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As your belly bumps outward, your skin begins to grow, and grow, and grow, and then grow some more! Even though skin naturally stretches, the rapid growth of pregnancy combined with an almost equally quick attempt to return to pre-pregnancy normalcy can leave behind the characteristic calling card of motherhood – a.k.a. stretch marks.
Stretch marks are real and, for many women, an embarrassing body change that can seriously impact self-esteem. According to a University of Michigan, Michigan Medicine study, over one-third of 100 parents-to-be who had stretch marks felt either a “moderate” level or “a lot” of embarrassment about the lines. While over-the-counter stretch cream products can’t completely prevent striae distensae (the technical term for the marks) or 100 percent eliminate them from your skin, these seemingly magical lotions and potions can make the pinkish, red, purple, or silvery streaks on your belly, hips, or breasts less noticeable.
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Do stretch mark creams really work?
So, what can you do to prevent or reduce the appearance of stretch marks? Well, this is where creams come in! Stretch mark creams are specially formulated to keep your growing belly, breasts, and the rest of your body mark-free. Or, at the very least, decrease the likelihood of having to deal with ultra-noticeable streaks and lines.
These marks are often unavoidable and will fade with time. But if you want to minimize the risk, you may want to explore some of the most popular cream picks among parents! Stretch marks are actually a type of scar that forms as the skin rapidly stretches and shrinks back down, according to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD). The AAD notes that research does not support the idea of one magical cream eliminating stretch marks. Different creams work better, or worse, for different people. This means you may need to experiment with more than one option before you find the just-right blend of ingredients.
Keep in mind, nothing eliminates stretch marks entirely – and, you will need to set your expectations accordingly. Don’t expect to smear on the best-rated cream tonight and wake up to stretch mark-free skin tomorrow. These creams take time to work. But this doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t give it a go. At the very least, the cream will add much-needed moisture to your skin and provide plenty of prenatal or post-pregnancy comfort and soothing.
What to look for in a stretch mark cream?
With a bounty of ingredients out there, it’s not easy to know what you should look for in a stretch mark cream. There are plenty of OTC products and treatments that claim to have stretch-mark eliminating ingredients. According to medical experts at institutions such as the Cleveland Clinic and the Mayo Clinic, science does not agree. In other words, each and every one of the oils, butters, vitamins, minerals, fruit enzymes, and veggie byproducts in these creams won’t necessarily work for you. But many of the common stretch mark cream ingredients can leave your skin feeling smoother, firmer, or just plain better than before.
Avoid questionable chemical ingredients. While there is some evidence that retinol (vitamin A) can reduce the appearance of stretch marks, products with this ingredient are a no-go during pregnancy or while you are breastfeeding. Cocoa butter, coconut oil, vitamin E, aloe vera, and shea butter may help to heal your skin to some degree.
Always consult with your OBGYN or other medical provider before using any stretch mark cream or similar topical product. Check the ingredient list carefully to make sure that the cream doesn’t contain hidden chemicals or allergens that could cause you to have a reaction. Even though you might not have a specific sensitivity to fragrances or dyes, these additives could pose a problem during or after pregnancy. Instead of a perfumey-smelling cream that comes in a creative mix of hues, opt for something that is scent and color-free. Here’s a few of our favorites to get you started!
The best creams for stretchmarks:
Burt’s Bees Mama Belly Butter
Best Scent-Free Cream
Burt’s Bees Mama Belly Butter is a shea butter and vitamin E stretch mark cream that is made without petrolatum, SLS, parabens, or phthalates.
- Scent
- Unscented
- Item Form
- Cream
- Active Ingredients
- Shea butter and Vitamin E
- Scent-free
- Natural ingredients
- Made from recycled packaging
- Doesn?t have a scent for those who want a fun fragrance
The scent-free Burt’s Bees Mama Belly Butter is perfect for sensitive mamas-to-be. If the smell of just about anything turns your stomach or aggravates your morning sickness, this is the cream for you! “It is fragrance free which was very important for me since I’m sensitive to smells at this time. It spreads thoroughly and absorbs completely, leaving my skin very smooth and moisturized. Also, it reduces my belly skin itching problem a lot,” notes one happy parent. So yes, it’s sans scents and simply smoothing!
If natural products are must-haves for you, Burt’s Bees won’t disappoint. Not only is the stretch mark cream free of parabens, phthalates, and other chemicals you just don’t want to smear across your belly bump, it is packed with good-for-you ingredients such as shea butter. The Leaping Bunny Certified eco-friendly pick is responsibly sourced, Carbon Neutral Certified, and made with recycled packaging.
The Honest Company Honest Mama Rock the Bump Body Butter
Best Eco-Conscious Cream
$17 $20 Save $3
The Honest Company Honest Mama Rock the Bump Body Butter is an avocado oil, Vitamin E, shea butter stretch mark cream that is hypoallergenic and moisturizes for 24 hours.
- Scent
- Fragrance-free
- Item Form
- Body butter
- Active Ingredients
- Shea butter, avocado oil, and Vitamin E
- Naturally derived ingredients
- Not tested on animals
- 24-hour moisture
Founded by celeb mama Jessica Alba, the Honest Company is known for its naturally derived pregnancy and baby products. The Honest Company Honest Mama Rock the Bump Body Butter mega-moisturizer provides hours of smoothness and can soothe stretched itchy skin – all minus chemicals such as PEGs, parabens, petrolatum, and silicones. So, if you think about what goes onto your pregnant-self 24/7, “Ever since I’ve gotten pregnant, I’ve been more cautious of what I eat and use on my skin. This stuff is clean and rates well on my Yuka app! It also helps with the stretch marks and doesn’t feel too greasy.”
If you have super-sensitive skin, this Honest Company product is a pregnancy-friendly pick to seriously consider. This hypoallergenic stretch mark cream has hydrating avocado oil – but it doesn’t have fragrances.
Bio-Oil Serum for Stretchmarks
Best Oil
$30 $33 Save $3
Bio-Oil Serum for Stretchmarks is a rose-scented oil that also contains vitamin E, chamomile, and lavender oil. This soothing oil also helps to reduce the appearance of other scars.
- Scent
- Rose
- Item Form
- Oil
- Active Ingredients
- Vitamin E
- Non-greasy formula
- Blend of natural oils
- Paraben-free
While it’s technically not a cream, the Bio-Oil Serum for Stretchmarks is a topical that can help to soothe your skin – without parabens! The vitamin E-rich serum also includes chamomile and lavender oil to keep your skin feeling soft and silky.
Not only will this oil help with your stretch marks, it will help with the stretch of pregnancy. If your skin is itchy or dry, the serum can restore hydration. Don’t worry about Bio-Oil leaving you feeling like an oil slick. “Most other moisturizers dry out shortly after putting it on, but this helps keep my skin hydrated by trapping moisture in. But it’s light enough that I don’t end up with greasy skin.”
This top pick is also an eco-conscious choice. It is vegan-friendly, cruelty-free, and made from 100 percent recyclable materials.
TriLastin Maternity Stretch Mark Cream
Best Splurge
$40 $46 Save $6
TriLastin Maternity Stretch Mark Cream is a hypoallergenic cream that is also paraben-free. The naturally-sourced ingredients will keep you smooth and comfortable during and after pregnancy.
- Scent
- Unscented
- Item Form
- Cream
- Active Ingredients
- Apricot oil, shea butter, and Vitamin E
- Naturally-sourced ingredients
- Non-greasy formula
- Hypoallergenic
The TriLastin Maternity Stretch Mark Cream is packed with shea butter and other plant-based ingredients. Get ready to smooth and soothe your skin with this top pick among parents. The hypoallergenic formula is gentle – but don’t let that fool you. Even though there are no harsh chemicals, this topical has plenty of power.
The ingredients may help to boost collagen production in a natural way. TriLastin Maternity Stretch Mark Cream is filled with favorites, such as shea butter, apricot oil, and vitamin E.
If you’re wondering how this splurge works in real life, take it from this stretch mark-free parent, “This lotion was 100% worth the price. I applied it after every shower (and used a cheap hylauronic acid lotion before bed) and I got zero stretch marks from a 9lb baby. My belly went back down quickly after the delivery and my skin isn’t wrinkly or loose!l at all! And I am 35 years old.”
Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Massage Cream for Stretch Marks
Best Value
$13 $16 Save $3
Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Massage Cream for Stretch Marks is a cocoa and shea butter cream that comes in an easy-to-use tube. The hypoallergenic formula can help with stretch marks and can soothe skin.
- Scent
- Unscented
- Item Form
- Cream
- Active Ingredients
- Cocoa butter
- Squeeze tube delivery
- Natural ingredients
- Price
As the name implies, Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Massage Cream for Stretch Marks packs punch with plenty of cocoa butter. Unlike the jars and pots of cream you may have used before, Palmer’s product comes in a convenient, easy-to-use squeeze tube. This can reduce the mess and bonus, you can toss the tube into your purse or baby bag for on-the-go moisturizing.
The hypoallergenic formula is dermatologist approved. So, if you have sensitive skin, this is an option to seriously explore. The long-lasting lotion will keep your skin in top shape for up to 48 hours, making this top value last much longer than some of its competitors. If you’re asking yourself if you should believe the hype, here’s an in-real-life answer, “I’m pregnant with my second child, 17 years after having the 1st one….and still have not 1 stretch mark. Love this product, I apply twice a day and that’s it.”
Glow Organics Belly Butter
Best Organic Cream
Glow Organics Belly Butter is an unscented 100 percent organic stretch mark cream. Without dyes, fragrances, or synthetics, this top pick is perfect for people with sensitive skin.
- Item Form
- body butter
- Active Ingredients
- Shea butter and cocoa butter
- Organic formula
- Fragrance-free
- Gluten-free
- Contains nut oil ? if you?re allergic
The Glow Organics Belly Butter is free of everything you don’t want in a product that you’ll use during pregnancy or while breastfeeding. This organic ingredient packed pick scores high marks for being gluten-free, cruelty-free, and free of dyes, fragrances, parabens, phthalates, and sulfates. While you won’t get chemicals and synthetics galore in this cream, you will get cocoa butter, macadamia nut, and grapeseed oil.
Proving that you don’t need chemicals and synthetics just to soothe your pregnant skin or reduce the risk of stretch marks, here’s what one happy user had to say, “Well, I used this Belly Butter twice a day starting around 12 weeks of pregnancy. Used after showering in the morning and at night before bed. I did not get one stretch mark on my belly and I’m now 2 months postpartum.”
Mustela Maternity Stretch Mark Cream
Best Tube Option
Mustela Maternity Stretch Mark Cream features avocado, shea butter, and maracuja as softeners that can help to reduce the appearance or the development of stretch marks. This cream is EWG certified and made from 97 percent natural ingredients.
- Scent
- Unscented
- Item Form
- Cream
- Active Ingredients
- Avocado oil, maracuja oil, and shea butter
- Fragrance-free
- Tube delivery
- Natural ingredients
The Mustela Maternity Stretch Mark Cream scores high on ease of use. This tube of stretch mark cream is a less-mess option that you can use at home, at work, or on a day out!
If chemicals are a concern (and, of course they are), this soothing cream is EWG certified and dermatologist tested. Look for nourishing ingredients such as maracuja oil! Along with stretch mark prevention and reduction, this oil can help to repair and calm your stressed pregnancy skin. Continue to use the cream in the postpartum period for added effects and to restore some of the elasticity you may have lost during the nine-month stretch.
Don’t expect this cream to leave behind a sticky, gunky mess on your belly. “Very moisturizing and the cream is decently thick and easy to spread. Doesn’t leave an oily film which is great,” according to a real-life reviewer.
Weleda Stretch Mark Body Butter
Best Nourishing Formula
$19 $22 Save $3
Weleda Stretch Mark Body Butter is dermatologist-tested cream that is cruelty-free and doesn’t contain phthalates, synthetic preservatives, or parabens.
- Scent
- Rose
- Item Form
- Body butter
- Active Ingredients
- Cica, shea butter, and jojoba
- Fast-absorbing
- Hydrating
- Good for sensitive skin
According to the manufacturer, one study found that 98 percent of the women who used Weleda Stretch Mark Body Butter found a reduction in the appearance of stretch marks. As if that’s not enough of a reason to try this top choice, a whopping 100 percent of users said the cream comforted their dry skin. This makes the nourishing option a smoothing selection that can treat your skin during and after pregnancy with moisture that won’t fade away.
Precious oils, cocoa extracts, shea butter, and centella asiatica give the body butter the ability to stop dry skin from where it starts. These naturally-derived ingredients can also help to dull the look of stretch-related streaks on your belly thighs, breasts, and more. And, if dryness is a serious problem for your parched pregnancy skin, “After trying SO many different lotions, butters, oils I finally found the one I can stick with forever. No more dry skin! I can even skip a day or two and my skin does not dry out. I found the one for me.”
Are stretch mark creams safe to use during pregnancy or while nursing?
The decision to use any cosmetic or healthcare product takes on a new meaning when pregnant. A seemingly safe cream may have ingredients that could put your health or the health of your baby at risk – during pregnancy and when nursing. Before you choose or use any stretch mark cream, serum, oil, or lotion, talk to your healthcare provider. Your OB, nurse midwife, or other medical pro can review the ingredients and help you to better understand the risks vs. the benefits. This allows you to make an informed, safe, healthy decision.
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The safety of any stretch mark-reducing product depends on what is in it. Again, retinoids (derived from vitamin A) are generally not safe for your baby, according to the AAD. This means you should not use creams or other topicals that have retinol as an ingredient when pregnant or while breastfeeding. Along with retinol, some “natural” or food/herb-based additives may also cause problems. A study published in the journal Human Reproduction found that spreading almond oil on the body during pregnancy daily raised the risk of pre-term birth.
To make the most of your cream of choice, always follow the manufacturer’s and your medical provider’s directions. If you have a specific sensitivity or a known allergy, avoid stretch mark creams with your trigger ingredients.
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