To mamas, to-be mamas, daughters and friends!

Let’s talk about the beautiful lines that crawl along our tummies and tell our stories. Stretch marks have lots of names, but I love ‘Tiger Stripes’ because it embodies strength and courage and that’s exactly what these silver rivers represent – you’re growing a human in there after all!

While I think we should embrace every step of this beautiful journey, I know that lots of us mamas want to minimize the effect it has on our skin.  Whether you experience stretch marks from working out, genetics, weight gain or pregnancy, I have some tips to keep your skin healthy and supple. Not only can stretch marks be prevented, they can also be treated after-the-fact!

Since it’s my first pregnancy, I was nervous about how this little guy was going to change my body.  I reached out to the experts at Saje Natural Wellness and they armed me with three magical products!

1. First in your arsenal – Mother’s Wellness Hydrating Massage Oil Blend. Saje created all these products with mamas in mind, so these are safe to use during pregnancy. Our skin is experiencing the unthinkable during this time which makes it vulnerable, the Mother’s Wellness Hydrating Massage Oil Blend helps keep skin strong and resilient while it grows and changes. Best of all, it smells amazing – massage the oil in a clockwise direction on abdomen, thighs, breasts and buttocks – anywhere you might be carrying a little more weight during pregnancy. Massage only lightly in first trimester using regularly as a relaxing ritual throughout and after your pregnancy. The Mother’s Wellness Hydrating Massage Oil Blend is created with a few key ingredients; Neroli, which supports the skin’s ability to regenerate, Frankincense, which promotes peace and relaxation while restoring skin’s vitality and tangerine which supports balance in the skin’s natural moisture.

2. Second in your treasure chest is the Vitamin Ease Stretch Mark Minimizing Cream – this cream is great for anyone who has difficulty with stretch marks, weight loss champions – this is for you too! The Vitamin Ease Stretch Mark Minimizing Cream helps reduce the look of existing stretch marks with a blend of moisturizing aloe, coconut oil and vitamin E. This magic cream is formulated to smooth, condition and soften your skin during and post pregnancy. The Stretch Mark Minimizing Cream is vegan, and will keep you glowing long after welcoming your little one to the world. Use during and post pregnancy by rubbing generously on stretch mark prone areas such as belly, breasts, hips and thighs.  

3. Last but definitely not least is the Mother’s Wellness blend. My favourite mama relaxation ritual is climbing into a nice warm tub with 10 drops of this seriously-calming oil. With a mixture of grapefruit, chamomile and lavender, the Mother’s Wellness Blend is soothing, comforting AND doing wonders to your skin! When I’m feeling a little foggy I like to rub a few drops on my temples for a gentle uplifting sensation.

Saje tip – use with Vitamin Ease Stretch Mark cream for maximum benefits. I like to slather both on my belly and boobs before I go to bed to really let them both soak in while I sleep.

I have a couple more months before my little guy is coming into the world, but so far – I am stretch mark-free. While I’m confident that the products above have contributed to the healthy state of my skin, I am also very diligent about my water consumption. I’m practicing my mama-skills (8 glasses of water each day buddy). I have also been very considerate of diet and exercise during my pregnancy to keep both myself and my baby as healthy as possible. I’ve doubled my intake of greens, especially spinach which is high in iron and helps keep my skin and bones strong.

I know that it takes time for some of us mamas to get used to the changes happening to our bodies. I love reading mom, and Knixwear model Sarah Nicole’s honest and raw posts about motherhood and embracing her new (and beautiful) body, stretch-marks, loose-skin and all.

Calling all proud tiger-stripe wearers – what worked for you to help keep your skin strong and healthy during and after your pregnancy?

With love,

Natalie (and the baby boy in my belly)

Thank you to Saje Natural Wellness for sponsoring this post, all comments and opinions are my own.

Photography by Brooklyn D Photography