10 minute DIY Anti Stretch Mark Belly Oil is an easy homemade body oil that is infused with chamomile, lavender, rose hips, and marshmallow root to soothe and moisturize pregnant skin.
The minute you find out you are pregnant you are immediately bombarded by an overload of information.
There's aunt Jackie who swears that eating a banana an hour will alleviate leg cramps. But then there's cousin Susie who tells you with absolute certainty that bananas will, in fact, cause stretch marks to appear, covering your body from head to toe, overnight.
To save myself from going into information overload, I found a few things that work for me, and generally try to avoid the rest. I like bitters and sparkling water to soothe my heartburn, I rest when my body is asking for it, eat the foods that sound good, and avoid the ones that don't.
The one well-preached ritual that I have been sticking to throughout most of my pregnancy had been using belly oils, butters, and creams. My rapidly stretching winter skin has been itchy and I find slathering on moisturizer each night to be really soothing.
After working my way through bottles of oils and creams, I started looking closely at the ingredients of my favorite natural brand and realized that I could really easily make it at home. The expensive oil I had been using was a simple combination of oil and steeped herbs.
Since I already knew how to make infused oil for cooking, I thought "What the heck! Let's give it a go." And just like that, this DIY Anti Stretch Mark Belly Oil came together.
I love being able to control the quality and freshness of ingredients. When I make this DIY Anti Stretch Mark Belly Oil at home, I know that it is full of active plant compounds that haven't dissipated as the product sits on store shelves.
All you need to make your own batch of DIY Anti Stretch Mark Belly Oil are 5 simple ingredients:
A high quality oil like apricot kernel oil or sweet almond oil. Apricot kernel oil helps to tighten and firm skin while sweet almond oil keeps your skin soft and smooth. You could even go in halfsies and get the benefits of both!
Lavender not only smells amazing and help alleviate stress, but it has many topical benefits as well! Lavender is loaded with antioxidants that help to nourish the skin. It is a natural anti-inflammatory and soothes the skin.
Rose hips have been shown to help deeply moisturize dry and dehydrated skin. It can also firm skin and reduce uneven skin tone.
Camomile is known for its soothing properties, and those benefits sure extend to the skin. It soothes skin irritation and helps to moisturize.
Using marshmallow root for skincare may sound strange, but it is far removed from fluffy white blobs floating in your hot chocolate. It is arguably the most powerful herb in the bunch for treating pregnant skin. Marshmallow root coats the skin and helps prevent irritation. It also helps the skin heal faster and stay moisturized.
DIY Anti Stretch Mark Belly Oil
Description
10 minute DIY Anti Stretch Mark Belly Oil is an easy homemade body oil that is infused with chamomile, lavender, rose hips, and marshmallow root to soothe and moisturize pregnant skin.
Ingredients
- ½ cup sweet almond oil OR apricot kernel oil (or a blend of the two)
- 1 tablespoon dried chamomile flowers
- 1 tablespoon dried lavender flowers
- ½ tablespoon dried marshmallow root
- ½ tablespoon dried rose hips
Instructions
- Add the oil to a small pot and heat it on the stove until it reaches 150 degrees. Remove it from the heat and stir in the herbs. Let this mixture steep until the oil is room temperature.
- Place a layer of cheesecloth into a metal strainer or sieve and place it on top of a bowl. Pour the oil into the sieve and let it slowly drip into the bowl, straining out the dried herbs. Press down on the herbs to release any oil.
- You should be left with a fragrant infused oil that you can store in a bottle and rub on your belly daily.
Morgan says
Could I substitute essential oils instead?
Laurel says
Hi Morgan, While I haven't tested it myself, I do think it could work! I remember my skin being extra sensitive while I was pregnant, so my hunch is to start small and test it out to see how your skin responds before adding more essential oil.