A Simple Moisturizer for the Dry, Tight, Itchy Skin of Pregnancy

Skin stretches faster than it can keep up with, and the result is tightness and itching across a belly, and often hips and thighs too. It's one of the least glamorous parts and one of the most common.

This is a plain moisturizer for that. Grass-fed tallow, raw and unfiltered Texas honey, and vitamin E. Nothing on the lists that get handed round during pregnancy, and nothing we can't explain in a sentence.
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Whipped tallow body butter smoothed onto a pregnant belly, mid-application.

Reading labels

What's in It, and What Isn't

The ingredients most often flagged during pregnancy are retinoids, high-dose salicylic acid, hydroquinone, and synthetic fragrance. Blanco has none of them, and neither does The Alamo.

What's in Blanco: grass-fed and grass-finished beef tallow, raw and unfiltered Texas honey, and vitamin E oil. The Alamo is the same base with frankincense resin oil added for scent.

We're not going to tell you what's safe for your pregnancy, because that's a conversation with your midwife or doctor and they know things about you that we don't. What we can do is tell you exactly what's in the jar so you can take the list to them.

Why Pregnancy Skin Gets So Dry

Skin is being asked to cover more surface, quickly, and its own oil production doesn't scale at the same rate. Stretched skin loses water faster, which is what the tightness is.

Hormones change the picture too. Plenty of women find their skin turns more reactive during pregnancy than it's ever been, sometimes to products they've used for years. If that happens, cutting the number of ingredients you're putting on is a sensible response, and it's easier to work out what's bothering you when there's less to blame.
Plain white whipped tallow body butter in an open amber jar, lid resting beside it.

Start With Blanco

Blanco is the fragrance-free one, and it's the one we'd point you at during pregnancy, particularly in the first trimester when a lot of practitioners suggest steering clear of essential oils and botanical extracts as a precaution.

The Alamo is the same base with frankincense in it for scent. If you're past the early weeks and want something that smells of something, it's there. Ask your provider first if you're at all unsure; the honest position is that there isn't much research on botanical extracts in pregnancy either way, and caution costs nothing.

Patch-test either one on your inner forearm and give it a day, especially if your skin has turned touchy.

On Stretch Marks

We won't tell you this stops stretch marks, because the evidence that any cream does is thin. Several controlled trials have found no meaningful effect, and how quickly your skin stretches and what you inherited both appear to matter more than anything you rub on.

What it does do is make dry, tight, itchy skin feel considerably better, which is a real reason to use it and the only one we're going to give you. Anyone promising more than that is guessing, and charging for it.
beef tallow skincare whipped body butter

Hide & Honey

A Short List You Can Take to Your Provider

Blanco is grass-fed, grass-finished beef tallow, raw and unfiltered Texas honey, and vitamin E. Nothing added for scent. Handcrafted in Texas.
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Common Questions

What's in it?
Blanco is grass-fed, grass-finished beef tallow, raw and unfiltered Texas honey, and vitamin E oil. The Alamo is that same base with wild-harvested organic frankincense resin oil added for scent. No retinoids, no synthetic fragrance, no parabens, no preservatives, and no water, which is why it needs no preservative in the first place.
Which one should I use while pregnant?
Blanco, particularly early on. It's fragrance-free, so there's nothing added for scent at all, which is the cautious choice while a lot of practitioners are suggesting you avoid essential oils and botanical extracts. If you're further along and want a scent, The Alamo is the same base with frankincense in it. Either way, run the ingredient list past your provider if you have any doubt.
Does moisturizing prevent stretch marks?
The evidence says probably not. Controlled trials on creams and oils have generally found no meaningful effect, and genetics plus how fast your skin stretches seem to matter far more. We'd rather tell you that than sell you a jar on a promise. What moisturizing does reliably is take the tightness and itch out of stretched skin, which is worth having on its own.
Is raw honey safe during pregnancy?
The honey warning people remember is about feeding it to babies under one year old, which is a different situation entirely and nothing to do with putting it on your skin. For adults, raw honey is generally considered fine both to eat and to use topically. As with anything during pregnancy, your provider is the one to ask.
Can I use it on my belly?
That's mostly what it gets used for. Warm a small amount between your palms and work it into slightly damp skin, after a shower is ideal. Belly, hips, thighs, wherever it feels tight. As often as you like; there's nothing in it that builds up.
My skin has got more sensitive since I got pregnant. Is that normal?
Common enough that it surprises people who've never had reactive skin before. Hormones change how the barrier behaves, and products you've used happily for years can suddenly sting. The useful move is usually to strip the routine back rather than hunt for a gentler version of everything. Fewer things on your skin means fewer suspects.