How to Remove Stretch Marks: 7 Effective Natural Remedies

Most women suffer from stretch marks usually after pregnancy, but that's not the only cause for it. Men too have stretch marks and so do women who are not pregnant. Stretch marks occur due to a sudden weight gain or weight loss. There is no denying the fact that stretch marks can turn out to be quite annoying. Be it teenagers or adults, people of all age groups can anyone can experience stretch marks. People often end up resorting to various beauty treatments to get rid of stretch marks. However, not many realise that chemical-laden beauty treatments also come along with their own sets of side-effects. In order to steer clear of the harmful side-effects, one can bring to use some effective home remedies. There are various natural products that can help reduce stretch marks and lighten them if not make them disappear completely. However, it requires a regular skin care programme and strict discipline.

Here are a few effective home remedies to reduce stretch marks -

1. Aloe Vera

Aloe vera is a plant that helps regenerate skin tissue and as such it has miraculous healing properties. Take the fresh gel from the leaf and massage onto the area with stretch marks and leave on for 20-30 minutes. Do it daily and wash off with tepid water.(Also Read: 16 Home Remedies for Pimples, Glowing Skin and Dryness)

_{Aloe vera is a plant that helps regenerate skin tissue}

2. Cocoa Butter

The use of cocoa butter helps reduce stretch marks and I have seen that if used during and after pregnancy it makes the stretch marks disappear completely. The best time to use cocoa butter is at night, so massage it well into the skin and over a period of time you will find the stretch marks reducing and fading away.
 

_{The best time to use cocoa butter is at night}

Lemon juice's natural acidity helps heal and reduce scars and cucumber juice provides the cool soothing effect leaving your skin fresh. Mix lime juice and cucumber juice in equal parts, and apply the mixture on the affected areas till it gets soaked up by the skin. Let it be on your skin for approx. 10 minutes after which you can rinse it off using warm water.

_{Mix lime juice and cucumber juice in equal parts, and apply the mixture on the affected areas​
Photo Credit: facebook/making natural cosmetics}

4. Almond and Coconut Oil

Use almond and coconut oil in equal quantities to reduce stretch marks. Massage it on the skin regularly.This home remedy is absolutely natural, which means no harmful side-effects. Follow this remedy religiously and watch out for effective results. Try it.(Also Read: Coconut Oil for Stretch Marks: 5 Beauty Remedies That Work Wonders)

_{Use almond and coconut oil in equal quantities to reduce stretch marks​
Photo Credit: iStock}

5. Apricot Mask and Oil

Apricots have great exfoliating tendencies, which make them very effective when it comes to healing stretch marks. Take 2-3 apricots, cut them and take out the seeds. Crush the fruit into a paste and apply this mask on the stretch mark affected areas and leave it on for 15 minutes. Using warm water, wash it off and then repeat the process every day for a month to see results. Pure apricot oil has skin rejuvenating properties and therefore helps in reducing stretch marks. Massage onto the skin with some lemon juice for effective results.
 

_{Apricots have great exfoliating tendencies}

6. Castor Oil

Because of their dried, shrivelled up look, stretch marks need nourishment and moisture. Castor oil when massaged onto the skin will help heal and smoothen the marks slowly. But this is something that you need to constantly feed the skin with.

_{Castor oil when massaged onto the skin will help heal and smoothen the marks slowly}

7. Nourishing Skin Mask

Over my 20 years of experience in beauty, I have seen the incredible effect of the following nourishing mask in reducing stretch marks -

2 egg yolks, beaten

Juice of one lemon

2tsp oatmeal

2tsp almond paste

Enough milk to mix to a smooth paste

Method: Mix all the ingredients well and apply on the marks and let it dry completely. Wash off with cold water while scrubbing gently. This should be done on alternate days.
 

_{This face pack has skin benefiting properties}

As you may have noticed while reading through my article, treating stretch marks the natural way will require your time and patience but the results will be fruitful. So now that you have some easy and useful home remedies to deal with stubborn stretch marks, start right away. And do not forget to love your skin while you are at it. About the Author:

Suparna Trikha is a beauty expert based in New Delhi. She also teaches meditation through aromatherapy and organises corporate workshops for distressing. She has her own range of 40 beauty products and proposes to launch them very soon in the Indian market as well as abroad. With this crusade of moving back to nature, Suparna believes in making people healthier and more beautiful the natural way.

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