Will the best stretch mark creams for pregnancy prevent those lines from appearing? Maybe. But you won’t know until you try one.
As your doctor will tell you, your genetic makeup determines whether you’re likely to get stretch marks. Also, gaining too much weight too fast also has an impact. But keeping your skin hydrated could help avoid or at least reduce stretch marks. Not to mention the fact that pregnancy can make your skin itchy so moisturizer is a good idea anyway.
Scientists who study stretch marks say that products with hyaluronic acid, almond oil and possibly cocoa butter keep your skin elastic. Centella, found in Belli Elasticity Belly Oil, has also been studied for preventing stretch marks.
Finally, how you apply your lotion may make a difference. One doctor suggests massaging each section of your abdomen for about 15 minutes per day. Use light pressure and gliding motions.
Top Stretch Mark Removal Creams for Pregnancy
If you want to keep your skin healthy, view our reviews of the top stretch marks creams below. We hope they help you find what you need.
Burt’s Bees Mama Bee Belly Butter
Burt’s Bees makes this creamy belly butter from 99% natural ingredients. Users say it has a very faint scent and it leaves their skin super soft. It’s packed with shea, cocoa, and jojoba butters. Of course, it has no phthalates, petrolatum, or parabens.
Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Tummy Butter & Stretch Mark Massage Lotion
Palmer’s Tummy Butter is a classic choice for mommies during pregnancy and after birth. It’s been tested to be free of allergens and proven effective in clinical trials. It has a proprietary complex called Bio C-Elaste. It’s a blend of almond and argon oil, collagen, elastin, and Centella Asiatica.
Centella is also known as Gotu Kola. This Asian perennial plant helps heal wounds faster and generate new collagen. That’s just what you need to keep your skin firm and elastic.
Bio-Oil Multiuse Skincare Oil
Bio-Oil looks like a popular product, but we recommend caution. To begin, the older formula scored an 8 for high hazard in 2013 on EWG’s Skin Deep database. At that time, it contained ingredients that could cause adverse reactions. Unfortunately, current information was not available about any new formulas.
Next, Fakespot, a site that assesses product reviews, also gave this product a low rating. They detected a high level of deception among reviewers. With these two dings to its reputation, we’re a little wary of this Skincare Oil.
On the other hand, the company itself says its product has won either 224 or 369 skincare awards. (Even the product listing has conflicting information.)
But things don’t get better when you consider the ingredients listed on the label. For example, the fifth ingredient is retinyl palmitate, a version of Retinol that pregnant women would be better off avoiding. Not to mention the artificial fragrance, benzyl salicylate, and so on.
In summary, you can do better than this. There are several other stretch mark creams with high marks for safety and rave reviews, too.
Mederma Stretch Marks Therapy
Mederma’s cream is mild enough to use on your breasts even though you’re breastfeeding. It contains no parabens, but it does have both hyaluronic acid and Centella. Those two ingredients have proven themselves to be useful in preventing stretch marks.
The company did a survey of women who used their product for 12 weeks. Seventy-six percent of them reported being satisfied with the results.
Body Merry Stretch Marks & Scars Defense Cream
Body Merry’s Defense Cream treats scars and stretch marks alike. It has a slight scent from the natural ingredients in it like cocoa butter. They recommend applying it morning and night to keep your skin hydrated and healthy. Moreover, they use primarily organic components like aloe and sunflower oil. Try it for 90 days and get a full refund if you’re not delighted.
Weleda: Pregnancy Body Oil for Stretch Marks
Weleda’s Body Oil warms and pampers you as you massage it into your skin. It’s also good for sore muscles as it contains arnica flower extract and silica.
Also note that it’s certified by NATRUE to be free of artificial dyes, fragrances, preservatives, and even mineral oil. Instead, it features emollients like sweet almond, jojoba, and wheat germ oils.
Belli Elasticity Belly Oil
We mentioned the Belli Elasticity Belly Oil earlier because it contains Centella, also known as Gotu Kola. This plant extract was studied and shown to increase skin’s elasticity by helping synthesize more collagen.
But that’s not all to expect. It also has Vitamin E and other natural goodness like sweet almond, lavender, grape seed, and sunflower seed oils. Oh, and don’t forget the cocoa butter. Fans of this stretch marks cream often end up buying it again and again even after their babies have grown up.
Earth Mama Belly Butter
The Earth Mama Belly Butter uses pure organic ingredients certified by Oregon Tilth. The base is aloe leaf juice and olive oil, then it builds from there with a host of natural moisturizers. The company promises that its delicious lotion won’t make morning sickness worse. Instead, it will comfort and soften your skin.
Earth Mama Angel Baby Natural Stretch Oil
The Angel Baby Natural Stretch Oil from Earth Mama has fewer ingredients than their Belly Butter. But you can use it the same way to prevent stretch marks on your tummy, bottom and thighs, and breasts. In addition, it’s safe to use as a perineal massage oil. The lightly-scented oil blends grape seed, jojoba, borage and sweet orange oils with flower extracts.
Organic Stretch Mark & Scar Treatment by Era Organics
Era Organics wants to help your skin expand safely during pregnancy and bounce back after birth. They offer a 60-day money-back guarantee so you can try their treatment and see. Some of the highlights include vitamin-packed and omega fatty acid-rich borage, sunflower, rosehip, olive, and primrose oils.
Mustela Stretch Marks Prevention Oil
Mustela’s oil sinks in fast and won’t leave your skin greasy. It’s 99% natural, avoiding parabens, alcohols, Phenoxyethanol, sulfates, and even caffeine. It’s guaranteed safe for both you and your baby while you’re pregnant and while breastfeeding.
Yes, it has a mild floral fragrance that smells like bergamot, rose, and plum. One of the primary ingredients is avocado because its peptides nourish the skin to make it more elastic.
Mustela Stretch Mark Prevention Cream
Mustela’s cream is also safe for pregnancy and breastfeeding. Just like their oil, it has no potentially toxic ingredients like phenoxyethanol, phthalates, parabens, or sulfates. But it does have a light fragrance.
Ingredients of interest include avocado peptides, shea butter, and Galactoarabinan. Together, they leave your skin silky soft and comfortable.
Since we’d never heard of Galactoarabinan, we researched to see if this was something a pregnant woman would actually want to use on her body. We discovered that it’s extracted from larch trees. It’s a mild exfoliant (milder even than lactic acid) that prevents moisture loss from the skin.
Mambino Organics Oh Baby! Anti-Stretch Belly Butter
Mambino Organics recommends softening their Anti-Stretch Belly Butter with warm hands before you apply it morning and night. If you already have stretch marks, they recommend their Scar Repair Booster along with the butter. Of course, there are no parabens, sulfates, artificial fragrances, petroleum derivatives, or synthetic preservatives.
It provides intense moisturization with organic mango, cocoa, and shea butters. There are also rosehip and calendula oils to regenerate tissue and speed up healing.
Intensive Treatment Stretch Mark Butter by Basq
The basq website has an entire page devoted to celebrities who love their products. You’ll see names like Sheryl Crow, Heidi Klum, and Emily Deschanel. So it’s no surprise that their Stretch Mark Butter is a top seller. Even The Bump recommends it.
What’s the science behind this product? First, it was clinically tested to lack common allergens. Second, it doesn’t have either phthalates or parabens. And third, it’s rich in nutrients that strengthen and heal your skin.
Bella B Tummy Honey Butter
Bella B’s butter is so rich it doesn’t contain water. It’s a thick and creamy oil-based formula with a tasty aroma of cocoa butter. One 4 ounce jar will last about a month if you use it twice daily.
What are the secret ingredients? The first one we noticed is something called Vegolatum. It’s like petrolatum, but it’s a plant-based alternative. Then there’s shea and cocoa butter, lanolin, and a variety of plant oils. Those include sunflower seed, wheat germ, olive, avocado, and so on.
Mother’s Special Blend All Natural Skin Toning Oil
The Toning Oil from Mother’s Special Blend takes a moment to absorb because it’s thick and potent. It has no preservatives, chemicals, or synthetic fragrances or dyes. In fact, the only ingredients listed are Vitamin E, cocoa butter, and coconut, pecan, and almond oils. Even after your weight has returned to normal, you can enjoy this product as a massage oil.
Noodle & Boo Nectar for the Mama, Perfecting Crème
Noodle & Boo’s Perfecting Crème combines avocado oil and cocoa butter to leave your skin surprisingly smooth. It’s tested to be safe for sensitive skin and it’s free of parabens. Enjoy it during pregnancy and while you’re nursing.
The play-it-safe guide to stretch mark creams
It’s wise to discuss how to prevent stretch marks with your doctor. In the meantime, here are three recommendations about ingredients to avoid. You don’t need these components to keep your skin elastic and itch-free during pregnancy.
Retinoids
Stay far away from potential birth defects by avoiding all retinoids. The list is extensive but includes Retinol, Retinyl Palmitate, Renova, and Retinyl Linoleate.
Synthetic fragrances and dyes
Generally speaking, plenty of natural products look great and smell fabulous without these two ingredients. If you have sensitive skin, steer clear of them.
Soy
Perhaps you’re familiar with melasma, the type of hyperpigmentation that pregnant women are prone to having. Keep your skin free of discoloration by wearing sunscreen and avoiding lotions with soy derivatives unless the estrogen has been removed.
Conclusion
Apply your favorite stretch mark cream for pregnancy morning and night. Then two things may happen. Your skin may remain elastic enough to avoid developing visible lines. Or you could end up with a souvenir of your pregnancy. Either way, hydrating your skin keeps it comfortable and soft so you can’t go wrong.
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