Pregnancy Ride-or-Die Products. Baby #3.

This baby boy #3 isn’t kidding - he means BUSINESS. My body knows what its doing this third time around and everything has happened so quickly - the bump, the swelling, the sore feet, back aches, dry skin and a whole bunch of other weird things. Not to make pregnancy sound rough - but there are definitely some interesting challenges to face and I’ve found some things that have helped ease some of the more difficult tasks! Rounding up some pregnancy-safe products and routines that have been working for me this time around and I hope they help you out, too, sister! Most of this stuff isn’t pregnancy-specific, so you don’t have to be bumpin’ to reap the benefits.

*Also, because I love you, I have a few discount codes at the bottom of this post that you can use if you decide to purchase any of these products - yay! Because I like to shop but I REALLY like to shop with promo codes ;)

Bath Time.
Follain Rose Bath Salts + Little Barn Apothecary Grapefruit & Honeysuckle Body Oil
You guys. I’ve found the most winning combination and I can’t stop this bath situation - I take one almost every night! During my last pregnancy, taking baths really helped me unwind at the end of the night and sleep better. This time around it’s already helping with my sore back and feet. I simply shimmy some of these bath salts into the running water and then add 5-10 pumps of this oil into the water as well. It’s literally the best scent of my life and the oil really helps your skin stay hydrated, especially when you get out of the bath.

Vitamin Time.
DoTERRA Life Long Vitality Supplements + Probiotic + Bone Nutrient Complex
I take the full dose recommended for these supplements every single day and it serves as a complete prenatal. I also take the Bone Nutrient Complex, the Probiotic AND I’m on an iron supplement (I’m always anemic during my pregnancies). It’s a lot of vitamins, but I just take them with breakfast and a glass of juice and get it done. I love that they are made from whole-food sources, so there’s no unnecessary synthetic ingredients padded in. I’ve learned so much since my last pregnancy about the types of vitamins that really resonate with my body, so this is one of the things I am most proud of using daily!

Clothes Time.
I wish I could just be naked. But that can’t really happen because this isn’t Papua New Gineua and my kids might get weirded out. But this time around I’ve been wearing some awesome Carly Jane hand-me-downs from my BFF Holly along with a slew of Target Knox Rose dresses (non-maternity). And I’ve been SO comfy! Especially since we’ve had an endless summer over here. Also, I went ahead and busted out all the Blanqi shapewear because I learned about this brand last time and seriously, it’s THE game changer. Helps lift my belly and keep the pressure off my special area and lower back. If you are pregnant, BUY THIS TANK. You will be forever changed.

Skincare Time.
On my Face:
I often switch up my skincare routine, but I’ve enjoyed cleansing with doTERRA Verage Cleanser, using the Indie Lee COQ-10 Toner, using the Pai Back to Life Serum and the Herbivore Botanicals Prism and Orchid face oils for moisture. These are all safe for pregnancy (I absolutely LOVE the doTERRA Yarrow/Pom oil for my face, but it’s not something that’s pregnancy-safe so I’ve taken a break from it until the baby arrives).

On my Belly:
I have stretch marks from my previous pregnancies, and from what I’ve read they’re just a genetic thing and there’s not TONS you can do about them. But I still try! This pregnancy I’ve been slathering my belly in the Earth Mama Belly Oil (used at night) + Earth Mama Belly Butter (used in the morning) + doTERRA Body Butter (used after showering and swimming) & Immortelle Anti-Aging Rollerball Blend (used to spot treat areas where I already have stretch marks, to help repair the skin). It might seem like a lot, but I really love all these products and the routine of using them really relaxes me and feels like self-care. So I love them all!

Discount Codes + Deals for YOU!

Follain (for skincare products)
15% off online: use code ref15_3i83z7

Blanqi (shapewear + maternity support)
*$20 off your first order when you use this link to shop!

DoTERRA (supplements + essential oils + some skincare)
*25% off your first AND every order by clicking here (for supplements I use daily)
***(also, I will send you a welcome package of samples and a custom gift for you when you purchase a $100+ wholesale membership starter kit!)

Earth Mama (skincare and other pregnancy-safe products)
*Spend $50 and get 20% off with code BYOBundle
*Also, THIS is a really great starter kit if you want to try out some of the Earth Mama pregnancy products!

---

---

Other Items I’ve Been Using:

Comrad Compression Socks

Serenity Restful Complex

Nike Women's Flex

Z Supply Joggers

The Baby Name Wizard

---

My Wavy Hair Care Routine.

Sometimes I dream of cutting my hair off really short and sassy, but I have to admit that in my heart, I just feel like a long-hair girl. Probably because I’ve mostly always had long hair. I cut my hair off really short when I was a senior in high school, and that was really fun because my hair was so curly when it wasn’t weighed down by the length. But for most of my life, I’ve had long wavy hair and I really like being able to do so many different things with long hair. Here’s how I “do” my hair when I wear it wavy (which is most of the time!) Especially in the summer with so much heat and humidity - I rarely blow dry and heat style!

In-Between Washes.
For my typical day in momlife, I don’t wash and style my hair. That takes me a hot minute because my hair is long, so I reserve that for a date night or something like that. Since my hair is so long, sometimes keeping it up in a bun on my head or in a ponytail can actually get super heavy and give me headaches, so I try to get creative on days that I don’t wash by doing a low braid or something that I can easily pull together in a few minutes time. I really love the Barefoot Blonde Hair Instagram account for some hair inspiration if I have 7 minutes to do something a little extra, but for the most part, I am like everyone else and just doing something easy. Also, I really appreciate the power of a good hat.

I tend to wash my hair 3-4 times per week and in between washes, I use this Little Barn Apothecary Dry Shampoo (recommended to me by Natalie!) on my roots and this Innersense Refresh Dry Shampoo to keep my wavy hair from looking matted. Also 2-3 day “old” hair is my favorite for trying new braids or twists in my hair because it holds so much better.

Cleanse + Condition.
When I do wash, I use Innersense Color Awakening Hairbath and Innersense Color Radiance Daily Conditioner - I have been using these for over a year now and I really love this combination and this whole brand. The ingredients are so clean and the aroma is so decadent that I literally find myself closing my eyes and breathing in the scent! It’s these little moments that you get to yourself when you’re a mom that feel like a treat, so I try to indulge in a few extra minutes in there where I can! #treatyoself

Treat the scalp.
Since I don’t wash my hair every day, I like to combat the flakiness that I tend to have in between washes. When I shampoo, I add a few drops of DoTERRA Melaleuca essential oil to my shampoo and massage it in for a few minutes. If you can let it sit for a few minutes more to treat your scalp, that’s a bonus, but I don’t always have time for a long luxurious shower (ha!), so I just do what I can when I can.

Dry.
I like to towel and air dry my hair as much as possible, which is why I wear it wavy most days. Although when I do this is usually take at least half a day to dry! Once I towel my hair dry, I like to spritz the Innersense Sweet Spirit Leave-In Conditioner for added moisture.

Style.
It’s taken me a long time to find something I liked as much as the conventional styling mouse I used to use. But when I read about all the gross chemicals that were loaded in that bottle, I quickly began trying some new products. I was bummed when a lot of them didn’t perform as well as my old fave, but I finally found what works for me by using use two pumps of Innersense I Create Hold gel. I scrunch this evenly into my hair and let it air dry. I LOVE this formula. I don’t usually use an entire product line from 1 brand, but Innersense is seriously, seriously blowing me away with how incredible the products are! And by the way, this post isn’t sponsored by any of these brands at all (I feel like I shouldn’t have to say that these days because I hope that you guys know that whether something is sponsored or not, it’s because I use and adore the products, but sometimes there are new friends around here and I want to make sure you know that!)

For some added hold, sometimes I also spray my half-dried hair with Yarok Feed Your Hold Hairspray and I love that this spray is made with all non-toxic ingredients (the bonus it that it smells like fresh-cut grass!) It gives me just the right amount of hold without adding any crunch to my hair.

And that’s the hair care routine! I’m updating my Green Beauty Cheat Sheet with these products, so that will continue to be a comprehensive reference tool you can access if you’re interested in finding other non-toxic options for lifestyle/beauty products I have personally tested and loved. Let me if you have questions about any of these products!

*All products shared I have personally used and loved. I do receive a small portion of profit from affiliate links, but only share brands and products I trust and use with confidence. I hope this helps you!

The Body Oil I'm Using Everyday (+ a Giveaway for you!)

As many of you know, I've been on a green beauty journey over the past 6 months or so. I've been testing everything from mascara and shampoo to serums and toners. It's a lot to take on at once! But I've just gotten to the point where I want to decrease the toxic load in my home (and on my body!), so the research and trial-and-error is all worth it. While I've found some face oils that I am loving lately (which I will include in a separate post, because I didn't want to overwhelm with too much information here), I kept striking out when I was looking for a premium body oil. I wanted it to smell good (duh), be super moisturizing but not greasy, free of toxic ingredients and instead made with safe botanicals and essential oils. You all know how much I love my Doterra oils... so, the bar for a stellar-performing body oil was set rather high.

Which brings me to Little Barn Apothecary.

The Discovery.
I discovered Little Barn when I was celebrating my 30th birthday at Serenbe this past September. They have locations at Serenbe, Westside Provisions in Atlanta and down in Watersound, Florida at The Hub on 30A. Shannon took great care of me in the store, explaining the LBA philosophy (which totally resounds with me) and proceeded to load me up with some incredible samples. I went home to try the body oil and I was honestly overwhelmed. I had found the one! I ran out of this remarkable sample oil in like 3 days because I couldn't stop basically bathing in it. Even Stevie came home from work and said, "Whoa, you smell really good. Like really, really good... what is that?" I tried to pass it off as my naturally alluring scent, but we've known each other far too long for that to work on him. He was like, "no for real - what is that??"

So let me just tell you a little about this heavenly Honeysuckle + Grapefruit Body Oil. Formulated for all skin types, this oil is best used just after you get out of the shower, when your skin is still damp. It is a daily moisturizer that is non-greasy and quickly absorbs into the skin to give you an all-day glow. It also smells super indulgent, like you've been bathing inside the nectar of a flower and then spritzed with a squeeze of citrus juice. Which is #lifegoals, am I right? I imagine this is what Tinker Bell smelled like, that lucky lass.

I love that Little Barn Apothecary believes in the power and healing of all-natural ingredients, centering each of their products around the simple focus of being a safe, pure alternative to the chemical-laden self care products in today’s market. This has been my mission with my Green Beauty Trials, to find companies just like this one! Score!

The Story Behind the Brand.
Little Barn Apothecary founders Joshua and Brad started the brand in their kitchen after realizing there was a void in the market for handmade, uncomplicated self-care products. The beauty market is flooded with chemical-laden products that wreak havoc on the body, and they were passionate about creating alternatives. After sharing some of the items with friends and family, they were met with enthusiastic requests for more and decided to expand their line. In 2015, Little Barn Apothecary was debuted to the public with the promise that the product line is “simply simple”, meaning that the botanical ingredients in each product is 100% natural and selected by hand. All products are hand crafted in small-batch apothecary tradition and sold in recycled glass bottles with minimal packaging. Every product is 100% vegan and organic, containing wild-harvested ingredients whenever possible. All the products are free of synthetic ingredients, artificial colors, parabens or any sort of “fillers”. Little Barn takes inspiration from the earth to provide hand made formulations designed to evoke a simple feeling of well-being.

Discount for YOU!
Well, whatever they're doing, it's working. Stevie keeps trying to steal my body oil, that rascal. If you want to snag your own, you can shop here and receive 15% off any purchase by using the code KRISTENH at checkout. Stock up on Christmas gifts, my friends! I am also a huge fan of the Ginger + Rosemary Hand and Body Wash and the Lavender + Frankincense Original Oil (amazing essential oils for supporting overall skin health!) I love dropping an extra drop or two of my Doterra essential oils in these products for added potency. Hurray for all the oils!

Giveaway!
I'm super excited to partner with LBA to give away a "Glow For It" kit to one of you! This amazing set contains contains my beloved Honeysuckle + Grapefruit Body Oil, the Sweetgrass + Lavender soap and the Jasmine + Geranium Polishing Scrub. Jump over to my Instagram (@oykristen) for your chance to enter! Winner will be selected and notified on 11/22, Thanksgiving eve!

More about the Kit:
The “Glow For It” Body Kit comes in a limited edition box, complete with three items to help you achieve a natural, healthy glow, even in the dead of winter. First, cleanse skin with the Sweetgrass + Lavender Soap Bar, an organic, gentle soap made for all over body cleansing with essential oils to create the perfect aroma in your shower. Next, exfoliate with the Jasmine + Geranium Polishing Body Scrub, perfect for dry skin. This scrub uses pure, organic cane sugar and organic, skin loving oils to scrub away dead skin and reveal a softer, more youthful glow. After stepping out of the shower, pump a small amount of the Honeysuckle + Grapefruit Body Oil, and massage over still damp skin. This luxurious daily moisturizer is non-greasy and formulated for all skin types. It quickly absorbs deep into the skin to give you an all-day, glistening glow while sending you on an indulgent journey of sun-drenched blossoms, lightly kissed by delicate pink citrus. The “Glow For It” Body Kit is priced at $70 with a retail value of $80 and is available online at littlebarnapothecary.com and at select retailers.