Stretch Mark Cream: What works (or waste of money)??

[Cupcake83]

Ok so I am pregnant with #1, about 9 weeks or so according to Dr Google.

In a vain attempt to prevent stretch marks I have been lathering Bio Oil and Palmers cocoa butter (not together) all over my boobs, back, hips and tum for a while and wanted to see what others are using/have used in the past and most importantly if they are any good :)

I'm aware that regardless of what I smother myself in I may still end up with stretch marks - but at least I tried right???

It's just one of those things, my Mum has not a single one. In my first pg I slathered my self in bio-oil and Palmers 3 times a day, nobodys bump was better moisturised, it was practically dripping, I also drank water like it was going out of fashion.

By the time I gave birth the whole of my bump looked like a pink tiger

Pg number 2, no time to look after myself, put on any old moisturiser ummm maybe once a week, drank to thirst, got one tiny stretchmark.

Tbf there was really any skin left

I seriously wouldn't waste lots of monry on anything expensive.

The only thing that makes stretch marks fade is cocoa butter, but they only fade and do come back- though lessen over time, can hardly see mine now. For some reason I got stretch marks in puberty but not during pregnancy...

I used Bio Oil every day from the first trimester as recommended by my SIL - not a single stretchmark -thankfully.

I was also influenced by friend is a nurse who does ante-natal care - she says she can tell which are the 'Bio-Oil' tummies!

It doesn't work on cellulite though :)

Just to add my two penneth, I didn't bother using anything with my first pregnancy and haven't this time either (I'm 37wks now) and I have no stretch marks. I feel all the claims the manufacturers make are empty, as you can't tell whether their case studies would have developed SM without the cream anyway. I was surprised I didn't get any, as I thought everyone did, but was too lazy to get around to using any cream... and then when I escaped unscathed last time I realised that I am just lucky and that it would have been a waste of money to buy expensive lotions/oils, so didn't bother this time either.
Enjoy your pregnancy...

I hear the same as Joygirl78, that stretch mark is too deep in the skin for creams to penetrate into. So all that lovely cream is just keeping your surface moist.

I use E45 because I have eczema. I have a little bit of stretch mark but fades quickly. But I also have a very small bump that is barely visible at 37 weeks under a large wolley jersey.

Hi and congratulations!

I moisturise everyday, virtually from head to foot, whether pregnant or not as I prefer the way my skin feels. I have very sensitive skin and react to loads of creams so I've been using E45, and bio-oil on the odd occasion. I much prefer the E45. It's cheap as chips and rubs in easily. Bio-oil takes ages to soak in, not good if you're already running late for work after spending ages throwing up!

I'm 32+1 and don't have any stretch marks despite putting on at least 2 stone (don't know exact amounts) and virtually all of that being on my bump. Having said that neither my mum or sister got stretch marks despite also being massive during pregnancy, so perhaps I'm just lucky with good genes.

Hope this doesn't jinx me now and I wake up covered in them tomorrow!

I personally think its age of mother and size of bump. My first two pregnancies - not a mark. Third, when quite a bit older and bigger bump - riddled with them. Hey ho.

I used the mama mio cream and got away without a stretch mark, despite having a bump that must have been visible from outer space. I also have loads of stretch marks from growing up, so thought I was bound to get loads in pregnancy.
Mama Mio stuff is great, if a bit pricey. Doesn't have any paragons or other unpleasant chemicals.

Bloody iPad spellcheck, it's parabens not paragons!

the only cream that can penetrate the skin deep enough to make a difference is emu oil, which vvvvvvvvvvvvv.expensive, $100 for a litre bottle.

even then there is no guarantee it'll work.

Hmm, have stretch marks on hips from puberty, so would expect to be predisposed but no idea yet - 33 wks. Have been given a pot of mama mio butter, no doubt expensive, no idea if any effect but it does smell nice.

Congratulations on your pregnancy!

Im 37+6, ive used oil in the bath, palmers cocoa butter, bio oil, asda's little angels oil and general body lotion i'll admit not religiously but fairly often since around 14 weeks and my stomach and back are totally covered in stretch marks which started showing up from around 25 weeks! Ive also noticed some on my thighs popping up more recently. Dont think theres much you can do if your going to get them but they'll fade is what i keep telling myself! :D

I've found that bio oil and clarins stretch mark cream made a big difference to existing stretchmarks on hips - they have virtually disappeared. Have been using one or the other throughout pregnancy, and I haven't (touches wood frantically) yet developed any pregnancy related ones.

From my observation, Clarins seemed to do more for the texture of the skin and Bio Oil (or Boil, as it is affectionately known by my mum) does more for the colour of the marks.

It's genetic that's all. The marks appear too deep in the dermis for anything topical to penetrate.

My mum has bad ones from me and my bro, so I bought the Clarins oil, bio oil, some French cream recommended by Trinny and Susannah as "the cream to use if you want to avoid stretch marks" and mama mio - and cocoa butter. I slathered it all on religiously and didn't get any until at 34 weeks one appeared, then a week later they were all over my belly.

Other people I know didn't get a single one and didn't use anything.

I used Body Shop brand Cocoa Butter and didn't get stretch marks.

Might have been the cream.

I used pure vitamin E oil every night of my pregnancy, have had two children and not one strechmark! Not sure if it was the oil or not as my mother and sister both were lucky and didn't get any either. The oil does feel lovely though so worth a shot.

I think a lot of it is genetic from what I've read. My mum got a lot of them as did everyone else in my family, and I was really upset about the idea of getting that many. I was obsessive about putting on bio-oil / cocoa butter every day, twice a day :o I hardly got any, a couple on each side that appeared 2 days before DD was born!

This time I did a bit of research, and it seems that only one, called "trofolastin" has any scientific evidence backing up its claims of preventing stretch marks. The other one that seems to have fairly good reviews is Revitol.

At the end of the day, you don't really know whether or not you'll get them, but I know if I had and not tried everything I could to prevent it, then I would have been really upset.

put weight on STEADILY and evenly and with healthy food and you'll be doing the most you possibly can to avoid them, after that it's genetics.

Lotti, yep me to! Back of legs and thighs - thanks puberty.

As such, I used Bert's Bees Mama Bee Belly Butter during my pregnancy. I was lucky enough to be given half a tub by a friend as its not cheep (£10 for 185g). Not one stretch mark decorated my tummy.

I did use bio oil, but it got a bit messy for me. Although it may be a skin deep thing, it worked for me.

Now off to buy some more.

When it comes down to it I guess you have to just choose and not regret it. If I'd not tried a cream and got stretch marks I would have regretted not trying, but I did use one and will never know if I would have got them without.

I used mamma mio with my DS and went to 42 weeks with no marks at all. If nothing else it smelled gorgeous and felt very pampering. Also reduced the itch.

I got awful stretch marks at puberty so assumed I'd get them in pregnancy. Interestingly it's much less likely to get stretch marks if yu're an older mum.

If you go with mamma mio, do get the oil as well as the butter, it really reduces the amount you need and will end up saving you money in the long run.

Ok, name changed for this cos I don't want a load of abuse for suggesting that this is 100% or anything...but...

I know a bit about science/dermatology and decided with my first pregnancy that I'd put some if this knowledge to use. It worked -I have absolutely no abdominal pregnancy stretchmarks.

Basically stretchmarks are related to what kind of collagen you have. Your type is gentically determined. Some collagen forms a pretty regular cross hatch pattern, nice and tight and dense. If you have this type you are much less likely to get stretchmarks and your skin probably doesnt get particularly cellulite-y when you get fat. With minimal care your skin looks good, basically. The other main type is a bit haphazard, less regular and more prone to stretchmarks and full on cellulite. The majority of caucasians have this latter type.

I have the latter type and have been very sensitive to the effects of female hormones. From puberty I developed stretchmarks all over my boobs, hips, thighs and even my bloody calves. As a result I can't go tightless in the summer and hate being seen in a swimming cossie, even though I'm a pretty average size 12. Knowing my mum and sisters are all the same and added a big stretch marky tummy pouch to the package with their pregancies I decided to make an attempt to see if I could possibly avoid this. After all, I'd need to rub some sort of moisturising lotion in, why not something that gave me the best chance of avoiding.

So, knowing a bit about collagen and the vitamins need to support it I decided on a regime of pure Vitamin C serum, pure Vitamin E serum plus collagen gel. I found three separate products (all available from QVC and a few other online shops - I used Alpha H vitamin serums and a SBC Collagen gel). Every morning and night I rubbed a couple of drops of each serum into my tummy, brushed my teeth and then rubbed in the collagen gel. That was it -I got no stretchmarks on my tummy.

The punch line is that I didnt rub it in anywhere else and got new stretchmarks on my boobs, bum, hips and thighs. Stupid me.

I don't claim to know anything about the safety of using vitamin serums in pregnancy. I could find no warnings against any except Vitamin A which wasn't one I thought would be useful anyway. Vitamin E has been used in skincreams for a long time and we tend to excrete any excess Vitamin C in pee. I wouldnt think it would get anywhere beyond the skin anyway. But the bottom line is I did my own research and if you wanted to do this you should too either by checking with the manufacturer or your health care professional :)

Incidentally Bio-oil has Vitamin E in it and might be why it is felt to work so well.

I've been using Neal's Yard anti-stretchmark stuff for the first time (3rd pregnancy) and I'm impressed so far. My tummy is still very moisturised at bedtime when I apply it in the morning and it only has a few ingredients compared to mammoth lists on other products. e.g. Palmers has these lovelies in it: Methylparaben, Butylparaben, Ethylparaben, Propylparaben, which is a shame as I love how it smells of lychees!

Have prev used Bio Oil and Palmers, and got stretchmarks both times, but only in the last 2 weeks of pregnancy. No new stretchmarks yet, but I'm only 5.5 months... can you get stretchmarks on top of stretchmarks?!

My mum had 4 dc and doesnt have a single strechmark, i on the otherhand am covered after my ds, boobs, tummy, hips, thighs, even one on my calf! have been told its because i ate like a pig when preggers...

I got terrible stretch marks all up my thighs in puberty (grew very quickly) and was dreading what might happen to my belly when pregnant. However, like others I read that the creams can't penetrate to the layer of skin where stretch marks form and resigned myself to what I thought was my fate.

The result? Two DCs later I don't have a single stretch mark on my stomach and didn't waste any money on fancy creams. I'm no spring chicken either, and have seen plenty of stripy bumps on "teenage and pregnant" type shows so not so sure that age is a factor.

But if you like the creams (and can afford them!) then no harm in using them