My Pregnancy and a First Impression!

Today’s blog is going to be a little different. While I usually come to you with information on skincare and pregnancy and mental health, today I come to you with a little glimpse into my life and some first impressions! I am a writer here at Element Mom but I’m also a mom myself, most recently to my second little boy. This means I am no stranger to the ups and downs of pregnancy and postpartum, and I’m DEFINITELY no stranger to stretch marks! 

The stretch marks on my inner thighs graced me with their appearance after my first baby, I had gained quite a bit of weight my first pregnancy and while my stomach escaped mostly unscathed my thighs were quite a different story. Post-baby I began getting more heavily into beauty and skincare and experimenting with different products. It was a whole new world for me! One that made me feel good about myself again and became one of my favorite forms of self-care. 

Then came baby number two and everything was flipped on its head. My belly, which had largely escaped stretch marks the first time around until the very end, all of a sudden was sporting some new tiger stripes. While I didn’t gain much weight at all this pregnancy, baby no. 2 was growing in a completely different way from baby no. 1 and my poor tummy wasn’t ready for it. At least, now that they’re healing, I’ve come to appreciate my stretch marks and what they signify. But to start they were red and angry and holy cow the itch!! The only thing that made it bearable was slathering myself in lotion to try to keep them hydrated and a bit less angry. And just because I appreciate how I got them doesn’t mean I’m opposed to softening them up a bit.

So you can understand how excited I was when I began writing for Element Mom. I was so excited to write for and be a part of a brand that was truly centered around mamas. A brand with products specifically formulated to be safe for you and your baby to be. And the fact that it was inspired by K-Beauty? A match made in heaven. 

I was recently able to try out their products for myself and figured I would take you all on this journey with me! Let’s start with the Mega Moisturizing Probiotic Stretch Mark Cream. 

Right off the bat I loved the color scheme. Soft pink and blue are just so aesthetically pleasing together. The packaging is simple and clean, and the ingredients! It’s packed with 5 different types of hyaluronic acid, one of my all-time favorite ingredients, and hydrating elements like camellia japonica seed oil. Plus Bifida ferment lysate, a probiotic that helps soothe irritation and strengthen your skin’s microbiome. I also love Shea Butter, and I’d never tried probiotic skincare before so it all sounded like a good time to me!

The cream itself was lightweight and super easy to apply. There is a very faint pleasant scent that doesn’t linger but made applying the lotion a really nice experience. The best part was how quickly it seemed to absorb without leaving behind any sticky tacky residue. 

Next up: the Mega Moisturizing Belly Mask. A product I was extremely curious about purely because I hadn’t ever tried anything like it before, at least for the body. I’ve used face masks before, so I knew the process, but while I have really enjoyed delving into skincare I realized I’ve focused mostly on my face...so it was about time I introduced some fun skincare to the body as well!

This was truly the winner for me. I like the stretch mark cream but I love this belly mask. The amount of product in the pouch and the size of the mask itself is truly a 10 out of 10. The mask was large enough that I could easily see having used it at any point in my pregnancy. As it is postpartum, I actually had to fold it in half and it still covered my entire belly and then some. I tried it straight out of the package and the cooling sensation was shocking at first but then really pleasant! I could see it being a lovely treat on a hot day. The great thing is you can always run the mask under warm water for a mini spa-like experience.

On first impression I am truly excited by these products and I am looking forward to seeing how they work for me over time! I’ll be sure to keep you all updated here. If you’re interested in K-Beauty and are in the market for a new stretch mark cream, or just a little pampering skincare moment for your belly, come join me in my skincare journey! Everyone needs a little TLC now and then, and for mama’s to be these products are a great place to start.