Home Remedies for Stretch Marks

It has long been rumored that women, or men, who develop stretch marks either have to spend a great deal of money to reduce the appearance of their stretch marks or just live with the unsightly scars.  It is wonderful if you are comfortable with the way your body looks with stretch marks, but there are some of us in the world who would love to reduce or eliminate our stretch marks without relying on costly cosmetic procedures.
Proper nutrition is a good starting point

If your mother and grandmother are anything like mine, they have more than one way to prevent or treat stretch marks.  The best way to prevent and treat your stretch marks begins with a healthy diet.  Plenty of water keeps your body hydrated and keeps all systems working properly.  You should be drinking at least eight 8 oz. glasses of water each day.  Proper hydration keeps your skin elastic and helps keep  collagen production at normal levels.

Adequate intake of Vitamins A, E, C and zinc also provide nutrition for your skin.  Foods that are rich in these vitamins and minerals include fruits and vegetables, fish liver oils, almonds and other nuts, leafy greens, eggs, beans, and fish.  A balanced diet which includes these essential foods can keep your skin healthy and help prevent and heal stretch marks.



Stress, oral contraceptives, and other hormone therapies can deplete your body's stores of the above essential nutrients that are so vital for skin health.    Talk with your doctor about additional supplementation to your diet.

As far as creams or ointments go, there are a variety of inexpensive items you can try.  Most of these products require discipline in their application, but they have been shown to at least improve the appearance of stretch marks and the appearance of your skin overall.
Homemade stretch mark creams

Cocoa butter is probably the best known home remedy cream for stretch marks.  It's healthy benefits include keeping the skin soft and pliable.  One homemade stretch mark cream recipe which includes cocoa butter is below.

    * 1/2 cup cocoa butter
    * 1 Tablespoon wheat germ oil
    * 1 Teaspoon apricot kernel oil
    * 1 Teaspoon Vitamin E oil
    * 2 Teaspoon grated beeswax

Heat mixture until beeswax is just melted.  Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.  Apply this cream to your stretch marks until desired results are achieved.

Shea butter is a relative newcomer to the stretch mark home remedy field.  Natural shea butter is an excellent source of Vitamins A and E which are essential for good skin health.  Try rubbing shea butter on your stretch marks 2 to 3 times a day to help with the healing process.

Another home remedy for stretch marks is to rub olive oil on the stretch marks until they start to improve.  Almond oil, castor oil, avocado oil, and Vitamin E oil taken from caplets can all be used in the same fashion.  It wasn't stated clearly in the reports I was reading if these oils are best used for prevention or treatment of stretch marks.  Either way, the oils are sure to leave your skin in better condition than if you did nothing at all.

Aloe vera gel has long been know for its soothing and healing properties for burns.  It has been claimed to do the same for stretch marks since they are essentially an injury to the skin.  The following recipe uses aloe vera and other ingredients to create a homemade massage oil for the prevention and treatment of stretch marks.

    * 1/2 cup olive oil
    * 1/4 cup aloe vera gel
    * 4 capsules Vitamin E (remove liquid from capsule and discard casing)
    * 2 capsules Vitamin A liquid

Blend ingredients together and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

All of these home remedies for stretch marks are extremely good for overall skin health.  Why not try one for a while to see if it can help reduce the appearance of your stretch marks.  These home remedies are an inexpensive alternative to costly prescription cream.  I sincerely hope you will find one that meets your needs
Read about Stretch Mark Removal Home Remedy