The Nine-Month Stretch...
Published on Monday 30th April 2007
An effective stretchmark lotion is the holy grail in the pregnancy market - the equivalent of wrinkle-reduction for the 35-plus cosmetics manufacturer.
 When I was first pregnant, I used good old cocoa butter in a vain attempt to keep those sneaky little buggers away and - don’t shoot me! - came out the other side with absolutely no stretch marks whatsoever. But it wasn’t to last.
Second-time around, I was suddenly full of wisdom about the formation of stretchmarks being genetic and found myself banging on about how no cream on earth could influence the outcome either way - so I wasn’t bothering.
And again, I didn’t have stretchmarks. At least, not that I could see. ‘What are they?’ My husband innocently enquired around the 36-week mark, pointing at the lines snaking around south of my belly button.
Maybe it is still genetic. Maybe even with skin that’s resistant to stretchmarks, there’s only so far you can push it (ie just one pregnancy thanks). Either way, it’s got to be worth £20 and a minute a day just in case there’s something in it, hasn’t it?
In my quest to know about - and then test - every pregnancy and baby product known to man, this week I’ve recently taken delivery of some skincare product samples aimed at mums-to-be.
Earth Mama Angel Baby  is a US range of 100% natural and organic herbal products with one other thing in common - they all smell absolutely divine. I opened the Earth Mama Body Butter pot, and ok, it was just before lunch, but even so I had to stop myself from tasting it it smells so damn good.
They also do stretchmark oil which shares the same sweet scent as the rest of the range. I personally love the smell but I guess it might make some people feel like a walking cake shop.
For something less sugary and more earthy there’s Zita Wests Beautiful Belly Balm , which, although it contains all the right oils, is a lotion (potentially less greasy) and is all lavender and roses. And it’s complemented by their great perineum oil, Conditioning Down Under, which is rather more fragrant than the olive oil I resorted to four years ago!
 Meanwhile, newcomer Mama Mio , which launched last year, has a whole host of products dedicated solely to stretchmarks. You can choose from the Tummy Rub as oil or cream, each carrying the same understated scent which you’d be hard-pushed to dislike. And the cream, made with shea butter, just begs to be slathered on.
What’s most interesting for a sceptic like me - I had to giggle at the stretchmarks wouldn’t dare! tagline - is Mama Mio’s Emergency Repair Kit, which contains Stretchmark Minimiser and Tummy Toner.
Thinking my 18-month old squiggles a bit beyond help, I have handed the Minimiser over to a mum who has just had her third child and whose tummy has been marked accordingly. On the results of that particular experiment, I’ll be sure to report back!
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