Whether you got your stretch marks (aka stretchies, tiger stripes, or whatever you’ve named the faded or pigmented streaks on your skin) during a growth spurt in your teenage years or you earned them during your pregnancy, know this: Stretch marks are 100 percent totally and completely normal. But your decision to either get rid of your stretch marks or live with ’em is exactly that—your decision. If you’ve chosen not to embrace yours and would rather remove them completely, there’s something you should know first: you can’t completely erase them. A stretch mark is the result of the collagen and elastin in the dermis, under the skin cell layer, rupturing (essentially, tearing beneath the skin). As the area heals, you’re left with stretch marks. “There is no one way to permanently and completely get rid of stretch marks, but we have a variety of different treatments that may make them look better,” says Morgan Rabach, MD, board-certified dermatologist and co-founder of LM Medical NYC.
One of the cheapest possible remedies? Creams. Ahead, everything you need to know about stretch mark creams—like, if they *actually* work, how to use them, and the kind of results to expect from adding one to your routine.
Do stretch mark creams work?
“Stretch mark creams per se do not have any scientific evidence of working,” Dr. Rabach says. Womp, womp. But it’s not a total lost cause. When it comes to fading existing ones, Dr. Rabach says to look for one of the three ingredients that have the most data on improving or reducing the appearance of stretch marks: prescription retinol (which resurfaces and strengthens skin), silicone (which smooths the feel of marks), and hyaluronic acid (which plumps lines). And, as it turns out, there’s no sure-fire way to avoid them, either, and according to Dr. Rabach, there’s even a genetic predisposition to getting them. With that said, you can take steps as a preventative measure that might help. Keep scrolling for our top 14 picks for both treatment and prevention, plus one that’s on sale for Amazon Prime Day.
1
Best Plant-Based Stretch Mark Cream
Evereden Nourishing Stretch Mark Cream
Thanks to the formula’s plant-based MVPs, like turmeric (which helps brightens skin) and centella asiatica (which has anti-inflammatory properties), this cream will help reduce inflammation and brighten the skin around your stretch marks. Plus, it’s on sale for Amazon Prime Day 2021.
2
Best Smoothing Stretch Mark Cream
ML Manuela Lubin Delicate Beauty Advanced Stretch Mark Removal Cream
This cream contains two of the three ingredients Dr. Rabach recommends for minimizing the appearance of stretch marks: hyaluronic acid and silicones. Together, these ingredients, along with other humectants and moisturizers (like panthenol, glycerin, and squalane) help to smooth, plump, and improve the feel of stretch marks.
3
Best Stretch Mark Cream on Amazon
Body Merry Stretch Marks & Scars Defense Cream
As one of the more affordable options on this list, you’ll be happy to know this cream for getting rid of scars and stretch marks has more than 4,000 positive Amazon reviews. Although it might be impossible to remove or prevent stretch marks completely, this blend of cocoa butter, shea butter, vitamin E, vitamin C, vitamin B3 (niacinamide), and vitamin B5 (panthenol) helps to protect and maintain healthy skin.
4
Best Non-Greasy Cream for Stretch Marks
Kreyòl Essence Haitian Coffee & Coconut Body Creme
No, it’s not technically a stretch mark cream, but this non-greasy body cream includes the brand’s Haitian Black castor oil, which is commonly used as a stretch mark oil, thanks its high vitamin E content. Vitamin E is known for its nourishing, moisturizing, and soothing properties—all three things you want when treating stretch marks.
5
Best Body Butter for Stretch Marks
Matrescence Stretch Mark Relief Restorative Butter
matrescenceskin.com
$84.00
Some body butters feel sticky on your sheets and clothing, but this one melts quickly into the skin (a must when you’re slathering it all over your body). Formulated with all the good stuff, like aloe vera, avocado oil, sunflower seed oil, coconut oil, shea butter, and cocoa butter, this stretch mark butter leaves skin feeling soft, smooth, hydrated, and soothed.
6
Best Cream for Fading Stretch Marks
Paula’s Choice Retinol Skin-Smoothing Body Treatment
Prescription-strength stretch mark formulas will give you the best results, but if you want to try an over-the-counter option, this body treatment uses a retinol complex to stimulate collagen production in the skin and could help fade new stretch marks that have just popped up. But—and this is super important—don’t use any kind of retinoid when you’re pregnant or breastfeeding. Instead, try one of our other options below.
7
Best Stretch Mark Removal Cream
Mederma Stretch Marks Therapy
A favorite brand for scars of all kinds, Mederma has a cream designed specially to tackle stretch marks, thanks to the active ingredient dimethicone (a silicone) and hyaluronic acid, both of which have been shown to improve or reduce the appearance of stretch marks, according to Dr. Rabach. When stretch marks are brand new, they’re more responsive to topical treatments, so give this stretch mark cream a try as soon as you notice new streaks.
8
Best Multipurpose Stretch Mark Cream
StriVectin SD Advanced Plus Intensive Moisturizing Concentrate
Not your average stretch mark formula, this deeply hydrating concentrate can also be used as a wrinkle cream. It’s packed with ingredients necessary for keeping skin thoroughly moisturized and plump, like hyaluronic acid, shea butter, aloe vera, and vitamin E, to name a few, to reduce the appearance of fine lines and stretch marks.
9
Best Organic Stretch Mark Cream
Erbaviva Stretch Mark Cream
When it comes to prevention, NYC-based cosmetic dermatologist Dr. Shereene Idriss, MD, recommends keeping your skin very well moisturized and hydrated to improve your skin’s elasticity. While this organic skincare product feels rich and creamy to the touch (thank you, cocoa butter, jojoba, and sunflower oils), it doesn’t feel greasy on skin and absorbs in minutes, allowing you to get dressed without any residue staining your clothes.
10
Best Stretch Mark Salve for All Over
Lauren’s All Purpose Salve
laurensallpurpose.com
$54.00
“Certain essential oils are packed with fatty acids that further help strengthen your skin,” Dr. Idriss says, noting that you should “look for rosehip, jasmine, and lavender oils in formulas.” This dreamy salve that’s somewhere between a cream and an oil contains not only contains lavender oil, but also skin-smoothing shea butter and coconut, hemp, jojoba, sweet almond, peppermint, and patchouli oils.
11
Best Stretch Mark Prevention Butter
Burt’s Bees Mama Bee Belly Butter
amazon.com
If you’re a sucker for a good product testimonial, you’ll want to make this fragrance-free belly butter with an overall 4.2 star rating on Ulta your next purchase. A blend of butters (shea and cocoa) with a mix of oils (coconut, sunflower, sweet almond, jojoba, and soybean) and vitamin E all combine moisturizing forces to leave the skin feeling insanely hydrated.
12
Best Stretch Mark Cream During Pregnancy
Mustela Stretch Marks Cream
If you want to know what the pros and dermatologists use, Dr. Idriss turned to this stretch mark prevention cream when she was expecting her little girl. Here’s why: It has avocado peptides, which help hydrate skin and minimize any tightness, and it contains Galactoarabinan, a patented stretch mark-preventing ingredient extracted from the Larch tree that promotes elasticity. Mix both of those with moisturizing shea butter and beeswax, and you’ve got a pretty effective stretch-mark cream.
13
Best Stretch Mark Butter for Your Belly
Mama Mio Tummy Rub Butter
This stretch mark cream is specifically created for the belly area, but you can use it anywhere you might need to soothe itchiness from growing, stretching skin. This blend of oils (coconut, almond, olive, and sweet almond) with aloe vera, shea butter, vitamin E, and dimethicone will leave your stretchies feeling smooth, soft, and super-moisturized. Head’s up: this one has a powerful scent to it, so if you’re sensitive to smells and prefer fragrance-free skincare products, try the version of this tummy butter without added fragrance.
14
Best Drugstore Stretch Mark Lotion
Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula Massage Lotion for Stretch Marks
A classic fave, this formula improves the skin’s moisturization and elasticity with key ingredients cocoa butter, argan oil, shea butter, almond oil, collagen, and elastin. And the best part? Unlike most stretch mark creams, it’s super affordable, so you can use it from head to toe if you want without feeling like you’re wasting it.
Brooke Shunatona
Brooke Shunatona is a contributing writer for Cosmopolitan.com.
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