Homemade Belly Butter

So since this is something extremely essential for all Mommas I thought I would share with everyone my super easy recipe for making your own Belly Butter.  Commonly used in pregnancy the belly butter or belly balm or sometimes called stretch mark cream is something that all women can benefit from.  There are two types of pregnant women in this world, there are the ones who have the stretch mark genes and the ones that do not.  You will find that even the gals not prone to stretch marks may still very well get them while pregnant if not taking care of that sensitive beautiful tummy skin...  And then there are the ones like me who are stretch mark prone, but because I took crazy precautions I actually have walked away with out a stretch mark on my  belly...  How you may ask?  Since the odds were never in my favor.  Well wrote a recipe about it, want to hear it?  Here it go........ 

First things first why for art thou stretch marks?

  Stretch marks happen when your body grows faster than your skin can keep up with. This causes the elastic fibers just under the surface of the skin to break, resulting in stretch marks.

Sounds awful I do so understand, but if we break the idea apart in parts it can be solved....

What can we do to better the elasticity of our skin in general?    

 

 Eat foods high in collagen, Vitamins A C & E, and balanced in Omega 3:6 ratios.  If you start there you are in business especially early in pregnancy, you are laying the foundation for your skin to stretch beautifully.

In addition to diet, is keeping  moving.  Having an active slow gaining pregnancy rather than a quick gaining pregnancy will help your skin keep up with that weight...

And then of course the topical solutions....

 

Anything oily, vitamin E, coconut butter, Shea butter, jojoba oil, coconut oil, all these things hydrate your skin, and hydration can aid skin in nice elasticity.  If one bastes and bastes with these things early in pregnancy you will notice that your skin stretches a little nicer.  Women tend to not start applying these special concoctions until they see stretching when really you should be applying belly butter the minute you find out your pregnant.  

Again at the end of the day for some stretch marks are just inevitable, but I can contest to the fact that if you really try early to prevent them, you may come out on top and be pleasantly surprised!  

So here you go, this is the 2 time pregnancy approved  (and in the process of the third) go to Belly Butter recipe.  Making your own is cheaper, as well as gratifying.  You can use what you have but this is a nice base to start with.

 

 

Tangerine Belly Butter Recipe

 

 1/4 cup of beeswax (I usually grate mine or use little beeswax pearls, just makes for quicker cook time so at least break your beeswax block apart a little before adding to glass bowl)

2-3 cups coconut oil (you may also use Shea butter, or olive oil.  If you want it harder than do 2 cups, I like it oily so I use 3 cups coconut oil)

I dig the coconut because it smells pleasant and I always have it on hand....

4 tbs apricot kernel oil, or jojoba oil, or grape-seed oil.  Make it easy on yourself and use what you have.  I have found that with this recipe I have to make it 3 times throughout pregnancy, so you can also save yourself some work and just triple the recipe and make 3 batches at once....  Up to you...

5 drops of tangerine essential oil, or whatever scent floats your boat of course.  I have made it for my doula clients that have requested peppermint to lavender all works swell.

You will need a large glass bowl, or double boiler situation if you have one.  I create my own with a glass bowl over a stock pot.  You will need a small wide mouth jar (wide mouth so that you can fit your hand in to get the goods)....

 

Using a med size stock pot add about 4 inches of water to the pot, place glass bowl in pot.  On high heat bring the water to a boil, once the bowl Starts to heat up to the touch drop down heat to med high and add the beeswax.

Let the bees wax melt almost all the way and then add coconut oil, cook until the coconut oil has melted to a liquid and then add the apricot oil.  

Let the mixture cook down to a liquid stirring it occasionally.  Once mixture has become a liquid remove glass bowl from stock pot and add the essential oils.  Very quickly pour the mixture into a glass mason jar or a plastic jug if you have one on hand you can reuse.  The butter hardens rather fast so this is fast work.

 

  Once the butter has set and is a lovely butter color rather than amber color you may put the lid on and set butter in a cool area to further harden up.

 

Store in a dark cool place.

Apply to skin after shower when skin is moist 2x daily.  Also be applying throughout the day when ever you feel the stretchy or itchy feeling in your belly.  I end up having a small tub in my purse so I can lather up all the time.  If you went for the 3 cups coconut oil, wear an undershirt like a tank top dedicated to getting oily so to not ruin your clothing.



Happy growing to you,
Tread lightly.