Pregnancy is a happy and joyful time, what with the anticipation of your family’s newest arrival, but carrying a child is also a time of scary changes, both physical and emotional. As such, it can bring with it a rollercoaster of emotions—from the delight of expecting, to anxiety over the physical changes and discomfort that comes with it.

It’s not just the prohibited  food that makes up a large chunk of the forbidden list; even dolling yourself up presents so many hindrances. Expecting moms, as I’ve found out lately, aren’t even allowed to color their hair or go through chemical salon treatments. Even mani-pedis should be avoided because studies show that you absorb through your skin about 60 percent of whatever you put on it. Some of these things can be full of harsh chemicals that are bad for your overall health and especially your baby.

So, to pamper the one that needs it the most during the onset of summer , I accompanied a seven-month expecting mom to have a salon day. She was hesitant at first because she knew the limitations of her visit, but desperately needed to boost her self-esteem with a little pampering.

“It’s so frustrating when my roots grow four inches out and I know I can’t color my hair,” she rants. While color dye for pregnant women has not yet been invented, we can still celebrate because there’s an organic line that expecting moms can use. Invented by hair-care expert  Davines, these four new products cosset from your sole to your soul.

This March, Davines takes the vegan lifestyle to a whole new level through its Authentic Formula product line. This luxurious organic line cherishes the value of skin treatments, holistic eating and the practice of movement and meditation. The line offers products that are 98-100-percent made of Natural Origin, using only wild-crafted and organic ingredients; definitely sourced with awareness.

To try them out, we visited Basement Salon in Shangri-La Plaza (tel. +632-6382222). After the success of its Power Plant branch, Basement furthered its reach by opening  the Shangri-La branch—a standalone structure in  Shangri-La mall’s carpark building. The salon offers a myriad of services such as hair-cutting, styling, hair treatment, reconstruction, makeup, hair-removal packages and spa treatments. Heading the team is Stefan Wilczynski, hailing from Berlin as one of its pillars in hair-styling.

In the salon, we tried the organic system of treatment for the body, hands and feet. Davines hair treatments start at P1,100-P1,600, depending on the length of hair. My friend also had a haircut by the senior stylist (P1,000). And while we waited for the hair to soak, we were given relaxing back massages. The aroma from the essential oils and the carefully studied massage strokes definitely improved energy circulation throughout the body. At the end of the day, I felt energized from work, and my friend, not so heavy with child. Just the aroma from the products surely helped mind and body relax. The essential oils in the ingredients helped to pamper the skin and rejuvenate the flow of energy in the body.

Davines Authentic Formula products are available for home use. Try: Authentic Cleansing Nectar,  P1,250; Authentic Moisturizing Balm, P1,250; Authentic Nourishing Oil, P1,875; Authentic Replenishing Butter, P1,550.

Feeling down and out when you’re pregnant is a common issue. Body image is of particular concern, and  how you feel about your pregnant body will affect you. So give in to kikay indulgences during the nine months that you are with child. This is a good time to open the floodgates of narcissism, because the baby mirrors exactly what the mother feels.  Remember to keep your beauty buys to natural products and steer clear of harsh chemicals.

Looking for something to make you look rejuvenated from those sleepless nights? Try Nutriganics Drops of Youth from The Body Shop. It gives you a surge of hydration and kick-starts your cell repair by the skin’s natural process of replacing the uppermost dead cells with new ones beneath.  It’s a botanical powerhouse that can be used in combination with serum or added to a moisturizer. Its ingredients  are derived from natural origins, silicon- and paraben-free, so you’re assured that the product delivers natural beauty, naturally. Drops of Youth sells for P1,395 at The Body Shop.