What's the best all over body lotion during pregnancy?

[MountainMama2Be]

I am trying to research online for the best pregnancy lotion to use. Not just for the growing tummy area (to reduce or minimize stretch marks) but just an overall full body moisturizing lotion.

I like Vaseline brand alright, but wasn't sure if use during pregnancy was a good idea or not. Not sure about the ingredients. Same for St. Ives brand lotions, mainly their Skin Firming kind. That stuff rocks! Smells nice and leaves skin soft and feeling toned. Is THAT safe during pregnancy? Not sure. I just don't want to look like a jack-ass at my OB Appt. lugging in a huge sack of lotions and moisturizers and face creams for her to review!!! Help!

I saw online that Curel brand has a Life Stages Pregnancy lotion out now, but apparently none of the local stores carry it, you can only get it online...like at Drugstore.com. I don't want to have to pay shipping charges on lotion that's $8.

So, what lotion do you recommend for when you're skin is dry or when you're moisturizing daily, after a shower? Preferably a brand that is not sticky, oily or greasy.

[eleonrauis]

Aveeno is my everyday lotion and has been for years. It absorbs pretty quickly but lasts all day and has no scent (and no weird unscented smell like some other fragrance free stuff). Target makes a pretty good house brand version of it that is much cheaper than name brand.

[livinlovinlaughin]

I love EVOO on my skin. I know it sounds greasy but if you just use a little in absorbs great and makes your skin glow.

[CoBabyMaker]

My favorite is just using plain almond oil. It doesn't take much and is well absorbed into my skin. And it doesn't have anything but almond oil so I don't have to research ingredients!

[paintedfire]

Another Aveeno girl here. I have the most sensitive skin on the planet and it doesn't cause me to break out or itch, so it gets my vote.

[MaerynPearl]

Anything with vitamin E its not just good for the stretch marks but that stuff really works wonder on skin!

I started moisturizing this pregnancy, at the suggestion of my soon to be SIL. Ive never moisturized in my life but she told me since Im nearly 28 with no wrinkles, I should moisturize to stay so blessed (I know its not long with my genetics before they set in)

[chattyprincess]

Alba unscented they carry it at target and it works amazing and has mostly good stuff!
http://www.vitacost.com/Alba-Very-Em...otion-12-fl-oz

[onetwoten]

I use Kiss My Face body lotion and I'm in love with it. It smells wonderful, and it soaks in super quick. I don't get the feeling like I have to put it on and then wait 30 minutes before getting dressed. The ingredients could be more natural, but they could also be worse. This is the one I'm using. I've got super sensitive skin too, and this has been fine, I use it on face and body with no problems.

[RedOakMomma]

I use Kiss My Face body lotion on my face (WAY cheaper than face cream!! ), and an unrefined shea butter lotion on my body. Just oil on my belly. All are paraben free.

I think it's important to use paraben-free products during pregnancy (well, always really, but esp. during pregnancy). There's tons of articles, books, and scientific studies out on this stuff. Parabens disrupt your body's hormones, especially estrogen, and have been linked to cancer (parabens are found in many breast cancer tumors, for example). Since hormones are so important during pregnancy, and in the development of a fetus, there's no way I'm using shampoos, conditioners, and lotions containing parabens while I'm pregnant.

In a recent book (Death by Rubber Ducky, or somethng like that) a couple of guys lived a normal chemical lifestyle and tested their blood regularly. Parabens soared with the introduction of simple things like shampoos and conditioners containing parabens. It's amazing to know how quickly the stuff soaks in through your skin and into your bloodstream. However, once the authors stopped using the paraben-containing soaps and lotions, their blood parabens dropped off dramatically.

Stopping the use of paraben-containing body products is one quick, easy way to make your body a healthier place for your baby to grow. It's not like it takes months to detox or something...just stop using the products.

Almost all lotions, shampoos, etc. will have "paraben free" on the label if they've avoided these chemicals (methyl, ethyl, propel and butylparaben). They're easy to find, and not that much more expensive.

Search for "parabens danger" or "parabens pregnancy" for more info...it's pretty basic stuff, and much like BPA I think parabens are on the list of chemicals that will eventually be banned.

[babycatcher12]

I really like almond oil, grapeseed oil or just plain olive oil. It works great and doesn't have alcohol in it to dry your skin and make you use more. Remember to put any lotion or oil on slightly damp skin for it to have the best effect.

[hawthornehill]

i prefer oils too. mix my own from mountain rose herbs. love sweet almond, apricot kernal, jojoba, shea.... with just a touch of essential oils. i do love the l'occitane shea cream too though.

[ILoveMySofie]

Here are my favorites that I have used for years-all from burts bees-affordable and natural:

(i dont like strong scents btw, they give me a headache and i just find them overwhelming and unnecessary, so for me to like a product it must have a very light, bearable scent.)

burts bees baby lotion (yellow bottle) is amazing for me. very liquid-y so absorbs easily (i dont like thick waxy feeling lotions) and is truly very moisturizing. Ive used it for years and it makes my skin feel and look amazing. Though the scent is light I get complimented on it constantly, people are always asking what I am wearing or say i smell like the beach! Its a buttermilk lotion so I have no clue why...

I also love their apricot baby oil (very very faint scent, so nice). that one is great to put on while your skin is slightly damp from the shower, and i always make sure to slather some on my belly. I like that you could use it for baby too, so your scent and babys is the same and familiar..

the third product (and i think my most favorite at the moment!) is their rich and repairing cocoa and macadamia nut butter. Its just yummy. Texture is just like butter and as you rub it in it disappears and leaves your skin super silky and very nourished. Awesome on dry feet too. I must have this at all times!

[somegirl99]

I was having horrible dry irritated skin on one hand for months, no matter what lotion I tried it didn't get better (and some made it worse).

Then I picked up some Shikai Borage dry skin therapy lotion and between using that regularly and making sure I stayed well hydrated, my skin healed up within in a few days and has been fine since (I still use the lotion daily).

[Melly24]

Another one for Aveeno I've used it for years and my skin really complains when I run out

[PotreroHill]

I use virgin coconut oil. It is heavenly! It smells amazing and makes my skin sooooooooo soft I thought I'd get stretch marks during pregnancy cause I got them with puberty, but I didn't get a single one and I'm convinced it's because I slathered on coconut oil every night before bed.

[teenyxdoodlez]

Another Burt's Bees fan here! I use it on my babes as well as myself. I LOVE the buttermilk baby lotion. It is extra light and absorbs into the skin very well and quick. In the winter, when my skin gets super dry, I use the milk and honey lotion. You don't need too much either. As for the oils, I like the apricot one too but since I became preggo (for the 3rd time) I tried the mama bee nourishing body oil and fell in love!! It's got vitamin E, almond, & lemon oils in it as well as aloe vera. I'm a huge citrus fan and it smells like fresh lemons..soooo good!! ^_^ Plus it's intended for your whole body and not just your belly.

[Funny Face]

I like something with as many natural ingredients as possible, no parabens, pthalates and no petro chemicals. I have an unscented one I picked up at the HFS and also love the Burt's Bees lotions as they are also mostly organic.

I should try to find one with Vit E in it (though I'm blessed not to have stretch marks to tend to).

I've also done unrefined shea butter.

[RedOakMomma]

Originally Posted by PotreroHill

I use virgin coconut oil. It is heavenly! It smells amazing and makes my skin sooooooooo soft I thought I'd get stretch marks during pregnancy cause I got them with puberty, but I didn't get a single one and I'm convinced it's because I slathered on coconut oil every night before bed.

Sound great! Where do you get it?

[sweetmamaleh]

I use olive oil or coconut oil also -- I buy them in the "oils" aisle of the grocery store (Whole Foods and all other natural foods stores will have the coconut oil) -- they are actually much cheaper than the oils you buy in the lotions section and they have the same thing (same goes for grapeseed oil).  I also used to love Aveeno, but after reading about parabens and other chemicals that are in there, I gave them up while I was pregnant and never went back! 

You can check on the ingredients of pretty much all lotions, creams, sunscreens, makeup, etc. at www.ewg.org -- they even rate each product on a scale of 1-10 to help give you an idea of how they are looking at things, and you can also check out the details.  They even test the lotions for things, like formeldahye, that may get created when two ingredients in a lotion combine but is not itself an ingredient, so doesn't have to be listed. 
 

[CrunchyJess]

I made a sugar scrub with just sugar and grapeseed oil and use it in the shower. I seriously get out don't need to put anything else on. At first my skin feels slightly oily. Just barely. But I shower before bed so I just put on PJs and go to sleep. When I get up the next morning, it feels healthy and very

moisterized but not at all oily.