Burt's Bees Mama Bee Belly Butter

This is a comparison of Palmers Tummy Butter versus Burt's Bees Mama Bee Belly Butter. CONSISTENCY: Palmers is not a cream - the consistency is similar to candle wax or cold butter. Some people find that off-putting because it's not as easy as other products to get out of the jar. However, after trying Burt's Bees Mama Bee belly butter, which has a runnier lotion-like consistency, I found that I prefer the Palmers product because it seems to have staying power - I can put this on my skin and hours later, my skin still feels totally smooth and flexible from being well-moisturized; I found the Burt's Bees product to be stickier and thinner, so it didn't seem to penetrate as deeply or last as long. I think that's an important difference in the effectiveness of the product. So, I prefer the waxy, harder consistency of the Palmers, but if you don't like it, using something like a wooden popsicle stick would make it easier to scoop it into your hand without worrying about it getting under your nails. The Burts Bees was sticky and thin. SCENT: Palmers is inoffensive - it's kind of a soft, warm scent, but I can see where some people might find it cloying or too strong. I again prefer the scent of Palmers versus the Burts Bees (which is kind of nothing or almost Play Doh-ish), but if you're very sensitive to smells, you might want to proceed with caution here. INGREDIENTS: One aspect where the Burts Bees product wins out is ingredients - Palmers does use a few more synthetic ingredients, but none of significant reproductive or developmental harm according to the Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep cosmetics database. (The Burt's Bees product gets a 2 out of 10; Palmers gets a 3 out of 10, so the difference is fairly insignificant and both products rank pretty respectable compared to most.) I think comparing the effectiveness of the two, it's insignificant enough that I would not change my preference of Palmers. VALUE: Burts Bees - 6.5 oz tub, average price $1.60 per ounce Palmers - 4.4 oz tub, average price $1.95 per ounce At face value, the Burt's Bees seems to be the better value, but I'd argue that you'll get 2-3x the mileage out of the Palmer's due to the differences in consistency. "A little dab'll do ya" with the Palmers, but with the Burts, you have to slather it on since it's thinner. (That's probably why they use a larger container.) I went through a whole tub of the Burts in less than a trimester, but I'm not even halfway through the tub of Palmers and I've had it through two trimesters. I'd say due to consistency, the Palmers actually wins out in terms of value. EFFECTIVENESS: There's no way to say for sure whether a stretch mark cream works to prevent stretch marks because there's no way to know if you'd have gotten them with or without a cream. I can only tell you my experience. I used Palmers tummy butter + Palmers soothing oil my last pregnancy, went to 42 weeks with a very long 7 lb 14 oz baby, and didn't have any stretch marks when it was all said and done. I tried the Burts Bees this go round with pregnancy #2, but quickly gave it up after using my entire container because it just did not feel like it was doing as much for my skin as the Palmers products do. I'm now 8 months pregnant and still no stretch marks. As we have all heard, it is said that the tendency to get stretch marks is determined by genetics, weight gain, and your build. I don't think there's any magic product that will stop stretch marks if you're really predisposed to them. My mother did get stretch marks while I've never had any, but I am also very thin and 5'9 tall (my mom is around 5'7 and has a more average build). I think taller people have more "real estate" for the baby to grow and move - I have to imagine that someone shorter might have a greater risk of getting stretch marks just because there's less skin to work with and less space for baby to go. I also gained weight responsibly in my pregnancy by eating healthy, nourishing foods without any "extra" weight put on and I think keeping your weight under control (in addition to choosing healthy foods with natural oils, vitamin E, etc.) can tremendously influence your risk. I also think doing stretches before and all throughout pregnancy can't hurt anything to keep your skin elastic. Be sure to drink lots (and lots and lots) of water and always moisturize with an oil after showering. Overall, I prefer Palmers (in conjunction with the Palmers stretch mark oil or olive oil after showering) to Burts Bees and feel that the Palmers is a more serious, deeper penetrating, heavy-duty product for a fighting chance at warding off stretch marks.