Although perfectly natural, stretch marks make most people feel self-conscious and insecure about their body. For this reason, we bring you top 3 natural remedies to help you get rid of, or significantly reduce the appearance of stretch marks.
What They Are
To put it simply, stretch marks are a form of scarring. They can appear pretty much anywhere on the body, but they’re mostly found on hips, thighs, buttocks, stomach, upper arms and breasts. If you’re wondering why mostly there, it’s because the skin on those areas is usually the first one to stretch during or after sudden growth or weight gain.
Since our skin consists of three layers: epidermis (the outermost layer), dermis (the middle layer), and hypodermis (the bottom layer), and stretch marks form in the dermis, it’s evident why it can be so hard to get rid of them. Once stretched beyond the power of its flexibility, the skin’s collagen becomes weakened, its normal production cycle disrupted and finally damaged, resulting in scars under the top layer of the skin.
Luckily, there are a few natural remedies that can help you reduce the appearance of stretch marks, or completely get rid of them, depending on your skin type and scar tissue.
1. Sugar and Coffee Scrub
Sugar is a great natural exfoliant that if used regularly, can make your skin smooth and gentle. Add coffee to the mix and you get a wonderful, antioxidant-rich natural body scrub.
- Mix 2 tablespoons of coffee grounds with 2 tablespoons of sugar;
- Add some water and make a paste;
- Massage the scrub in circular motions for a few minutes and then rinse with water and moisturize.
Use 2-3 times per week.
2. Castor Oil
Castor oil is a known beauty-oil, used to treat various skin conditions. Thanks to ricinoleic acid, it has some lighting as well as moisturizing effects.
- Heat up some castor oil until it’s warm,
- Massage it onto the skin in circular motions for a few minutes,
- Let it sit under a warm cotton cloth for a while and then rinse.
Use it every night, before showering.
3. Aloe Vera
Aloe Vera has been used for centuries as a skin treatment. It relieves itchiness, burns, and can even help diminish scars, including stretch marks.
- Simply rub fresh Aloe Vera juice onto your stretch marks and leave it for a few minutes or even overnight;
- Rinse with warm water and frequently reapply;
OR
- Make a mixture with 10 vitamin E capsules, 5 vitamin A capsules and Aloe Vera gel (about one-fourth cup);
- Massage the mixture onto your skin until it’s fully absorbed (no need to rinse).
