Beauty Bible Beauty Clinic
Welcome to our new weekly column on the YOU magazine website, www.you.co.uk Below you will find the current question and our advice, with a list of where to source the products mentioned. To look at past columns, click here. And for lots more solutions to your beauty dilemmas, visit Q&A, just click here.
April 11th, 2010: Stretch marks
Q I'm 37 weeks pregnant with my second child and have awful-looking, red, raw stretch marks across my tummy. I never had them with my first child but seem to have them really badly this time around. I have been reading about a cream called Revitol that appears to be very popular in the US and wondered if you had heard of it? Please please pls help by recommending something to fade them as I am getting very down and depressed every time I look in the mirror. I have already tried one aromatherapy brand of stretch mark oil but it irritated my skin.
A Sadly, all the researchers agree that, firstly, it’s best to start applying topical creams at six to 12 weeks into your pregnancy to help minimise stretch marks, and secondly, there is no magic vanishing cream. However, they also agree that stretch marks invariably fade over time, sometimes until they are virtually invisible. If you find yourself more impatient, you could consult a qualified dermatologist who specialises in cosmetic surgery about laser treatment, which has had some good results in clinical trials. (We always recommend talking to Dr Nick Lowe at the Cranley Clinic in London, tel 020 6499 3223, email: enquiries at cranleyclinic dot .com)
 I am afraid we don’t have any experience of Revitol. However, the pharmacist at Victoria Health suggests using Super Stretchy Miracle Oil by Boo Boo Mummy, £13.99 for 100 ml, applied two or three times a day to the affected areas. He says: This light and easily absorbed oil contains argan oil which is well known for its regenerative properties and skin softening properties. In fact argan oil contains twice as much vitamin E as olive oil, together with saponins which soften the skin. Super Stretchy Miracle Oil also contains pomegranate seed oil which has a high antioxidant value helping to offer some protection to the integrity of the cells when applied topically.’ From www.victoriahealth.com
He also recommends increasing your consumption of omega-3 essential fatty acids (which are vital for a baby’s development as well as helping skin) by eating one weekly portion of oily fish (eg mackerel, herring, salmon, sardines) plus lots of seeds and nuts, and dark green leafy vegetables such as spinach and watercress. (Those in earlier pregnancy may like to know that Mumomega Pregnancy by Equazen, £12.02 for 30 capsules from www.victoriahealth.com is specifically formulated to provide the fatty acids DHA and AA which are needed as building blocks for the cells that make up the foetus’ eye and brain.)
 We  . . . REN Regime Kits, £19 for Sensitive and Combination, £23 for Dry and Normal. If you’re as weary as us of decanting products into cabin-baggage-friendly bottles, you’ll also welcome these kits from REN – which are also a) a fabulous introduction to the best products for your skintype, and b) a great way for REN-lovers to introduce friends to the more-natural-than-most products. The kits contain four (or five – hence the price differential) useful minis, large enough for at least a week away. Our choice? As sufferers of ‘beauty editor’s skin’ (due to over-exposure to a gazillion products in the line of duty), it’s got to be the Sensitive option, with Calendula & Arctic Berry Ultra Calming Cleansing Milk, Hydra-Calm Global Protection Day Cream, Omega 3 Overnight Lipid Renewal Serum and the excellent Frankincense & Boswellia Serrata Revitalising Night Cream. We can almost hear our skins saying ‘aaaaah’.
Where To Find Products
Boo Boo Mummy Super Stretchy Miracle Oil, £13.99 for 100 ml, is available to purchase online from www.victoriahealth.com. Don’t forget your exclusive 5% discount with all online orders.
Mumomega Pregnancy by Equazen, £12.02 for 30 capsules, is available to purchase online from www.victoriahealth.com. Don’t forget your exclusive 5% discount with all online orders.
REN Regime Kits, from £19, are available to purchase online from www.beautyexpert.co.uk. Don’t forget your exclusive 10% discount with all online orders.
Beauty Bible Beauty Clinic Archive
April 4th 2010 - Red Veins
March 28th 2010 - All-Over Sensitive Skin
March 21st 2010 - Foundation Recommendations
March 14th 2010 - Ingredients
March 7th 2010 - Laser hair removal
February 28th 2010 - SPF Moisturisers
February 21st 2010 - Eyelash enhancers
February 14th 2010 - Night-time skincare
February 7th 2010 - Moisturisers
January 31st 2010 - Concealers
January 24th 2010 - Primers
January 17th 2010 - Choosing skincare products
January 10th 2010 - Parabens free make-up
January 3rd 2010 - Cosmetic Dentistry
Beauty Bible Beauty Clinic Archive 2009
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