Stretch mark cream?

BBeccaJean
BBeccaJean Posts: 453 Member
Hey ladies, I've been looking for a good stretch mark cream. I was thinking Marksplex Stretch Cream or Mederma Advanced stretch mark cream. Do y'all have any experience with these or any other good ones? I'd prefer to keep it under $50 unless anyone has a miracle product out there! I'm going to buy it tomorrow--any advice you have is appreciated :O).

Replies

  • lk27
    lk27 Posts: 257 Member
    I'm interested in this as well. My sister gave me the Burts Bees Mama Bee Shea Butter and Vitamin E. I used it for a few days and it gave me a weird rash all over my stomach. I'm looking for an alternative. My friend who is also pregnant said she has heard great things about bio oil.
  • rabbit__food
    rabbit__food Posts: 163 Member
    I've been using Palmer's Tummy Butter at night and Palmer's Massage Cream once or twice during the day. I use it to *hopefully* prevent getting stretch marks while pregnant though. A friend of mine has used both of these products to fade her pregnancy stretch marks and she said it worked well.
  • RBXChas
    RBXChas Posts: 2,708 Member
    I don't have experience with them, but please be careful what you use. I remember reading up on them after my son was born, and some of them are not recommended if you are nursing (I think Mederma and/or StriVectin). I don't know if there are any that are not recommended for use during pregnancy, either.
  • nursenikki829
    nursenikki829 Posts: 432 Member
    Ultimately, it is the elasticity of your skin that determines whether or not you get stretch marks. For some women, If you are going to get them, there isn't really anything that prevents it. I spent a lot of money on different, creams, lotions and oils and used them religiously. I got stretchmarks all over my belly up to my rib cage. The best thing to do is to keep your skin moisturized and drink plenty of water to help with your skin's elasticity. Good luck!
  • moondust7
    moondust7 Posts: 109 Member
    I've been using Palmer's Tummy Butter at night and Palmer's Massage Cream once or twice during the day. I use it to *hopefully* prevent getting stretch marks while pregnant though. A friend of mine has used both of these products to fade her pregnancy stretch marks and she said it worked well.

    Me too. I love the Palmer's Cocoa Butter (both the tummy butter and massage cream). It smells delicious and is thick enough to prevent my skin from getting itchy!!
  • I had the palmers but was tired of paying $6-$10 so I tried the ghetto wal-greens cocoa butter with vitamin E. Guess what? Same thing. Wooo hoo! Tub of heaven. $2.99.
  • Jenny_Rose77
    Jenny_Rose77 Posts: 418 Member
    Palmers worked for me. I have one mark down my belly three weeks after having baby (which actually seems to be fading) and which I consider a success considering I have more on my thighs and arms from previous weight gain/loss.
  • lk27
    lk27 Posts: 257 Member
    I just went to the doctor and asked her about stretch marks and what to do to avoid them. She said that there is no cream or oil that will prevent them. It is genetic. A good indication of whether you get stretch marks or not is if your mother had them. I told her that I feel like I can't just not do anything. She said that if it makes me feel better, use cocoa butter and try to not gain too much weight.
  • igottaworkout
    igottaworkout Posts: 298 Member
    I found that creams don't do anything to prevent or heal the stretch marks. Stretch marks are deep tears through many layers of skin and deep in the dermis and it's because of a lack of elastin and collagen. I only gained 25 lb with my first pregnancy but got huge stretch marks so the lower gain doesn't necessarily help.

    Now for the good news, I found something that helps me. I also read that this can be done during pregnancy to bring more blood circulation, collagen and elastin production to where you need it most on the abdomen. I made a post outlining what I do a while ago here on myfitnesspal: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/801386-stretch-marks-actually-getting-better. You can see the pictures that I posted and how much the texture had changed in just a few weeks of treatment and currently the marks themselves are shrinking.

    I use bio oil and rosehip oil and aloe Vera lotions only now that I am pregnant after the derma roller treatment and some of the stretch marks have gone from a width of 1 cm to about 3 mm currently. I have treated them for about 4 months now and they are healing much faster between treatments now that I am pregnant.. Maybe because of the increased blood volume that I have due to the pregnancy.

    I hope this helps someone!
  • RBXChas
    RBXChas Posts: 2,708 Member
    I had the palmers but was tired of paying $6-$10 so I tried the ghetto wal-greens cocoa butter with vitamin E. Guess what? Same thing. Wooo hoo! Tub of heaven. $2.99.

    Oh, totally! Palmers has been around for years, so the generics pretty much have it down by now. I used some generic with my first pregnancy, I just can't remember which store's it was.
  • TheLaser
    TheLaser Posts: 338 Member
    Even if stretch marks can't be prevented, you can alleviate the itchy belly that sometimes results from stretching and expanding skin. My belly started itching fiercely at around 20 weeks, but it has not since I began using twice daily a Vitamin E gel that my mom gave me.
  • jaimemariel
    jaimemariel Posts: 183 Member
    I've heard great things about sweet almond oil. I don't know if it will work, but I am going to try!
  • rubybeach
    rubybeach Posts: 529 Member
    I'm using Organic Coconut Oil (the kind you cook with -llisted here) http://www.henryhappened.com/5-beauty-uses-for-coconut-oil.html

    Although research says its all up to genetics, there's no harm in trying to prevent them.

    My mom and sister got loads of stretch marks, but my other sister who gained 70 lbs during pregnancy got zero........ So who knows??!!

    Coconut oil has tons of great other uses too; dry scalp, deep conditioner, diaper rash, etc. I discovered it when I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism.

    http://wellnessmama.com/5734/101-uses-for-coconut-oil/
  • heidibowling
    heidibowling Posts: 35 Member
    I had the palmers but was tired of paying $6-$10 so I tried the ghetto wal-greens cocoa butter with vitamin E. Guess what? Same thing. Wooo hoo! Tub of heaven. $2.99.

    That's exciting! I might have to check that out! Right now I just use my Suave cocoa butter lotion on my tummy that I use in normal life. I think drinking tons of water also helps. I only ended up with a few on my hips after my first, and here's hoping I can keep them to a minimum with this one too. :)
  • musicgirl99
    musicgirl99 Posts: 252 Member
    I use Bio-Oil and generic brand Cocoa Butter Lotion. The Bio-Oil is normally $20 per bottle but I buy it at Costco for $20 for a large and a small bottle. At first it seemed to be helping but maybe that is because my belly hadn't grown enough yet because the past two weeks I've noticed considerably more stretch marks than I had previously and I'm still using it daily. Oh well! Guess it does have to do with genetics! Darn!
  • BBeccaJean
    BBeccaJean Posts: 453 Member
    Thanks ladies! I wish I had enough time in the day to use all of these products. lol. I got some bio oil and will probably get palmer's and try some coconut oil too! I noticed my stretch marks only got really bad last pregnancy when I gained weight too fast at the end :/.