Serena Williams is preparing for the arrival of her second baby with a healthy dose of self-care. Recently, the retired 23-time Grand Slam Champion shared her belly routine for avoiding stretch marks in a video on YouTube. And by her side was her expert cameraperson and helper, daughter Olympia Ohanian.
Serena started her video by saying she didn’t put many products on her stomach when pregnant with Olympia. Instead, she just rubbed on some lotion and called it a day. This time, however, she’s taking belly care to a whole new level with a mix of cocoa butter, shea butter, coconut oil, vitamin E oil, and the occasional belly mask.
“When I had Olympia in my belly, I didn’t really put a lot of things on. I just put like lotions and stuff, and this time around, I don’t want to get any stretch marks,” she explained before pulling out her raw cocoa butter and slathering it on her baby bump. She added, “Every morning, I wake up, and I just rub it on. The lower area is also super important to me, so I get it on the lower area, as well.
The 41-year-old continued, “With me being an extremist if you know anything about me, you know I’m like the most extreme person. Like, I don’t do extreme sports or anything, but everything else I’m pretty extreme in, so cocoa butter’s not enough, obviously.”
After the cocoa butter, Serena rubbed her stomach with shea butter (both of which she purchased on Amazon). She paused to explain that her routine usually includes doing her chest. However, she didn’t share that part on camera for obvious reasons. “Normally, I rub my boobies too, but that’s for a different platform,” she joked π.
Serena went on to say that she then waits 10 minutes before rubbing vitamin E oil on her stomach to prevent stretch marks. She noted she once heard that Mariah Carey added the oil to her baths, but she’s been banned from following in Carey’s footsteps ever since she accidentally damaged the hair on Olympia’s Barbie dolls. “I messed the dolls’ hair up, so I can’t do that,” she said as Olympia reprimanded her off-camera.
In addition to her daytime routine, Serena has a nighttime routine involving pure coconut oil and belly masks. She added, “When this journey is over, which will be in a few months, we’ll see if I got stretch marks or not.”
Great skincare tips from a tennis legend!