Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Kill those lines & Other News



Today I will resuscitate a series on this blog which I thought would never see the light of day again. “You said it” is where you the reader get an opportunity to post your personal review on a product. I can’t try everything out there, although I am trying very hard, so I appreciate your reviews.
Yesterday I received an all to common email from a woman who now has stretch marks after giving birth to her child. Reader L is looking for a way to reduce the appearance of her marks without laser surgery which can be very costly. Without a moment to spare, Just Wondering sent me a review of the Ambi Soft & Even Stretch Mark Diminishing Body Oil. Here is what she had to say about this $7.99 stretch mark reduction product:
“As I walked through the aisles at Walmart to pick up my Ambi Exfoliating Face Wash , I stumbled upon a new product from their collection called Ambi Soft and Even Stretch Mark Diminishing Body Oil. Now I have to admit that I do in fact have stretch marks, however they are not horrible and not as visible on my dark skin. The real reason why I picked up this product was because it had a great list of natural oils on the label. My eyes lit up when I read Soybean Oil - Glycine Soja , Sweet Almond Oil - Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis , Wheat Germ Oil - Triticum Vulgare , Sunflower Seed Oil - Helianthus Annus , Fragrance , Bisabolol , Rosa Canina Fruit Extract , Black Currant Fruit Extract - Ribes Nigrum , Shea Butter - Butyrospermum Parkii , Olive Oil. I was also prompted to buy it because I loved the fact that I could spray the mixture of oils right onto my body and it wasn’t super greasy when I tried some on my hand in the store. The product promised to minimize the appearance of stretch marks and it’s a fast absorbing formula that locks in moisture. It also states that it will improve the firmness and the elasticity of your skin leaving it softer and smoother. After reading all that on the label, I figured why not pick up a bottle. So the next morning I sprayed it on my entire body and like I stated before ITS SO NOT GREASY and it really just seeped into my skin and I noticed it was softer. The only down side to this body oil is the smell! I’d have to say that it really smelled like almonds above all else, which I’m really not into but I love how my skin feels. The weather in NY has become very bitter and cold and my aim is to really keep my skin moisturize. This product does meet up to all the expectations advertised on the bottle. I just don’t really know how well it works on the stretch marks since that isn’t a great concern of mine. So if you want soft skin pick up Ambi’s Body Oil. Just spray on some perfume or body splash to mask the smell if you don’t want to smell like almonds for an hour or so lol
Thanks for the opportunity to let be share my thoughts Product Junkie Diva!”
PJD speaks- I had an opportunity to communicate with Just Wondering regarding the specific results or lack thereof, that she received regarding the appearance of her stretch marks.
Just Wondering-“ To be honest the more I think about it I don’t think the Ambi product works for stretch marks." She used the product as directed for 4 weeks and has not seen a change in the appearance. However she credits pure cocoa butter (Not Palmers cocoa butter) with diminishing the appearance of her marks and the stretch marks of her friend.
PJD- I have to weigh in just to say that I too have sniffed the Ambi Soft and Even product and I think it stinks and smells nothing like almonds..lol I just had to throw that in the mix.

Please note that over time the skin on our bodies will gradually shed which will also diminish the appearance of any marks. Generally, the older the skin, the less visible the marks become.
Other products-
1)Strivectin was introduced to the market as a stretch mark cream designed to reduce the appearance of both old and new stretch marks. The cream was later credited as a wrinkle reduction product in addition to stretch mark killer. Here is a review that I found online of a woman who compared Strivectin to another stretch mark product I don’t know this woman at all so there is no way for me to verify whether or not her statements are true.

Strivectin is priced at $135.00

2)Mederma

3)Cocoa / Shea butter.

4)Carols Daughter scar butter which is suppsoed to help with cell regeneration $12.00

5)Carols Daughter Sexy Belly- $17
Even though reader L is avoiding laser surgery to remove her marks, for those of you considering the procedure please be careful. Laser surgery can lead to scarring if the dermatologist is not well versed in treating skin with a darker pigment. In essence you could be trading once scar for another.
Keep the stretch mark areas well moisturized, try to not gain or lose weight too quickly and drink plenty of water to keep your body and skin hydrated. A stretch mark is a literal tear in your skin, so look for products that claim to aid in the regeneration of cells. However, check the ingredients to see if anything listed actually helps in cell regeneration.
Please everyone who can help in this area, weigh in and post your experience with products that either worked or just didn’t deliver.
Thanks and I hope this is helpful reader L.

Other News

Housewives of Atlanta reunion tonght at 9:00 not 10:00.

There is a new blogger in the blogosphere, let's welcome Miss Young Fashion.

7 comments:

Just_Wondering said...

It doesn't smell like Almonds to you. lol Well I hate anything almond related so you wont find me eating them, however I do like the effects of the Body Oil and I'm actually immune to the smell now lol Go Figure!

I hope someone can give a few more remedies for this issue.

Thanks Again PJD for posting my opinion!

Couture Carrie said...

Will have to try cocoa buter, at the very least!

Happy Thanksgiving, PJD!

xoxox,
CC

CC said...

I have had stretch marks since I was in the sixth grade-i bloomed that summer-and nothing has ever worked in diminishing the marks. I have tried everything that was recommended, combed the aisles of almost every Rite Aide, Duane Reade, etc, to no avail. I've just given up until I scrap together money to try the high end products that claim to work. So yes, if anyone does have a quick solution please share.

And thank you so much PJD, really appreciate the support.

MakeupByRenRen said...

hmmm good thing for that review...i can't wait for the reunion tonight!

Amina said...

oh wow! Ambi is stepping up their game. For the longest time, I vowed to myself that i will never buy anything from them because the Ambi that i know and used by folks in the great lakes region(Rwanda, Burundi, Congo) is known for its skin bleaching success....
but this is a different product you're bringing to light..thanks :)

and yes, i just embraced my strechmarks. I've tried cocoa butter, shea butter, carol's daughter belly butter, Oyin belly butter and i just gave up!

B said...

Nothing seems to work for stretch marks and I've just gotten used to that. *sigh* I still use cocoa butter religiously though.

Product Junkie Diva said...

Thanks everyone for sharing. If anyone finds something that works, I will post it and pictures (before & after) would be great too.
thanks
PJD