At home, making striae completely invisible is unlikely to work. But much less noticeable – yes, it is possible.
Many mothers begin to fight stretch marks during pregnancy: they smear themselves with all kinds of oils, creams, and do massages. But it doesn’t always help. Even doctors still cannot say which preventive measure will be effective. More often they are inclined to believe that everything depends on the characteristics of the skin. However, stretch marks that have already appeared can be made less noticeable. We have collected 13 ways that thousands of moms have tried on themselves.
1. Olive oil
Almost any natural unrefined oil boasts the presence of vitamins A, E and D. Thanks to their effect, cells begin to divide more intensively, the processes of regeneration and renewal are faster. Therefore, many advise massage with olive oil: you need to pour a little on the palm, warm it up, gently massage into the problem area, and wash it off after half an hour.
2. Heat massage
Another way: mix base oil (castor, olive, almond, coconut) with vitamin E and a couple of drops of essential oil (rose, geranium, lavender), apply to the skin, massage a little, then wrap the area with plastic wrap and massage with a bottle with hot water: just roll it over your skin. The heat will help the essential oils to be absorbed deeper, and the regeneration will go faster.
3. Aloe
Here you will need a fresh aloe leaf. This can be a problem, because a lot of leaves are needed for a course. Cut the skin off the leaf, mix the jelly-like contents with five drops of vitamin A and ten drops of vitamin E. Rub into the skin until the mass is completely absorbed. Ideally, the product should be applied twice a day.
4. Honey and honey scrub
Stretch marks are reduced thanks to the antiseptic properties of honey. It is rather inconvenient to make honey compresses: you need to put it on a napkin, and wrap it with cling film to the body. You need to wear it for at least half an hour. A honey scrub is easier to make: mix it with glycerin and salt, apply to problem areas, rinse off after 10 – 15 minutes.
5. Protein masks
Egg white helps to tighten the skin, tone it up, and make it more elastic. You just need to beat the protein with a fork, apply to the skin, wait until the mask dries, and rinse with warm water. Then apply a little olive oil and wait until it is completely absorbed. The first results are promised after two weeks.
6. Sugar
Oddly enough, a good remedy for stretch marks. Sugar exfoliates dead skin, lightens stretch marks. You need to make a scrub: mix sugar with a few drops of almond oil and lemon juice. Use the product every day and you will see results in a month.
7. Lemon juice
Lemon juice is good without sugar. It also brightens the skin quite well – you need to apply the juice for 10 minutes, and then rinse it off. If you are afraid of allergies or irritation, mix equal proportions of lemon juice with cucumber juice. Cucumber masks are not for nothing that our mothers love so much – they are an excellent antioxidant.
8. Apricots
More precisely, apricot puree. Agree, the mask turns out to be quite expensive and out of season, but what if you have a small garden of your own? Apricot puree should be kept on the skin for 15-20 minutes, and then just rinsed off with warm water.
9. Potato juice
The polyphenols and carotenoids found in potatoes improve skin texture. There are several ways, you can just rub the stretch marks with potato slices, you can make masks from juice or grated potatoes. You need to keep such a mask until it dries.
10. Coconut water
First, the skin must be prepared with a scrub: two teaspoons of milk, a spoonful of sugar, a few drops of cucumber and lemon juice. With this scrub, you need to massage problem areas for about five minutes, then rinse and wipe dry. Then we lubricate the skin with coconut water: as it dries, you will feel how it tightens the skin. When completely dry, apply moisturizer or oil on top. You can use this remedy no more than three times a week.
11. Moisturizer
It will help improve the elasticity of the skin and deal with stretch marks. The recipe is as follows: mix in equal proportions olive oil, wheat germ oil and aloe leaf gel. By the way, a store-bought gel will do. You need to store such a cream in the refrigerator, and use it every day.
12. Lotion with aloe
Mix half a cup of olive oil and a quarter cup of aloe leaf jelly, add six drops of vitamin E and three to four drops of vitamin A. Store the mixture in the refrigerator and apply to your skin every day after showering.
13. Cream with beeswax
The recipe is as follows: half a glass of cocoa butter, a tablespoon of vitamin E and two tablespoons of natural grated beeswax. You can add a few drops of wheat germ oil or apricot oil. All this must be heated in a water bath, stirring continuously, until the wax melts. You need to keep the cream in the refrigerator, use it every day.
– Drink plenty of water. Well hydrated skin is elastic skin. However, dehydrating tea, coffee and alcohol are best avoided.
– Sign up for the pool. Swimming will help improve blood circulation under the skin and deal with stretch marks. Contrast shower, by the way, too.
– Cosmetology procedures: chemical or glycolic peelings renew the skin and smooth it out.
– Laser resurfacing: it is able to cope even with old scars, scars. It is quite painful and expensive, but effective.