Are you getting ready for a new treatment regimen for your newly pregnant belly? If so, you may start to consider swapping out your regular beauty products, for skincare products that are safe and healthy for you and your baby.

As your body goes through the changes associated with pregnancy, your skin will need some extra TLC too! In fact, you may also be looking for specific skincare products that can help you prevent and treat some unwelcome surprises!

It was in my first pregnancy that I learned about pregnancy stretch marks. I also learned that there are as many types and colors of stretch marks as there are women. They are all unique depending on multiple factors, such as skin color, genetics, type, size, texture, and pliability. They also come with some psychological effects and may impact your body image and quality of life.

That said, it makes sense that you’d want to look at a safe and effective pregnancy stretch mark prevention and treatment regimen.

If you’re looking for products and practices that can help alleviate the appearance and the unwelcome side effects of stretch marks, this post is for you!

We’ll look at a popular stretch mark cream called Burt's Bees Mama Bee Belly Butter. This is a cream that I researched extensively during my own pregnancy when I was coming up with a new pregnancy skin-care routine to treat my pregnancy stretch marks. 

Turns out there’s a lot to know about belly butter and what it's actually used for.

I’ve pulled all this research together for you to help you save time, money, better understand the product, and to see if it’s a good fit for you. In this post, you'll also learn how and when to use it, and I'll give you some awesome, and effective treatments to use in conjunction with belly butter!

Let’s get to it…

Why Am I Getting Stretch Marks After Pregnancy?

Women will get stretch marks at different points in their pregnancy. During a growth spurt, like pregnancy, the skin stretches rapidly. This stretching tears the supportive structures of the skin, collagen and elastin, in the middle or bottom layers of the skin tissue, creating a scar.

About 90% of pregnant women will get stretch marks or scars by their third trimester. However, some women may start to get them in the second trimester, others might start to see them around the 30th week of pregnancy, and other women may not notice their pregnancy stretch marks until the last few weeks of the pregnancy or even the third trimester.

Every woman is unique. Every woman's body is unique. The various factors of each pregnancy are also unique. These diverse aspects determine when, as well as what kind of pregnancy stretch marks appear.

What Is Burt's Bees Mama Bee Belly Butter?

Burt's Bees Mama Bee Belly Butter is a pregnancy-safe, unscented lotion that provides relief and comfort to stretched skin. It can be used daily to gently and safely moisturize your belly and the skin. The formula soothes and conditions skin before and during pregnancy, and can also help to restore the skin after the pregnancy. Burt's Bees Mama Bee Belly Butter is a product specially formulated with Shea butter, cocoa butter, and Vitamin E to help pregnant women keep their skin soft and healthy before, during, and after a pregnancy. 

Is Burt's Bees Mama Bee Belly Butter Safe to Use During Pregnancy?

Burt's Bees Mama Bee Belly Butter is a natural skincare product intended to be used before, during, and after pregnancy. This lotion is non-irritating and 99% naturally formulated. It does not contain harsh or toxic chemicals like phthalates, parabens, petroleum, or SLS.

Burt’s Bees Mama Bee Belly Butter for Skin Rehydration

You may be wondering if Burt's Bees Mama Bee Belly Butter can help prevent, treat or remove stretch marks.

Since stretch marks are created due to deep dermal scarring and damage to the structural framework of the skin, a topical cream like Burt's Bees Mama Bee Belly Butter will not do much in terms of preventing, treating, and removing your pregnancy stretch marks. However, it can help to soothe and relieve stretch marks symptoms like inflammation and itching, and also help the stretch mark to fade quicker.

Burt's Bees Mama Bee Belly butter is also a great solution to skin rehydration. Skin during pregnancy that has developed stretch marks, is deeply damaged and therefore in need of deep moisture and hydration.

1. Cocoa Butter

The main ingredient in Burt's Bees Mama Bee Belly Butter is cocoa butter. Cocoa butter is a fatty substance obtained from the cocoa bean. It is used to prevent and reduce the appearance of stretch marks by maintaining epidermal elasticity and rehydrating the skin. It also helps to reduce hyperpigmentation and infuses deep moisture into the skin layers.

2. Shea Butter

Another ingredient in Burt's Bees Mama Bee Belly Butter is shea butter. Shea butter is a natural fat obtained from the fruits that grow on the karite tree. It is a very valuable, as well as nourishing, addition to a pregnancy moisturizing skincare routine. Shea butter has proven to reduce actively proliferating keloid fibroblasts, which are responsible for dermal scarring. An extra bonus is that shea butter also helps to reduce wrinkles, improve the elasticity of the skin and protect it against environmental toxins. 

3. Vitamin E 

Vitamin E is also a key ingredient in Burt's Bees Mama Bee Belly Butter. Vitamin E is an antioxidant and skin barrier stabilizer. It is also a non-irritant to the skin and therefore pregnancy safe!

Will My Pregnancy Stretch Marks Ever Go Away?

The truth is, is that there's not much you can do to prevent pregnancy stretch marks, especially since a majority of pregnancy stretch marks are genetic.

However, the most effective form of prevention is gaining weight slowly and staying within the recommended pregnancy weight gain amount.

Also, stretch marks naturally fade. While they will never completely disappear unless intervention is taken, it is possible to fade them sooner by decreasing inflammation and deeply moisturizing the skin.

Is Burt's Bees Mama Bee Belly Butter Good For Stretch Marks?

Burt's Bees Mama Belly Butter was voted the best drugstore stretch mark cream by Healthline. While it does not prevent or eliminate stretch marks entirely, it may help to make stretch marks less pronounced and noticeable by improving skin elasticity and smoothing the skin. 

If you’re considering this belly butter, read what others are saying about Burt’s Bees Mama Bee Belly Butter on Amazon below!

“I was one of the very lucky mamma's who didn't get any stretch marks from my pregnancy. This belly butter may have played a part in this. I ordered this while still in my 1st trimester, and I applied it daily in the mornings (about 1-2 tsp worth). It lasted me my ENTIRE pregnancy! I was surprised. This belly butter has a very mild smell, it's difficult to tell it even has a scent, and it reminds me of a milk based moisturizer. I would buy this again in a heartbeat. I also never experienced that itchy sensation from the growing belly I've heard about from so many other women. Keeping your belly, sides, back, butt, and thighs are very important. This belly butter is worth giving a try. “ ~ Rose Of Sharon Rice

“I used it twice a day throughout my entire pregnancy and I did not get a single stretch mark. I feel like nothing else that I used even came close to comparing to the Burt's Bees Mama Bee belly butter formula. They don't even advertise that fact, but it saved my skin!

The moisturizing capabilities are amazing, I could still feel it 8-10 hours after using it. Not many lotions are like that. What a blessing!” ~The Amazing Shel

“I bought this at the beginning of pregnancy and put on twice a day religiously to prevent stretch marks. I got up to 28 weeks and then had my first stretch mark. Then they just started appearing every week. It may have helped reduce, maybe?. But I learned stretch marks are inevitable, if you are going to get them you will no matter what. I would still use the lotion to stop itching as you get bigger. I was someone who believed this would work along with drinking lots of water, please know there is nothing you can do to prevent them if you are going to get them you will.” ~ Shannon

“With being pregnant I thought I would give this a try and I was not impressed with this product at all...it is just like any other generic regular everyday use lotion and that is not what it is advertising. Using this on my growing pregnant belly was not helpful for stretch marks or itchiness at all. I went back to using Palmer's products and they are 100 times better. Save your money and buy Palmer's Stretch Mark Massage lotion instead - it costs less and works far better!” ~ Thatonegirl

“The reason that I didn't give a five-star is that it doesn't stop my stretch mark from growing at all....however I believe that is not because of the product itself, because I did some online research and it seems the stretch mark is more of a legacy...plus I have a huge belly....However I still purchased three jars so far because first, it is really moisturizing and easy to spread, scent a little bit weird but doesn’t bother me. Second, I am in my third trimester now and my belly is so itchy that I really want to scratch sometimes...it’s killing me! This butter can really solve my itchy issue and get me relaxed a lot. So functionally, it doesn't stop stretch marks if you’re doomed to have them. But realistically it is a really good product which prevents my dry itchy belly and helps me have a good sleep at night. Plus the reasonable price, I don't need to hesitate how many times I put on my belly. Overall I would recommend this product!” ~ LaylaQ

“Good lotion, overall. No fragrance. Very thick consistency, which is great as a moisturizer, but makes it very difficult to spread. Due to thick consistency, it doesn't absorb well. Really gotta rub it in or else you're left with white streaks. Took off one star for thick consistency.Stretch marks are not preventable with any "magic" lotion or oil. You're either gonna get them or not. BUT, it is still nice to moisturize with products free of harsh chemicals and fragrance. I also used and prefer Earth Mama Belly Butter (better consistency, easier to use).” ~ RinaTay

When Should I Start Using Burt’s Bees Mama Belly Butter?

Topicals stretch mark creams like Burt's Bees Mama Bee Belly butter work best on new stretch marks, called striae rubrae. This is because new stretch marks that appear at the beginning of a pregnancy are typically inflamed, itchy, and highly pigmented.Burt's Bees Mama Bee Belly Butter can help reduce pigmentation, inflammation, as well as itching.

Older stretch marks, called striae albae, are mature stretch marks that have faded over time. The therapeutic intervention for the removal of mature stretch marks requires minimizing the structural alterations in the epidermis. I’ll recommend a great solution for this later in this post!

What Is the Fastest Way to Get Rid of Stretch Marks?

Women that develop pregnancy stretch marks usually notice the stretch marks becoming less noticeable around the six or 12 month, after giving birth.

While stretch marks will naturally fade over time, and eventually become unnoticeable, it's not possible to completely remove pregnancy stretch marks naturally with a topical cream. 

However, applying Burt’s Bees Mama Bee Belly Butter can help diminish their appearance and prevent further development. You can start by applying Burt's Bees Mama Bee Belly Butter two to three times a day to the abdomen to significantly reduce their appearance, and help them fade more quickly.

How to Use Burt's Bees Mama Bee Belly Butter?

Burt's Bees mama belly butter is specially blended to suit the skin throughout the entire nine months of pregnancy. It is a rich belly butter that keeps the growing belly soft, smooth and comfortable, before and after the pregnancy. 

Step 1. Cleanse

Begin with cleansing the skin. This removes any dirt, oil, dead skin, or debris on the outer skin layer.

Step 2. Apply Burt’s Bees Mama Bee Belly Butter

Next, apply Burt's Bees Mama Bee Belly Butter to the entire abdominal area. You can use Burt's Bees Mama Bee Belly Butter on other stretch mark prone areas of the body like the breasts, hips, or buttocks. Remember to wipe off your breasts before nursing your baby.

Step 3. Massage

Lastly, remember to massage the belly or any areas where the Burt’s Bees Mama Bee Belly Butter has been applied. This helps to stimulate collagen production and helps keep the skin supple.

Try a Self-massage tool like Claratone $ 29.99!

Claratone uses micro-pulsation technology to help improve product absorption, increase blood flow, support collagen production, and reduce inflammation. 

Which Topical Product is Best for Preventing Stretch Marks in Pregnancy?

Burt's Bees Mama Bee Belly Butter is a great product with great value. It's easy to use and effective at softening the skin, relieving itchiness, and reducing the appearance of stretch marks. If you want to prevent and remove stretch marks completely, consider adding a product that can help repair the damage of the collagen fibers in the deeper layers of the skin.

A great product for this is the Enhanced Silicone Fusion™ Stretch Mark System. These NEW pregnancy-safe, 100% medical-grade, silicone patches have an increase in overall effectiveness by 40% in helping to reduce the appearance of stretch marks during and after pregnancy.

Enhanced Silicone Fusion™ Stretch Mark System For Stretch Mark Prevention, Treatment & Removal

The Enhanced Silicone Fusion™ Stretch Mark patches create a closed and breathable microclimate when they are placed onto the skin. This draws moisture from the lower skin layers to the outside layers stimulating collagen production, activating and normalizing it. 

Users experience visible results after just one application. In fact, in clinical studies, 90% of users said their skin felt smoother, 87% of users said their skin felt softer, and 89% of users said their skin looked younger!

Buy The Enhanced Silicone Fusion™ Stretch Mark System $ 44.99

Is Burt’s Bees Mama Bee Belly Butter Right For You?

The skin requires special care and extra attention before, during, and after pregnancy.

Implementing a best practices pregnancy skincare routine as a daily self-care ritual is a great way to protect hydrate, and repair damaged skin, and also to unwind and relax!

Skin damage that results from the skin stretching, as well as from the hormonal changes that come with pregnancy, needs to be treated topically, as well as internally in the deeper skin layers. Therefore, it's also important to implement lifestyle adjustments like proper exercise, nutrition, and hydration during this time.

Thankfully, there are so many wonderful and effective pregnancy-safe skincare products that help hydrate our skin and improve skin quality. Remember to work with trusted pregnancy-safe brands to ensure chemical-free, clinically-tested, and proven treatment options that work!

Dermaclara is a premier pregnancy skincare brand, and we want to support you on your pregnancy skincare journey. Check out our suite of pregnancy-safe products to help remove your pregnancy stretch marks, control acne, skin dryness, and fight wrinkles, fine lines, sun damage, and other skin issues that you may be struggling with during your pregnancy.