I am 4 months pregnant and breastfeeding my 18 month old.

Other pregnant/breastfeeding mums out there may empathise with my desire to find cosmetics and beauty products with the least possible chemical nasties, so they hopefully won't be absorbed and filter through to the bubbas. I find that this is difficult with any decent kind of make-up.

The idea of a BB Cream (or Beauty Balm) is an all-in-one product that works like a tinted moisturiser but with a bit more coverage so that it evens skin tone and hides any blemishes. (In the Asian markets, it's called Blemish Balm and actually often has skin lightening and smoothing properties).

BB Creams are a great 'face-lift' for a tired mum who doesn't have time to put on a full foundation face much of the time these days. They can also been worn alone as a moisturiser that lifts the skin a bit, (and hubby won't know you are in make-up! ha ha)

I decided to test some BB creams, with a preference for those containing predominantly 'natural' products. Here are my faves:

Winner!

Decleor Hydra Floral BB Cream 24hr Moisture Activator SPF 15 40ml


£29.00 with FREE Deliveryfrom Feelunique.com
This tinted cream contains Wild Pansy and Samphire Extracts, Grapefruit Essential Oil and Mineral Pigments amongst other things. It smells gorgeous and adapts to any skin tone. It makes your skin feel really soft and smooth and smells gorgeous. With SPF15 this is perfect for wearing without any other make-up on a hot sunny day! Good staying power too.

Lavera 6 in 1 Beauty Balm

£17.90 from soorganic.com

This  beauty balm is made from organic Acaci berry and natural mineral pigments. It claims to have 6 different effects in 1 product:

1) Even, glowing complexion

2) Provides 24 hour moisturisation

3) Smoothes imperfections

4) Refines pores

5) Ensures a matte complexion

6) Protects the skin against free radicals

I can't say I noticed an amazing change in all of the above but I did like this cream as a light alternative for real no-make-up days. I found that it needs to be well blended in, otherwise it can look a bit streaky, but once on properly it gives a nice natural warmth to the skin without looking like you are wearing make-up. It also smells quite nice. I have been wearing it on days when I don't have time to do make-up (e.g. taking bubs to nursery at 7.30am).


The Body Shop Vitamin E Cool BB Cream, £10 for 50ml

The Body Shop claims that this new BB cream illuminates, evens skin tone and protects with moisture, for 12 hours. It comes in one shade fits all. I really loved using this product which is nearly as thick as foundation but gives much lighter coverage, is easy to blend, and gives a lovely sheen to the skin afterwards. It could be worn with or without other make-up. It feels very moisturising too and smells nice. I don't think it lasts 12 hours though, not like a foundation would. I felt I would need to re-apply after around 6 hours to get the coverage achieved when first applied.

Here are before and after pics where you can see I look much better afterwards!

Before-
 After-


This was actually my joint favourite to use, and with Shea Butter and Vitamin E it sounds perfect, but unfortunately after looking at the ingredients list I discovered some chemicals that I am trying to avoid such as various parabens, propylene glycol etc. Despite the uncertainty around their safety, they have been approved for use in many cosmetic products so it's hard to say if they actually have a negative effect, but personally I am trying to avoid anything whilst pregnant and nursing, where there is any doubt over whether it might filter through to the unborn one! This was a bit disappointing as I am a regular user of The Body Shop products due to their great quality, as well as their Cruelty Free and Fairtrade policies.

This is good value for money though, and definitely gives better performance than many other BB creams I have tried.

CB