I discovered something this morning that made me every bit as happy as discovering pregnancy prawns or the "Get fit while you sleep" bum & thighs toning mattress. It is beauty products recommended for pregnancy from my all-time favourite natural beauty brand, REN.
I've had a crush on REN ever since a friend of mine, a very sweet ex-boyfriend actually, gifted me the Moroccan Rose Otto Body Wash. My goodness, I didn't know body wash could actually be that special. Honestly, I'm not going all beauty ga-ga on you here, but it really is absolutely lovely to use – non-drying, divine smelling and froths a treat with a shower sponge. Spa-like undulgence at home.
Anyway, I've carried on using it all through my pregnancy as REN use only natural ingredients with no nasty stuff such as parabens etc. I've even gone so far as to add the Moroccan Rose Otto sugar body polish to my pampering sessions when I want either a real boost or to busy myself in the bathroom for an hour while the boyfriend cleans the house.
So, the new discovery is Monoi and Shea Butter Body Balm (pictured) which is recommended for helping prevent stretchmarks. Apparently, the features editor of Pregnancy & Birth magazine swears by it.
I'd never heard of monoi, but a quick Google search reveals it to be an extract from the exotic Tiare flower of Tahiti, and the moisturising beauty secret that Tahitian women use on their hair and skin. Well, if it's good enough for the gorgeous women of Tahiti, as well as the features ed of Pregnancy & Birth magazine...
The Body Balm is £44 for 330ml. If that sounds a bit steep to you, there's also the Monoi Nourishing Body Oil at £17 for 150mls. If you do try it out, come back and tell me if it really is as good as it sounds.