Two guaranteed turnouts of a pregnancy are a baby in hand and stretch marks on your belly and along with it, the search for the best stretch mark creams. During pregnancy, your belly expands and after delivery, it contracts. The expansion of the skin followed by subsequent contraction leads to stretch marks. Stretch marks are not limited to belly and can occur on thighs, upper arms, hips and breasts also. Some mothers prefer to exhibit these stretch marks as a symbol of pride of motherhood but most women prefer to have their pre-pregnancy body back.

What causes stretch marks?

During the course of your pregnancy, the body grows faster than your skin can keep up with. Due to this, the elastic fibers under the surface of your skin break and result in stretch marks. In simple terms, stretch marks are caused by excess stretching of the skin. Areas like your tummy and breasts grow the most during pregnancy, and hence, are prone to deeper stretch marks. However, areas like upper arms, thighs and buttocks are also prone to stretch marks. Almost 90% of pregnant women are known to get stretch marks. Initially, stretch marks appear as reddish or purplish lesions but later turn into whitish colour. Stretch marks cause no physical or physiological harm to the skin. However, it can make the skin look scarred. To meet the demand for solutions to remove these stretch marks, the market is filled with stretch mark removal creams, skin firming oils and creams. However, there is no guarantee that these creams/oils/lotions are 100% successful in removing the stretch marks. Most of the products are able to reduce the visibility of stretch marks or control the formation of stretch marks.

5 best stretch mark creams and oils 

#1. Bio-oil

Bio-oil is a combination of plant extracts and vitamins suspended in an oil base. It contains PurCellin Oil as its main ingredient which makes it light, non-greasy, and also ensures that the plant extracts and vitamins are easily absorbed by the skin. Ingredients: The active ingredients are Calendula Oil, Rosemary Oil, Lavender Oil, Chamomile Oil, Vitamin A and Vitamin E in a liquid paraffin base. What I Liked: Bio-oil has been assessed for safety by Council on Cosmetic Products and the Regulation of the European Parliament. The toxicological profile, chemical structure, level of inclusion and total level of daily exposure of each ingredient used has been assessed and deemed safe for use by pregnant women. Click Here To Buy Bio Oil 

#2. Biotique Bio Coco Butter Tissue Firming Body Balm

This softening balm is a blend of pure cocoa butter, mustard oil, and bark of Arjun tree. It firms and tones your skin. It also helps in reduction of stretch marks if used regularly. Ingredients: The active ingredients are cocoa butter, mustard oil, Arjun chal and Almond Oil. Click Here To Buy Biotique Bio  What I Liked: Cocoa butter is one of the most effective skin care ingredients which is suitable for stretch marks as well as skin moisturization. This product is completely made of organic and plant-based ingredients and are preservative free.

#3. Luciara Crème

This is one of the stretch mark creams which is very useful for skin conditioning and rebuilding. It can be used from the 2nd trimester of pregnancy also. This is the most popularly prescribed cream by doctors for removing pregnancy stretch marks. Ingredients: The active ingredients are Manjishta, beeswax, lactic acid in petroleum jelly base. What I Liked: This cream is free from perfumes and preservatives and is hypoallergenic. It does not contain any harmful ingredients like parabens and alcohol, and is safe to be used during pregnancy as well as during breastfeeding. Click Here To Buy Luciara

#4. VLCC Shape Up – Anti Stretch Mark Cream

This is a very popular and widely available anti stretch marks cream. Ingredients: The active ingredients are Marrubium Vulgare which is known to reduce skin inflammation and promote regeneration, and Crocus Chrysanthus which is known to be able to stimulate communication between epidermal and dermal skin cells, which is essential for skin repair. What I Liked: This cream helps in fading the stretch marks away, gives a firm and toned look to the skin and also moisturizes the skin. This contains high potency collagen which helps in controlling the elasticity of the skin. Click Here To Buy VLCC Shape Up 

#5. Palmers Cocoa Butter Formula Massage Lotion for Stretch Marks

It is one of the highly recommended and popular cream for stretch marks. It can be used all over the body and is enriched with Bio C-Elaste, pure Cocoa butter, Shea butter and Vitamin E. Ingredients Ingredients: The active ingredients are Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Extract, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut Oil), Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter, Butyrospermun Parkii (Shea) Butter, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil and Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflawer) Seed Oil. What I Liked: This cream contains a unique formulant - Bio C-Elaste which contains cocoa butter, collagen, elastin and a proven elastase inhibitor. This helps in improving the elasticity of the skin and reduces the visibility of stretch marks. Click Here To Buy Palmers Cocoa Butter The above are some of the well-known and popular anti-stretch mark creams available in the market. Some of them can be used during pregnancy and some after delivery. It is best to check with the doctor or the usage guidelines of the product to determine if you can start using it during pregnancy or after delivery. Disclaimer: Always remember that there is no product that gives 100% result. The visibility of the stretch marks can be reduced to a great extent but not completely eliminated. Want to share your mommy experience with other moms through words or images? Become a part of the Moms United community. Click here and we will get in touch with you

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