I Tried a Pregnancy Belly Mask, and It Was Weird (but Kind of Wonderful)

One of the best things about being pregnant? That all-over pregnancy glow. But here’s the thing—that magical, beauty-enhancing effect every mom-to-be has come to expect isn’t a guarantee. In fact, I’m pretty sure it’s just something that people say to make you feel better about your swollen feet, blotchy skin and excess hair (not just on your head, FYI).

Per the American Pregnancy Association, pregnancy glow is due to an excess of oil production, which makes your face shinier. It could also be because your body increases the production of blood by approximately 50 percent, which might lead to your face looking fuller. So there you have it—that “glow” is really just a greasy, swollen face.

Of course, every woman’s pregnancy is different (and if you’ve got a beautiful glow happening, then more power to you). But now that I’m seven months in, I’m still waiting for people to stop me in the street to tell me how gorgeous I look. (Something tells me I’m going to be waiting a long time.)

Until then, I need to find other ways to make myself (and my ever-expanding belly) feel good. And I want (deserve, dammit) some pampering. Enter Hatch pregnancy belly masks ($12). If you’re imagining a face sheet mask but for your bump, then you’re exactly right. Except instead of a space for your eyes, nose and mouth, this one has a small hole for your belly button. Why? I don’t know. It also has a winky face eye on it, which I wasn’t sure would be creepy or funny. My verdict: funny! My husband: definitely creepy.

The belly mask is meant to hydrate and relieve itchy bellies while minimizing the appearance of stretch marks and scars during pregnancy.

So, what does it feel like? Slightly cooling and pretty sticky. In fact, that was my one gripe with the product—while I have no qualms about lying down on the couch with a face mask on, I was too worried about our upholstery to do that with the belly version. So instead, I grabbed a towel and carefully lowered myself onto the bed for 15 minutes to let the ingredients (like aloe vera, propolis and sunflower seed oil) work their magic. After removing the mask, I rubbed the excess oil into my belly.

While I can’t speak to the mask’s stretch mark-reducing powers (this hasn't happened to me yet—unless it has, and I just can't see them), the oils did feel pretty good on my dry, itchy skin. It was also a fun (and funny) way to pamper myself with something designed specifically with moms-to-be in mind. Mostly, I loved using a product that forced me to stop and relax for a while—something that’s all too easy to forget to do when you’re stressing out about the nursery, choosing a stroller and how the heck you’re going to afford childcare. Hey, building a tiny human is hard work—you’re entitled to a little self-care.

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