I thought that maybe that's why it absorbs so nicely.

Co-emulsifier? I was thinking that the lecithin would whip up just with the oil and water. Other recipes call for beeswax which according to some have a "sealing" effect which I'm not sure I'm after. I'm worried that the butters would leave the tummy all greasy which my wife would probably complain about.

I guess I'm after the most effective scar reduction without excessive greasiness.

 

[BakingNana]

Gotta agree with soapbuddy. Balm would be better than lotion. No need for extra stuff. Simpler the better when pregnant. Careful with essential oils. Might want to check with the dr. before using any on wife's tummy. And congratulations!

 

[soapbuddy]

I was thinking about that. I guess I cant think of a terribly compelling reason to make it into a lotion rather than leaving it as an oil other than it wont be so runny as a lotion. Also the stuff I'm using now calls for the oil to be applied before getting rubbed in with the cream. So I thought that maybe that's why it absorbs so nicely.

Co-emulsifier? I was thinking that the lecithin would whip up just with the oil and water. Other recipes call for beeswax which according to some have a "sealing" effect which I'm not sure I'm after. I'm worried that the butters would leave the tummy all greasy which my wife would probably complain about.

I guess I'm after the most effective scar reduction without excessive greasiness.

Lecithin based lotion will break emulsion after a short while and since you would be using water, you would definitely need a preservative. Lots of balms include beeswax for a thicker consistency. It does not create an occlusive layer, not does it seal the skin; only mineral oil or vaseline can do that. Cocoa butter, used in a small amount and gently rubbed in will not leave a greasy layer behind. I would not use any essential oil(s) on her tummy during pregnancy. Better be safe than sorry.

 

[Lindy]

With your wife being pregnant, you need to keep the Essential Oils to 2% or less - total combined dosage. Mango butter is quite good for stretch marks as is Shea Butter. If your wife has a latex allergy extended us of Shea could bring on a reaction as it has a natural latex that some people with latex allergies react to.

Essential Oils should not be used for more than 10 days then you need to take a minimum of 2 weeks off before restarting the same EO. Remember that they are basically over the counter drugs.

So I would recommend a butter with Mango Butter, Rosehip Oil, Vitamin E oil & Apricot Kernal oil. Make 1 jar with 2% Mandarin EO and 1 jar plain so that you can alternate. The Butter is going to be good for the stretch marks on its own so you can even go without an EO unless you really like the scent. EO molecules are so small they bypass the placental barrier, the blood brain barrier and when nursing it is found in mother's milk. Babies shouldn't really be exposed to EO's until they are at least 3 months old - so just food for thought.

Congrats by the way....

~Lindy

 

[Earthchild]

Congratulations! I am due in 3 weeks myself, and have spent the last 9 months playing with belly balms, butters, and creams. I prefer a balm to a cream or lotion, as it is so much richer. My favorite so far is:

1 part cocoa butter
1 part soy butter (you can sub shea, aloe, avocado, or any butter you like here)
1 part coconut oil

This is a lovely balm. It melts into skin but isn't too greasy.

I'm also loving a lotion stick with:

1 part cocoa butter
1 part shea butter
1 part olive oil
1 part avocado oil
1/2 part candelilla wax

The candelilla wax seems to provide more slip than beeswax (and is vegan). If you only have beeswax, just up it to 1 part. This is a nice, glidey lotion bar full of skin-loving ingredients.

I've also been using a balm with cocoa butter, shea butter, beeswax, and emu oil. (I can't remember the proportions off-hand.) Emu is pricey, but very penetrating and great for treating/preventing stretch marks. An emulsified butter is nice on itchy skin as well, but is more complex. I also recommend oatmeal baths, and a bath/body oil that is just a combo of your favorite oils. Congrats again, and I hope this helps!

 

[bodybym]

I made my belly butter (I'm due in 6 weeks) with:

2 parts shea butter
1 part aloe oil
1/2 part cocoa butter

Melt the cocoa butter and then add the aloe oil and shea butter. Only heat more if you can't get shea to melt.

I whipped it until it was light anf fluffy. I love it all over my body - no preservatives needed and it was supper simple to make.

 

[Courtney Storey]

Have been using Dermalmd on stretch marks for years. I think it has helped reduce old stretch marks and I continue to use it everyday to prevent new ones. I like the scent and the feel of it. It is not greasy and dries pretty quickly.

 

[Rsapienza]

I have always heard that plain ol’ cocoa butter is the best for stretch marks. I know I used it religiously while pregnant and I have no stretch marks. Not sure if it was the CB or good genes