Tanya Kazeminy Mackay, beauty expert, mother of two and co-founder of the successful skincare company, Mamo Mio, joined us for a webchat.
Here are some of the questions posted by our babyexpert.com users along with Tanya’s advice on the best practice to improve and maintain the tone, texture and elasticity of your skin.
Q: I have very sensitive skin, which can also get quite dry and find lots of products contain almond oil, which I'm allergic to, any suggestions? Also how often should I moisturise my bump, will it help stop stretchmarks from getting too bad?
A: Oh dear shame to hear about your sweet almond oil allergy. Mama Mio is laden with Sweet Almond Oil as it is just so rich and effective in maternity skincare. At the risk of smelling like a salad - I would recommend you use Olive Oil morning and evening. It is a brilliant oil very nourishing and easily accessible and is a good alternative for very sensitive skin.
Q: What's the best thing to help fade stretch marks?
A: In fact - 80% of all women suffer from stretch marks so really you are not alone. Although the three of us managed to avoid them - through our Mama Mio travels again and again we heard the tales of woe and were shown the battle scars of stretch marks. We understand how much women try to come to terms with these badges of honour but actually would feel a lot better about their bodies without them! Which is why we at Mama Mio spent years formulating our wonderful 'Goodbye Stretch Marks' to be the very best stretch mark minimiser (in our humble opinion) available. The kind of feedback we get from women who have used it 3 times a day for 12 weeks is amazing. It is totally safe to use when pregnant and nursing... Hope this helps? Will send a separate reply to your teenage spot issues in a second!
Q: Since I've had my baby I've had spots again? What’s the best way to get rid of them? I do the 3- steps (cleanse, tone and moisturize) already.
A: Spots are such a curse of excess hormones! Hmmmm.... Our advice is for breakouts is pretty straight forward - don't touch! It just makes it worse. Use a good product line (we love Dr Hauschka - very natural and super effectiveness). Cleanse gently but well.
Try this method
1. Hold a clean washcloth under hot water and then ring out. Open it out and hold it over your face using both hands for 5 seconds. Warming your skin opens your pores and softens your makeup.
2. Apply your cleanser as normal. Massaging the skin for 30 seconds to stimulate blood flow.
3. Heat the washcloth again under hot water and wipe off cleanser. Rinse repeat. The wash cloth acts as a gentle exfoliant to stimulate cell regeneration in your skin.
4. Splash your face 10 times with very cold tap water. The cold water ensures all cleanser is rinsed, and shocks your skin encouraging blood flow and finally closes your sparkling clean pores.
Finally - my favourite spot basher is Savlon. It is such an effective tool in the fight against spots - just rub on to clean skin directly over the area that is prone - massaging it in and leaving it on overnight. Then use it under your usual products during the day.
Q: Are there any creams that can be used to cure or prevent strechmarks?
A: Try our Mama Mio Tummy Rub to help prevent stretch marks. Rich in Omega 3,6 and 9 it will give your skin the best fighting chance to avoid getting stretch marks. Whilst they are hereditary - if you use a great product (like ours) rub it in twice a day and add a tiny sparkle of luck - you will not get stretch marks. If you do happen to get stretch marks (perhaps your sparkle of luck was sprinkled on your baby!) we have an excellent product to fade them - Goodbye Stretchmarks has given women around the world amazing results in repairing stretch marks. Importantly - It is safe to use during pregnancy so you can zap them as soon as they appear. In fact it will actually fade stretch marks from pregnancy number 1, whilst growing with pregnancy number 2. Good stuff!
Q: I have a newborn and am breastfeeding. My breasts have obviously become much heavier with the milk. What can I do to keep them from sagging from the extra weight once they go back to normal?
A: One of the major perks of pregnancy is the cleavage! Although for me they were such a baby only area - My husband used to complain that it was like standing starving in front of a huge chocolate cake that he was not allowed to touch! We created Mama Mio Boob Tube for this exact purpose. Kathy (another Mama Mio founder) was pregnant with twins and went from an A to a C. She was determined not to pay the high 'rent' that goes along with this amazing growth.... thus Boob Tube was developed specifically to help stop the sag. Basically the skin in your bust is very similar to the skin around your eyes - very thin and not very strong or elastic so that pregnancy profile results in overstretched skin and damaged collagen (the walls that hold up your skin).... Boob Tube to the rescue! Rich in Omega 3, 6 and 9 it helps build the strength and elasticity of your skin. High levels of CoQ10 increase cell regeneration and prevent degredation of collagen... to keep your boobs firm. It is safe to use throughout pregnancy and while nursing (avoid your nipples as your baby doesn't need boob tube!). We are on a bit of a mission to get women (at all ages and all stages) thinking about taking care of their decolletage - so think of it as an eye cream that you use once a day to improve the tone of your skin and keep your 'girls' looking their best as you get older....
Q: I know it is just as important to look after yourself inside for out. What are the best vitamin supplements for keeping your skin in good condition?
A: For me the answer is Essential Fatty Acids - Omega 3, 6 and 9. Crucial to the strength and elasticity of your skin (amongst other less superficial things like brain function and your central nervous system) they are brilliant for keeping your skin looking it's best. Whilst pregnant and breastfeeding your baby is using you as a fridge and nicking all your EFA's. Which means you are at your lowest level, and your skin is at its weakest point when you are trying to stretch 30 inches and then shrink again! Mama Mio is all about the topical use of Omega's 3, 6 & 9 to directly affect your skin strength and elasticity even after baby to help your skin snap back as you shrink back down to normal (you would use our tummy rub for four months after baby for this purpose). We also recommend taking them in a supplement for the long-term benefits to your skin and the short-term benefits to you and your baby’s health and well being. I could go on and on about this subject so I have tried to keep it short and sweet....
Q: Are the omega oils used in Mama Mio products are suitable for vegetarians?
A: All of our ingredients are plant based - so totally cool for vegetarians. (The only ingredient that has an 'animal' association is beeswax.... so I guess it depends on just how fierce a vegetarian you are.) We have a very strict 'No Nasties' policy, which promises you that we will never use ingredients that are not safe. All of our products are free of Parabens, petrochemicals, sulphates, synthetic fragrance and any colourants. We are very appreciative of the trust mama's put in us and so we work hard to keep you safe and sound.
Products mentioned:
Mama Mio Goodbye Stretch Marks, £45; Mama Mio Tummy Rub Stretch Mark Oil, £23;
Mama Mio Boob Tube, £26 all available from Mama Mio.
For more information about any of the products mentioned and for more skincare advice visit Tanya’s company, www.mamamio.com
