5 Home Remedies to Reducing Stretch Marks

It is safe to say that stretch marks are as common as the common cold. Actually, this might be a bit of a “stretch”? (get it?) What is the fastest way to get rid of stretch marks? Home Remedies to Reducing Stretch Marks

Lame puns aside, almost every woman gets those marks at some point in her life. They can be extremely stressful for them even though their causes are very natural. In general, they occur when the skin is stretched quickly, which could be due to pregnancy, puberty, or even from a sudden gain in weight. 

Home Remedies to Reducing Stretch Marks

Women may usually get stretch marks on their breasts, hips, thighs, stomachs, or buttocks. Stretch marks could either be red or white. The red ones are usually short  lines that go across your skin. In this case, they haven’t developed into full stretch marks. As time passes, the skin begins to tighten and creates the indents that we see as white stretch marks. 

Watch for Your Iron?

Before we get into what to do to in order to reduce stretch marks, we want to highlight that it is always better to try to prevent them in the first place. One simple way of doing so is by eating food that is rich in iron, such as:

• Oysters
• Fish
• Red Meat
• Shellfish
• Walnuts
• Beans

The lack of iron can impede your body’s collagen production, which is important for stretch marks and general skin health. 

Moisturize!

When the skin gets dry, the outer barrier of the skin becomes weak, which makes it more likely that stretch marks may form. This is why it is critical to moisturize your body using nutrient-rich products like belly balm, which will help strengthen and sooth your skin.

Now that we briefly went over some preventative measures, here are some quick remedies to lighten your stretch marks:

Granulated Sugar

Granulated sugar may actually help exfoliate the dead cells that are usually found over your stretch marks. This will also help stimulate blood circulations to aid cell growth. Moreover, sugar attracts moisture from the environment which makes it perfect for a hydrating and gentle scrub. 

1. Get your granulated sugar and mix it with about half a cup of coconut oil (coconut oil is quite moisturizing and can also increase the elasticity of your skin) 
2. Squeeze half a lemon on that mixture (lemon increases production of collagen, which is the main protein that your skin is made of)
3. Scrub it on your stretch marks (use a circular motion) 
4. Aim to do this around two times per week.  

Aloe Vera 

Aloe Vera is usually the go to remedy for healing. This is because its nutrients can be of great help for your bones, scars, and of course stretch marks! 

1. Cut the plant and scrape the gel off its leaf.
2. Massage it on the stretch marks well.
3. Leave it for around 10 to 15 minutes.
4. Use a cloth that has been soaked in warm water to rub it off. 

Eggs

Yes, you read that right! Eggs have a lot of protein, as so, they have a lot of amino acids, and those amino acids in them can heal damaged skin.

1. Get two eggs and separate the yolks from the whites. (we will be using the whites). 
2. You can also add the active ingredient from a vitamin E tablet (Vitamin E has collagen-boosting properties that help the skin stretch).
3. Stir the mix until an adequate consistency is reached. 
4. Use a clean foundation brush to “paint over” the stretch marks. 
5. Once it has dried, apply cold water and wipe it.
6. Try to do this on a daily basis

At the end of the day, it is hard to actually eleminate stretch marks completely and so trying to “lighten” them is usually the approach to take. It is even better to follow some of the precautionary measures that we outlined in order to avoid them in the first place!