Although there is no proof that adding moisture to your exposed skin will decrease the chance of stretch marks I need to feel that I have some control over my physical fate & wouldn't want to do nothing.
With all that being said, I also don't want my vanity to affect my baby in any adverse way & so have been researching what is in my products more than I have done before. The Arbonne Ingredient Policy goes into a lot of detail about all of their products but as it's a fair bit of reading here's a summery:
The products are never & have never been tested on animals & are formulated without:
- Animal products or by-products
- Parabens (why are they bad)
- Formaldehyde donating preservatives (why is it Toxic)
- Benzene (basic facts)
- Mineral Oil
- Petrolatum
- Phthalates (why are they bad)
- Toluene
- PABA
I can't pretend that before becoming pregnant I really cared all that much about the ingredients in my products, price is usually my ultimate motivator, but when you are caring for more than just yourself a good bargain just doesn't justify a potentially dangerous product. That's not to say that you will pay a huge premium for ABC products: The baby oil retails at £14 for a 177ml bottle, compared to £15 for 125ml of Bio oil & from personal use I would say that the results are pretty much identical.
The product itself has a very subtle scent that I can't quite distinguish but is not unpleasant like some natural products can be. My only criticism is the packaging: It's sturdy & cute & hasn't leaked at all, but the only way to get the product from the bottle is through a small hole & because the product is an oil it pours very easily which can lead to waste. I personally decant my oil into a spray bottle & spray the product directly onto my skin, I would probably suggest doing the same if you buy this product.
Other wise I have nothing but praise, I don't have any stretch marks on my stomach yet, I'm as sure as I can be that I'm not doing any harm to my baby & if there is anything left over I can use it on baby's skin. I've also been told that it's great at soothing eczema but I can't actually account to that as I don't personally suffer from it.