Pregnancy Products Review
Product Review: Pregnancy Products…Before and After!
Which products keep me sane during pregnancy and after the birth!
While I am aware that product reviews are usually the pen work of third party writers, I felt so strongly about sharing this info that I am writing this post not only a member of the Victorian Garden family, but as a paying customer too! I have been using The Victorian Garden products for over 10 years now, even while living in the UK where there were so many alternative natural brands to use, Victorian Garden had always worked for me so I never bothered trying anything new. But then that was in my twenties, probably the “easiest” skincare years, past the teenage spots and before the fine lines start to set in! It was all too easy for natural skincare to be “working” on a healthy, young skin. I had never considered if they would still work on a skin exposed to extreme sleep deprivation and physical trauma.
Last year, my husband and I decided to start a family and it wasn’t far into my pregnancy that I began to realise that having a baby could really affect my skin, I had never thought about it before because it had never been relevant to me. I vainly began to worry that my skin and overall complexion would suffer. Were natural products enough to keep my skin healthy when it seemed it was going to need so much more TLC? However, especially after the birth, it was so chaotic and became a concern that was really low on my priority list and I carried on using my existing products. I accepted that one day I would wake up and a ghost of my former self would stare back at me, it was part of being a new mum right? Knowing that skin health is directly related to bodily health; pregnancy and sleep deprivation, stress and competition for nutrients from breast feeding were bound to leave my skin looking worse for wear. Not necessarily!
Now I don’t pretend to be a new mother glowing with health, but these products helped me so much with saving my skin throughout pregnancy and after the birth. I felt extremely overwhelmed and vulnerable post birth and these products really assisted with my confidence and most importantly, they are all safe for use around baby* and I didn’t have to worry about passing on any nasties to my daughter. I hope they help other mums to be too!
Tangerine & Rose Anti Stretch Mark Massage Oil: I used this from the day I found out I was pregnant, all over my tummy and thighs, twice a day after a bath or shower…and I Loved it! Even through morning sickness I enjoyed the aroma, found it uplifting and energising and a joy to use. It absorbed quickly leaving my skin feeling well hydrated and nourished. I did not get one stretch mark and it really helped me mentally from an aromatherapy point of view, it definitely worked for me!
Bearberry Pigmentation Cream: I had read about the dreaded mask of pregnancy, the darkening of skin in patches on the face, and while I know that it just happens to some woman and not to others, I decided to start using the Bearberry pigmentation cream as an all-over day cream as a preventative. I didn’t develop any hyperpigmentation, but I continued using it after the birth as it is a really lovely cream. It contains a double dose of Dragon’s Blood, known to revive and rejevenate the skin. I loved using it in the mornings and felt it really did perk up my skin after a sleepless night. Plus it offered protection against the darkening of sun spots over the summer months!
A Night Facial Serum: I used the Rejuvenating Flower Therapy Facial Serum every night, even on the night our daughter was born! It really helped waking up each morning with skin deeply hydrated and nourished, I felt like it offered extra protection against the stress and strain of pregnancy, child birth and the sleepless nights thereafter. If nothing else, do this for yourself when there is no time for other skincare treats, a few drops under your night cream takes only a few seconds to do and you wake will super soft, plump skin. A real booster product! You could also use the Rosehip Healing Serum or the Super Rich Night Serum.
Eyebright Firming Eye Serum: This serum refreshes and strengthens the skin around the eye, I really enjoyed using this every moring in the weeks after birth. It leaves the skin feeling cool and relaxed, reducing that puffy, red-eye effects of a bad night and it helps with the dark circles too! I couldn’t do without this product now, it really gives me a confidence boost in the mornings when I think I’m looking particularly tired and drained.
Lavender Body Lotion/Butter: We had our little girl at the beginning of the heat waves in Johannesburg and the air was incredibly dry, I really needed a good body moisturiser. I use Lavender oil in her bath and spray her cot down with Lavender mist at night, plus it is in her massage oil so it is a smell she associates with relaxing and calming down. Lavender Body Lotion or Butter leaves a very gentle scent on the skin and so when I hold her close it is soothing for her. More importanty, being a natural scent it will not overpower your own body smell which is so nice for baby to have near her. I found the same with the Lavender & Chamomile Deodorant which is gentle enough to use for baby and keeps me fresh all day!
While there are many other Victorian Garden products I used during pregnancy and after the birth, I found these to be my essentials and so useful. They also really did help with confidence in myself following the birth, which can be a really tough time as your body has just gone through so much! I hope they help many other mothers as they did me!
Jessica Deacon (Marketing Manager) x
*I don’t mean safe to use on baby, merely around baby and via feeding. The concentration of essential oils in adult products are too high for a baby. Always use special baby products on your baby!