Pregnancy Skincare Advice Blog - Free Tips & tricks

Hi there

Moving into my 3rd trimester has bought with it the joys of nausea again. For the first 12 weeks I carried a paper bag in my handbag wherever I went which did attract strange looks from fellow commuters on the tube, am sure they just thought I was hungover, that most definitely feels like a thing of the past! Now, at 27 weeks pregnant I was thrilled to be trying out something more sophisticated, the "reach before you retch" Rescue Anti-Nausea pulse point not only smells delicious, I have particularly enjoyed the restorative mandarin with ginger, the soothing and calming scent helps alleviate the
sickness and take your mind of chucking up in the nearest bin. For a more refreshing and reviving scent, the Sesame oil with peppermint is lovely too.
 
All these delicious Blooming Babe lotions and oils are helping to make me feel relaxed and in control of my body again. In line with an attempt to retain my fitness, very important for both mummy and baby throughout pregnancy. The past 6 months i have been sweating my way through a series of self disciplined work-outs but moving into my last trimester I do feel the need for extra guidance, with my balance shot to bits and a near fatal trip of the treadmill landing in a heap on the gym floor I decided it was time to get a personal trainer. Perusing the selection of trainers can be a mind field so its always best to ask what they specialise in, finding the right one is essential for both your well being and the health of the little one growing inside you.
 
An hour of research later I chose Daniel Chicano, who works at David Lloyds in Kensington. He specializes in pre and post natal training and has extensive knowledge of nutrition so was able to guide me through the does and don'ts of what to eat. He's also very good at reminding me to do my pelvic floor   exercises, easily forgotten when left to your own devices, something I am certain I will be thankful for later on! Concentrating on keeping my oblique's taught and balance on track, along with a fierce determination to keep my butt in some kind of shape, I now see Danny twice a week. Its only been 3 weeks but already I feel like I have more energy, my body feels fitter and I am more confident knowing i'm not over stretching or risking my health and
that of my baby.
 
Jo x

OK!  So I've been using the Blooming Babe Pregnancy Skincare Survival kit for a couple of weeks now.  As Liz explained the kit is intended to treat the various skin issues that arise over the nine months of pregnancy, so i started with The "Feed your face" Harmonise Facial Moisturiser(see below) is a light & soothing consistency which means my skin doesn't feel over loaded with product, important at a time when the rest of my body feels like a ton weight, at least my face feels light and refreshed! I had typical combination skin before pregnancy but now into my 6th month my skin does feel more sensitive and i have areas of dryness, noticeably on my cheeks and on my forehead. The sesame seed oil and Goji berry extract has really helped minimise this dryness, helping my skins elasticity and tone. It isn't heavily scented, so at the times when that lovely pregnancy nausea kicks in, it is tolerable.

Over the past few months, I have been blinded by the different types of oils on offer for pregnancy use. Generally i found the scents of most of them over-powering or too greasy. I have really enjoyed using the "To the Moon and Back" - Serenity Body Oil (see below), its fresh scent and light weight consistency leaves my skin feeling hydrated, nourished and relaxed. Its a lovely oil to use for massage so not only is my body now beautifully soft and hydrated so are my husbands hands!

Other points -Love the soothing colours of the lotions and oils, a soft palette of cream, taupes and peach look lovely on the bathroom shelf! The natural hesian bag with the hot coral coloured wording  is a good balance of modern and bohemian. Its suggests chic organic with style

Jo has been working as a Lifestyle Journalist & Stylist for the last 10 years.

During which she has been Style Editor at Living etc magazine, Style Editor at The Sunday Times and more recently Style Director at Redwood Publishing. She has just finished her first book in collaboration with the Internationally renowned florist, Jane Packer. Jo and Liz met through their husbands 3 years ago. A similar, relaxed outlook on life and a mutual respect for health and well-being solidified their friendship.

Liz began researching the Blooming Babe brand 2 years ago, using the experience of her own pregnancies she was quickly able to identify what was missing from the market place. So it was to no surprise that when Jo became pregnant in October last year it was Liz who became her main confidante and pregnancy advisor.

Jo explains, “Liz is a walking pregnancy encyclopaedia, forget all those pregnancy bibles, what a girl really needs is Liz Horgan-Novarro on speed dial!”
Jo is in her 6th month of pregnancy and she will be posting regularly about her pregnancy experiences and the use of Blooming Babe.

Blooming Babe, the natural pregnancy skincare range was created by Irish born entrepeneur, Elizabeth Horgan (A.K.A Matthew and Ethan’s mum).

She  conceived the idea of an ethically-based chemical-free beauty brand during her own pregnancies.  One of the biggest challenges she faced was finding a natural chemical-free product that would ease her chronic psoriasis, a condition she felt was exacerbated by pregnancy. Hence, her search began for pure clean natural beauty products.  Elizabeth’s love of research and problem solving led her to develop the products she new from her own experience, were missing from the market.  

And thus Blooming babe was born! (see below the Pregnancy Survival Kit).
In addition to her developing Blooming Babe, Elizabeth is a trustee for Learning for Life, a U.K based charity that provides education and teacher training for children in the most impoverished areas of South Asia.  Through her business, Elizabeth has pledged a percentage of her company’s profits to Learning for Life - “All children regardless of background deserve a fair chance; education is not a privilege it is a necessity”.  
 
Elizabeth goes on to say:

"Realising, that pregnancy can often leave one feeling a little cut off from the rest of the world, we dedicate this blog to all you beautiful mums-to-be.  Here, you will be able to read and write about pregnancy with people you can you can relate to!  Throughout my personal journey in developing Blooming Babe, I have been fortunate enough to have met some of the most amazing people who work in various professions related to pregnancy.  Each of these individuals have indispensible knowledge and insight into pregnancy and related matters.  Over the course of the next few months I shall introduce them to you.  Now I'd like to introduce my beautiful friend Jo":