You can take no credit for beauty at sixteen.

But if you are beautiful at sixty, it will be your soul’s own doing.

-Marie Stopes

A beautiful soul makes for a beautiful visage… but a good sunblock also helps, right?

My father had a brush with melanoma when I was young. The tumor was small and cut away, and as far as I know that was that. He was always careful to stay covered up in the sun afterwards, which I’m just not capable of doing— I feel smothered in anything but the lightest, barest clothes during the warmer months. So I go with the next best thing: sunscreen.

HOWEVER, sunscreens have been tied to a number of possible health risks, including, ironically, skin cancer. That’s why I’m pretty pleased to have learned about Belli Skincare.

The founders of Belli are a husband and wife team, a medical doctor and a beauty expert. And when they were expecting their first child, they married those two areas of expertise to develop a skincare line with the needs of moms and moms-to-be in mind.

Belli products are teratology screened to avoid ingredients with even remote links to birth defects or miscarriage in published medical studies, and Lactmed screened to avoid any ingredients that could be harmful if passed through breast milk. They’re “Picky with a Purpose.”

• Allergy tested.
• Paraben and phthalate free.
• No artificial dyes or fragrances.
• OB/GYN & Dermatologist recommended.
• Ingredients are selected based upon an extensive review of published medical studies.

But how do they work? Belli sent me their Belli Pure Radiance Facial Sunscreen to try, along with their Anti-Blemish Facial Wash. The sunscreen is a broad spectrum, physical barrier— not chemicals whose efficacy depends on causing chemical responses in your skin. It’s a mineral SPF 25 with zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, oil-free and lightly tinted for use on most skin types.

I was a little worried about how the tint was going to show on my ethnic skin, but it’s great: evens out without being obvious. I wore it through a CrossFit workout and to a soccer game in the bright sun afterwards, without any eye stinging or raccoon eyes from my sunglasses (I tan easily, so this is a huge concern for me). It’s very light in scent and feel.

Everybody should wear sunscreen, but expecting moms need to be especially vigilant. Heads up: hormonal changes can cause skin to react differently to sun exposure, causing discoloration and uneven skin tone. Up to 70% of expecting moms can develop melasma, also known as the mask of pregnancy. Fun, right?

Guess what, pregnancy hormones can also wreak havoc on your skin in other ways. (I never had any acne issues until I was pregnant.) Belli Skincare’s Anti-Blemish Facial Wash is safe for pregnant women and other sensitive skin, and includes:

• Lactic acid (which is found naturally in the body) for cleansing and exfoliating
• Lemon peel oil as a natural anti-bacterial and skin brightener
• Antioxidant rich green tea extract and cucumber
• NO salicylic acid, glycolic acid, and benzoyl peroxide

I am soooooo picky about face cleansers. I have combination skin that’s easily irritated, and I am in love with this stuff. It smells great, a little goes a long way, and my oily face is clean (that’s a big deal after a sweaty CrossFit workout in this humidity) but my skin isn’t tight and my dry patches aren’t dried out, so I don’t feel a need to moisturize (which sets up a cycle of oilness and overcleansing). This facewash is in my top 3 all-time favorites.

Check out Belli products as an awesome present for new moms or moms-to-be, or any mom who really cares about the ingredients in their skincare products. They’re summer must-haves, along with a good book (right now I’m reading Yours Ever, about the art of letter writing and intriguing letter writers throughout history), a pair of good sunglasses (this summer I’m rocking aviators, as a tribute to my dad who always wore them) and a camera to document all those sun-drenched moments.

Remember, your skin is your biggest organ! Treat it well!

For the entire month of May, Belli is celebrating Moms with daily giveaways (entry found at the top of their page) culminating in a Grand Prize sweepstakes and a Facebook contest. You could win items from Belli Skincare or partners Belly Bandit, milkmakers, Preggers, BabyBjorn, For Two Fitness, bebe au lait, Pretty Pushers, Belabumbum, Kitchen Curry Master, Pregnancy & Newborn, Happy Family, Guava Family, Posh Play, Timi & Leslie, Psi Bands, B Natal, Cake Maternity, Kiinde, Green Cupboards, evozbaby, Healthy Mama, Ovuline, bodyafterbaby, Three Lollies, Green Toys, ecomom, mommy water, snuza and 9 months.

And on the last day of May, you can register for the Grand Prize: a prize from every single sponsor brand, valued at more than $1,500! How fantastic of a baby shower gift would that be?

Throughout the month, you can also compete for a matching Grand Prize package by entering a special contest on Belli’s Facebook page. Post a comment or upload a photo or video of mom; the post with the most likes receives the same Grand Prize of 29 gifts as the sweepstakes winner.

The giveaways are open to U.S. residents 18 years and older. No purchase is necessary to win. Limit 1 entry per day per person.

 

How was your skin while pregnant (and the months following)?

Are you good about wearing your sunscreen?