10 Best Belly Oils to Moisturize Your Bump

Editor Tip: Don't worry if you don’t use this one up during pregnancy. It's a great postpartum option, too, since the manufacturer says it can also mildly improve the appearance of scars and marks from acne, injury, surgery, and more.

Key Ingredients: Vitamins A and E, chamomile oil, sunflower oil, lavender oils

Best Fragrance-Free Treatment: Hatch Belly Oil Stretch Mark Smoothing Therapy

Why It's Worth It: A celebrity favorite, the Hatch Belly Oil once had a 1,000-person waitlist. Lucky for you, it's now widely stocked at many popular retailers, so you can score the belly oil and reap its skin-soothing benefits. The fast-absorbing product (read: no greasy residue!) contains soothing calendula, as well as a botanical blend of oils including grapefruit, sweet almond, argan, and olive. And thanks to that grapefruit oil, it has a subtle citrus scent that's hard to resist.

Editor Tip: This body oil comes in a very handy travel-size rollerball you can slip in your purse for on-the-go relief any time of the day. "This was my most-used belly oil during pregnancy; it doesn't leave any greasy residue on clothing or hands," Shanna Shipin, Allure shopping director and mom of one says. "I fell so hard for it that I bought a whole other bottle just to use postpartum."

Key Ingredients: Calendula, sweet almond oil, grapefruit oil

Best Rich Belly Butter: Burt's Bees Mama Bee Belly Butter

Why It's Worth It: Keep your skin soft, smooth, and itch-free with this ultra-rich Mama Belly Butter from Burt's Bees. Made specifically with pregnant moms in mind, the shea butter formula is made with 99% natural ingredients (such as sunflower seed oil and shea butter) that are safe to use during pregnancy and for postpartum breastfeeding moms. And since it's unscented, as well as paraben-, phthalate-, and petroleum-free, it's suitable for all skin types — including those with sensitive skin.

Editor Tip: If you don't like to dig into jars, stock some wooden craft sticks (also called popsicle sticks) to scoop out the topical.

Key Ingredients: Sunflower seed oil, coconut oil, sweet almond oil, shea butter, jojoba butter, cocoa butter

Best Lightweight Option: Mama Mio The Tummy Rub Oil

Why It's Worth It: Not a fan of the slippery, sticky feeling so many body oils leave behind? Try The Tummy Rub Oil from Mama Mio. Exceptionally lightweight, this quick-drying oil speeds up your self-care routine but still yields soft, supple skin. Coconut oil, sweet almond oil, and olive oil work to hydrate and strengthen the skin barrier, while antioxidants like vitamin E help protect the skin from further damage.

Editor Tip: This belly oil is also handy for a common skin condition called keratosis pilaris (or KP for short), a.k.a. those dry, rough patches of skin with tiny little pimple-like bumps.

Key Ingredients: Coconut oil, sweet almond oil, olive oil, rosehip oil, vitamin E

Best-Smelling Belly Oil: L'Occitane Almond Supple Skin Oil

Why It's Worth It: One of the best oils for those who love a sweet-smelling skin-care product, this L'Occitane Almond Supple Skin Oil smells a little like freshly baked cookies. But there's so much more to love than the scent. The formula consists of 50% almond oil that delivers skin-nourishing vitamins D and E, as well as other nutrient-rich oils, including sea buckthorn, rosehip, and carrot seed.

Editor Tip: The pump on this body oil emits a fine mist that spreads well, but if you don't like the greasy feeling of direct oil, you can mix it with your favorite unscented moisturizer.

Key Ingredients: Sweet almond oil, sea buckthorn oil, rosehip oil, carrot seed oil

Best Luxe Pick: Mutha Body Butter

Why It's Worth It: Meet another pick that's editor and celebrity-loved (hi, Marisa Tomei, Kate Hudson, and Kelly Rowland). Mutha was created by founder Hope Smith while she was pregnant with her first child. While the brand does have an actual body oil, we love the body butter since a little goes a very long way (an important factor when we're talking luxe options!). It contains vitamins A, C, D, and E, as well as a trio of buttes to envelop the skin in a luscious ribbon of cream. if you're debating a baby shower or new mom gift, look no further.

Editor Tip: While this isn't an oil, Shipin says Mutha's Body Butter has a balmy, velvety texture that spreads impossibly easily over skin. “It melts with the warmth of your hands and, despite its fast absorption, the cream's hydrating effect lasts a very long time — well into the next morning if you apply it at night," Shipin adds.

Key Ingredients: Shea, cocoa, and mango butters, organic avocado oil, vitamins A, D, and E

Best Drugstore Pick: Palmer's Cocoa Butter Skin Therapy Oil

Why It's Worth It: In terms of value, you can't beat this drugstore favorite, a sister product to the classic body lotion many pregnant women reach for. Like its companion product but better suited for those who prefer oils, you can count on Palmer's Cocoa Butter Skin Therapy Oil to help boost hydration and soften dry skin. The brand also claims it can help improve the appearance of scars, stretch marks, and even fine lines and wrinkles, but take that with a grain of salt.

Editor Tip: Many postpartum moms give this belly oil credit for fading their C-section scar.

Key Ingredients: Canola oil, sesame seed oil, cocoa seed butter

Best With Natural Ingredients: Son Rêve Pregnacare Therapy Oil

Why It's Worth It: This luxe yet relatively budget-friendly Son Rêve Prengacare Therapy Oil is made with 99% natural ingredients and contains the superstar ingredient Dr. Kung recommends, sweet almond oil, to hydrate skin and potentially combat stretch marks in pregnancy. It also boasts jojoba oil and an extra infusion of vitamin E for even more skin-nourishing benefits.

Editor Tip: Since it has a calming lavender scent, this is a great belly oil to rub on when any pregnancy-induced anxiety strikes — or when you just want to kick your feet up and relax. (Pretty much 24/7, especially come the third trimester.)

Key Ingredients: Macadamia seed oil, sweet almond oil, jojoba oil, vitamin E

Best Organic: Earth Mama Belly Oil

Why It's Worth It: Because this entirely organic pick is formulated with soothing chamomile and calendula, Earth Mama Belly Oil is a gentle option for those with sensitive skin. Similar to another best-seller, the Earth Mama Belly Butter, this nourishing oil is chock-full of organic ingredients like jojoba seed oil, borage seed oil, and calendula flower extract. No artificial fragrance, no preservatives, and no petroleum.

Editor Tip: Though it doesn't contain any artificial fragrance, the essential oils in the formula have a pretty potent smell that may be overpowering for some.

Key Ingredients: Grapeseed oil, jojoba seed oil, chamomile, calendula

Best Hypoallergenic: EllaOla Nourishing Belly Oil

Why It's Worth It: Formulated by Harvard-trained dermatologists and OBGYNs, this plant-based EllaOla Nourishing Belly Oil is derived from natural ingredients, including those specifically meant to target skin-care concerns that go beyond hydration. It contains a medicinal herb called Centella asiatica (known as cica for short) that Dr. Kung says has been shown to prevent stretch marks both during puberty and pregnancy. Additionally, French marine algae boosts collagen production, vitamin C brightens dark spots, argan oil improves skin elasticity, and squalane and coconut oils lock in moisture.

Editor Tip: The brand recommends using this product two to three times daily for three months for visible results.

Key Ingredients: Jojoba seed oil, sweet almond oil, avocado oil, argan oil, meadowfoam seed oil, squalane, Centella asiatica, shea butter, rose flower extract, coconut oil, French marine algae

Frequently Asked Questions

For basic hydration purposes, look for nourishing ingredients like shea butter, cocoa butter, hyaluronic acid, and ceramides. For those with concerns that go beyond moisturizing, almond oil is one of the more promising ingredients, says Elaine Kung, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City. In studies, the combination of massage and almond oil, which contains vitamins D and E, improved the look of stretch marks, whereas popular ingredients including both cocoa butter and olive oil did not, says Dr. Kung. However, at the end of the day, studies can't replicate your personal experience — so choose what works for your skin.

Once you find a product you like, aim for twice daily application — once in the morning and once at night — but know that it's perfectly safe to apply whenever you might need something to soothe tight or itchy skin associated with dryness. And for maximum absorption, Dr. Kung and Dr. Segal recommend applying it to damp skin after bathing.

When Allure tests a product, our editors look at it from every angle in an effort to best serve you. We review ingredients, scrutinize brand claims, and, when necessary, examine peer-reviewed scientific and medical studies. In addition to testing each and every product that’s included in each and every review, we rely on experts who shape their fields, including dermatology, cosmetic chemistry, and medicine, to help us vet the ingredients and formulas.

For our list of the best belly oils, we considered each product's performance across five primary categories: product ingredients and efficacy, packaging, fragrance, texture, and product wear. Every product was determined to have excelled in each category by our editorial team, which is composed of in-house writers and editors as well as contributors — along with special consideration from board-certified dermatologists. To learn more information on our reporting and testing processes, read our complete reviews process and methodology page.

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More mama and baby care this way:

• 16 Best Skin-Care Products to Use During Pregnancy and Nursing
• The Best Baby Lotions for Every Skin Concern, According to Dermatologists
• 25 Best Gifts for New Moms That'll Help Them With Parenthood

Now, watch Victoria Beckham answer your burning beauty questions:

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