Honey from Tummy to Toes

I am so excited that we are having a spring baby. That means we can be out and about with the baby all summer, not cooped up, hanging around the house, dreading the 4:30 pm sunsets. But being pregnant over the winter does have one major drawback: itchy, irritated winter skin is kicked up a notch (or more...) due to hormones and all the stretching that comes with a growing baby bump.

Lucky for me, I found Bella B.'s Tummy Honey Butter ($19.95) It's a thick butter designed to prevent stretch marks and alleviate the itching of stretched-thin skin. In the tub, it's a solid - think of a true butter, not a cream-described-as-butter. It is not water-based, so on initial application it feels a bit greasy, but it spreads easily and absorbs quickly into skin. Still, because I like to dress and go in the morning, I reserve this for nightime use.

There's a subtle texture within the butter - like a very fine grain, maybe it's the cornstarch? - which actually helps to relieve itching as you rub it in (and probably helps exfoliate as well). Tummy Honey Butter includes such key ingredients as Cocoa Butter, Shea Butter, Vitamins D and E, wheat germ oil, olive oil (a sworn-by remedy in middle eastern cultures), avocado oil, jojoba oil, sesame oil, almond oil, and aloe vera.

The fragrance is a real pleasure too. Lots of pregnant gals are super-sensitive to smells, so sniff before you buy. This product has a very subtle scent coming from the cocoa butter, but it has a slightly floral aspect so it's not too chocolatey (like the Palmers products on the market). Natural-product lovers will appreciate that it's free of petroleum, lanolin and parabens, and has not been tested on animals. Not pregnant? I'd suggest trying this butter to re-hydrate cracked hands, elbows and feet, to relieve itchy eczema spots and to hydrate split cuticles.

Another fave product from this line is the Tummy to Toes, Feet & Leg Revitalizer ($18.99). I was recently on a business trip that required a 6-hour flight followed by days and nights on my feet (and in heels no less, hey - I was trying to be stylish!)... and my poor feet took a major beating. This thick cream provides enough slip so that you can deeply massage it into tired feet and calves - or better, get someone else to do it for you! There's a mild cooling sensation that helps revitalize tired feet, but doesn't have an overpowering menthol smell. Again, this would be appreciated by anyone who is tough on her feet, not just moms to be!

Have an expectant friend? Send her a gift set of Tummy Honey products. She'll thank you!