At some point in life, most people will experience stretch marks. Whether it be from a growth spurt in puberty, weight gain or pregnancy, it’s something many of us have or have experienced.
They occur when the skin stretches or shrinks rapidly, causing the elastin and collagen support networks in the skin to rupture.
Ranging in colour, shape and intensity depending on your skin tone, they usually start out quite prominent and gradually fade over time. However, it’s unlikely that they’ll ever completely fade without any help.
Stretch marks are completely harmless and don’t post any risk to your health, but they can often cause people to feel more self-conscious about parts of their bodies where the marks are most prominent.
When you apply stretch mark fading creams, they work by hydrating the skin to help it stretch easier. They can also be used as a preventative measure to improve the overall elasticity of skin before it stretches.
With this in mind, here are the top stretch mark creams to help you fade away your tiger stripes and feel even more confident in your own skin.
Best stretch mark creams to help even out skin:
1. Lloyds Pharmacy Body Care Oil
Formulated with a blend of natural oils, this body care oil by Lloyds Pharmacy helps increase the skin’s elasticity and reduce the appearance of stretch marks.
Packed with sweet almond oil and Argan oil, it leaves the skin hydrated and supple, while the Hydra Matrix hydrating complex adds another boots of moisturisation.
Apply to scarred area twice a day using circular massaging movements until it’s fully absorbed to reap the most benefits from this oil.
Buy it now for £5.99 fro Lloyds Pharmacy
2. Mama Mio The Tummy Rub Butter
Made from Shea butter, Rosehip oil, organic avocado oil, omega 3-rich organic Sacha Inchi oil, and vitamin E, this award-winning tummy butter helps improve the skin’s elasticity to prevent and fade stretch mark scars.
It is approved for use during pregnancy and nursing – a time when most women’s skin is put under the greatest amount of pressure, and is a popular choice for expectant mothers.
The buttery cream alleviates this by hydrating the stretched skin, helping your skin elasticity, and the hint of lemon fragrance makes it feel even more luxurious.
Buy it now for £16.45 from Look Fantastic
3. Valmont Val D. solution booster
If you’ve got some cash to splash and you want to go all out with a full on pampering product, this serum by Valmont is a great choice.
This Swiss anti-aging beauty brand engineers science into all of its products to ensure they’re top quality- and for this price you’d expect it.
The booster helps with stretch marks and cellulite thanks to it’s highly concentrated formula, which includes caffeine, forskolin, destocking complex and a draining complex.
The fast absorbing moisturiser glides on the skin and has a delicate apricot scent.
Buy it now for £182 at Harrods
4. Bio-Oil Specialist Skincare Oil
This clinically proven oil can be used a daily moisturiser to prevent stretch marks and a topical treatment to help fade the scars.
It also targets uneven skin tone, dryness and ageing skin without leaving a greasy residue.
It’s hypoallergenic formula makes it perfect for even the most sensitive of skin, and is best used twice daily for a minimum of three months for the best overall results.
Buy it now for £8.48 at Amazon
5. Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula Massage Lotion For Stretch Marks
This thick luxurious formula absorbs deep into the skin to hydrate it and help prevent stretch marks.
The recognisable scent smells sweet (and almost good enough to eat) and will have you reaching for it everyday. The affordable formula from Palmer’s is a cult favourite moisturiser for good reason – we are big fans.
Buy it now for £6.99 from Amazon
6. Balmonds Rosehip Scar Oil
Give your stretch marks an intense treatment with this rosehip oil.
Rosehip oil is known to be packed full of nutrients such as Vitamins A and C and the essential fatty acids Omega-3 and Omega-6. All of these ingredients help to support the natural cycles of skin renewal and in turn, fade scars and stretch marks.
The effective treatment is also suitable for people who are prone to dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis and dry, sore, itchy skin conditions.
Buy it now for £18.99 from Balmonds
7. Weleda Stretch Mark Massage Oil
Go au natural with this organic body oil. Made from sweet almond oil and wheat germ oil which is rich in vitamin E, it increases the skin’s elasticity to prevent stretch marks and soothes the itchy tightness of a growing belly.
Apply two to three times daily during pregnancy and use up to three months after to reap the full benefits.
Buy it now for £18.95 from Look Fantastic
8. Burt’s Bees Mama Bee Belly Butter
Pamper your skin with this luxuriously rich butter to prevent and help fade stretch marks.
Made from Shea butter and vitamin E, this nourishing formula is made from 99% natural materials and is recommended for continued use after pregnancy in order to keep reaping its benefits.
Buy it now for £9.99 from Amazon
9. The Chemistry Brand Retin-Oil
We’re not saying this is this is a cure-all serum, but it has lots of different uses beyond just combating stretch marks.
It’s designed to target accelerated aging, cellulite, discolouration, dryness, and scars as well as stretch marks by absorbing and penetrating deep into the skin with no greasy residue.
The anti-ageing retinoid is combined with skin enhancing lipids to deeply nourish and condition skin.
Buy it now for £16.14 from Look Fantastic
10. Neal’s Yard Remedies Mother & Baby Mothers Balm
This stretch mark cream is deeply moisturising and leaves your skin silky soft and smooth while helping to prevent stretch marks.
Made and produced in England, it’s concocted from a 100% organic blend of beeswax and oils that are deeply nourishing to the skin.
There are also no nasties like EDTA, mineral oils, parabens, synthetic fragrances or colours or silicones in it, and it’s non GM, making it perfect for pregnancy.
