Stretch marks can be an utter pain...See my review of Viridian's Ultimate Beauty Skin Repair Oil

So I'm 30 weeks pregnant and to be honest I feel like a hippo. I can feel my belly getting bigger and bigger, which is great in a way because it means the little guy in there is growing. However one thing comes to mind is stretch marks!

Stretch marks affect a lot of people (men and women). Before I had my son I was lucky enough to have never suffered from them, however within the last few days of my pregnancy they appeared all over my tummy. I'll be honest I didn't take it well. I tried creams, lasers and even wanted a tummy tuck (which I was told I wasn't a suitable candidate for). At the time I just obsessed with them and wished that I had tried to prevent them. 7 years later they have really faded and I'm paranoid about them returning. I have met many people that have been bothered by stretch marks and I suppose many of us don't think about preventing them until we get them. 

Just over four weeks ago I was given the opportunity to review a few products by Viridian. 

One product in particular really stood out and that was the "Ultimate Beauty Skin Repair Oil".  I thought this is definitely worth a go and was also safe to use when pregnant.  I read the instructions, the oil was to be applied morning and night. Initially I thought this was going to be messy, but the oil came in a bottle with a pump, which meant that I could dispense it without making a mess.  So I started in the evening after my shower. I was so pleasantly surprised that when I applied the oil it was absorbed into my skin straight away and I could wear my clothes almost immediately, which was proving very handy in the morning! I didn't need tons of it either and as I applied it the annoying itch I had on belly disappeared, It was soothing and actually helped my sleep.

Before using the Viridian Skin Repair Oil, I was using coconut oil which was really messy and wasn't getting absorbed into my skin as well. I next looked at the ingredients and did a bit of research and found that the Viridian oil contained 'Rosehip fruit oil'. Rosehip oil contains a natural derivative of vitamin A which is safe to use during pregnancy. The more research I did about this stuff the more I found out it was hailed as a beauty miracle. It renews damaged skin and fights wrinkles and stretch marks. It's seems to be the beauty secret to the likes of Kate Middleton, Victoria Beckham and Gwyneth Paltrow. So if it's good enough for them it's definitely good enough for us!

It's been a crazy few weeks for me, dealing with a poorly child and getting my house ready to be attacked by builders and living in a dusty house without any ceilings. Most of my beauty rituals have gone out of the window but I have religiously stuck to applying the oil to my belly.  I haven't given up mainly because the relief I have been getting from my belly itchiness, how soft my belly has felt and the ease and the lack of mess in applying the oil.

I love the fact that Viridian is Organic and made without the use of synthetic fragrances or colourings and is an ethical company. I also love the fact that a little of the Skin Repair Oil goes a long way.

I have been using the oil for just over four weeks now and I'm still stretch mark free even though I have exploded! My Bump is huge.  I must admit I'm very fussy with my creams and on my face I use Creme de la Mer.  I am a cream snob so for me personally I have been very impressed with the oil and will continue go use it after pregnancy.

  
Viridian Ultimate Beauty Skin Repair Oil costs £15.76 for 100ml 
http://www.viridian-nutrition.com/shop/Ultimate-Beauty-Skin-Repair-Topical-Oil-P598.aspx

If you have any questions about Viridian skin repair oil, pregnancy or stretch marks, just Tweet or e-mail me!

Speak soon,

Minoushe xx

Paleo Banana and Dark Chocolate Bread....Yummy

You know when you have had a week of Just eating all the junk in the world? Well I'm having one of those weeks and its not like I can say, ok I'm on a diet from Monday because being pregnant means that I shouldn't really go on my mad diets (which funnily enough I miss). I'm  feeling constantly hungry and every time I eat I get this horrible heartburn.

 

Yesterday morning I didn't feel too well and I stupidly skipped breakfast and by lunch time I was starving! I made myself a cheese and jam sandwich...Yep you read correctly and as I consumed the whole thing in a couple of minutes, I didn't feel in control of my body anymore...I needed this control back and eating sugary things is just not good for me or baby, so I decided to make a some paleo banana and dark chocolate bread. At least if I then have a sugar craving I could have something that has healthy ingredients in it. So here goes...

First preheat the oven at 170 degrees and grease and line a load tin with baking paper. You will need the following ingredients

300 g of almond flour

1 tsp. of baking powder

A pinch of salt

1 cup and a little bit extra of dark chocolate chips ( I used a bar of 85% green and blacks dark chocolate and chopped it up)

2  eggs (from the fridge)

2 very ripe bananas (chopped)

1/4 of agave syrup (you can use honey too)

1 tsp. of orange juice

 

 

 

Beat the eggs for a couple of minutes with an electric whisk and add the bananas, agave and orange juice and whisk till well combined. Next add the 1/2 the almond flour,  baking powder and salt and mix till well combined, then add the rest of the almond flour and combine well. Lastly fold in the chocolate chips and put the mixture in the loaf tin. Sprinkle on top a few more chocolate chips and bake in the oven for around 35 minutes. Test with a toothpick to see if it's ready. When ready remove from the oven and leave to completely cool on a wire rack!

Cut a slice and enjoy with a cup of tea or coffee!  

Lastly, this appraisal I received last Sunday made my heart melt ...

 

 

 

Speak soon, Love,

 

Minoushe xx

 

Amazing liquid that promises results! UPDATE

For the last month I have stuck to this water challenge as best as possible. It's not been easy seeming that I don't particularly like the taste of water but the results have been worth it.

Here’s why…

Initially I had a few spotty outbreaks, but shortly afterwards my face became clear and smooth. I was getting quite a few compliments about my complexion.

I have always been lucky in that I didn't really suffer from cellulite but pregnancy seemed to have changed this... When I increased my water intake to between 1.5 to 2 litres daily I noticed within a week that my cellulite had started to go - result!

I also wasn't feeling as hungry as I normally was which was good news for me. I felt much more in control of my hunger pangs.

With regards to being pregnant I noticed that increasing my water intake had a positive effect on my constant heartburn and constipation! (Something else you only find out about when you get pregnant).

So have I got used to drinking more water? Yes but I'm still needing to remind myself. The benefits have definitely been worth it and aiming for 1.5 to 2 liters a day makes a huge difference. One handy thing I started doing was when eating out or in coffee shops, I was ordering tap water along side my coffees, teas and meals. I also noticed that I found it easier to drink water that wasn't freezing cold.

Now the challenge is to keep it going!

Speak soon,

Minoushe xx