Key ingredients: coconut oil, sweet almond oil, shea butter, vitamin E | Fragrance-free: yes, but also available in Bergamot and Lavender & Mint
Best Stretch Mark Oil: Hatch Belly Oil
Why it’s worth it: Sure, Hatch’s Belly Oil is a little pricier than most belly oils, but this nourishing formula is worth every penny for its moisturizing blend of pregnancy-safe ingredients like calendula extract and sweet almond oil, to name a few. This pink-tinted oil also features grapefruit oil, which is rich in antioxidants and provides an uplifting, citrusy scent. Though it’s an oil, it dries down faster than most lightweight lotions, so you’ll be grease-free and ready to put on your most bump-hugging top seconds after applying.
Tester feedback: Shipin says this oil has been a body-care staple for both of her pregnancies. “The ritual of pulling the glass dropper out of the pink bottle was something I looked forward to every morning and night, and thanks to the natural fragrance, the whole thing was always a lovely sensorial experience. (When you’re growing a human, you’re especially deserving of little luxurious moments!),” she says. “I’m a sucker for calendula—I reach for products with this ingredient for my toddler’s rashes—and almond oil, but what sets this product apart is the zesty-yet-subtle grapefruit oil. Plus, it’s a giftable item that your preggo friends will use ’til the last drop.”
Key ingredients: calendula extract, sweet almond oil, jojoba seed oil, argan oil, grapefruit oil | Fragrance-free: no
Best Stretch Mark Lotion: Mustela Organic Maternity Essential Care Multi-Purpose Lotion
Why It’s Worth It: If you have sensitive skin that’s prone to redness or irritation flare-ups, keep your belly bump routine stripped down to the basics with Mustela’s Maternity Essential Care Multi-Purpose Lotion. Gentle and non-irritating on your delicate skin, this unscented formula is rich in hydrating humectants and emollients (hey, glycerin and sunflower seed oil) that leave your skin feeling velvety smooth. This formula also contains aloe vera for added skin-soothing properties.
Tester feedback: “This lotion is truly my—and my belly’s—happy place. As someone with eczema all over (I’ve had flare-ups across my belly during both pregnancies!), I can’t tell you how many times I fought the urge to scratch, wash, and towel off too-thick butter and heavy oils that itched and irritated me—but all I ever want to do with this lotion is to slather it from head to toe,” Shipin says. The silky formula spreads easily and doesn’t suffocate sensitive skin—plus, it’s fragrance-free, something Shipin finds important throughout the postpartum period (“Not just for my skin, but so I don’t irritate the baby’s!”). “I love that Mustela is clear that this product is not a miracle worker and that stretch marks are often caused by genetics. Even still, I felt like this lotion left my skin as elastic as my waistbands in the third trimester, which is extremely helpful in stretch mark prevention!”