When my now three and a half year old son was born I was a clueless mess. How do I feed him? How do I bathe him? What’s safe to put on his skin? Almost every pediatrician and nurse in the maternity ward at the hospital told me the same thing: pick up some Mustela and you’ll be all set. They were right, and it’s always been in the back of my head that I’d return to the tried and true fave for this next infant along the way, but I was totally surprised (happily) to find out they have a line of pregnancy-safe products for expecting moms to warm up to as well.
I recently gave the Ultimate Hydration cream a test drive because my hormones have left my skin constantly parched. Without a serious lotion my legs seem to turn to alligator skin in 5 minutes flat after a shower, and my growing belly turns to a giant, itchy mess (that’s what happens when your skin is gradually stretching to meet the space demands of a new human). I’ve been test driving lotions, potions, oils, serums, and all sorts of wild things in an effort to soothe, calm, and prevent the stretch marks I’m so desperately afraid. Frankly, there are a few great products out there, but none seem to have the “get it all done at once” 1-2 punch of Mustela’s Ultimate Hydration. I say that because it’s good to use everywhere. Normally at home I keep my giant container of super thick, intense belly cream or salve and a lotion that I use for the rest of my body… but this one is good enough to use all over post-pool, shower, beach, or whatever. I go for a dip in the pool at my local spa about twice a week now, and this cream is one of the few things I bring with me in addition to my house keys, mascara, deodorant, brush, and occasionally a little tinted lipgloss if I’m feeling rowdy.
Verdict: totally worth it (and the smell is fresh enough to negate the need for perfumes or body sprays, no matter how natural).
Extra bonuses:
- Elastoregulator®, a natural active ingredient that enables skin to adapt to tissue stretching by strengthening its elasticity. It directly activates the production of the skin’s support proteins.
- Lupeol, a plant extract, stimulates biosynthesis and ensures that the collagen, naturally produced by the skin, is of good quality.
- Avocado Peptides reduce the skin’s increased reactivity and limits feelings of hypersensitivity. The skin is soothed and remains elastic and supple, to better withstand stretching.
