Preventing Stretch Marks, Even if it’s Hereditary

I’ve always been afraid of stretch marks, so you can imagine the increase in my fear when I found out I was having twins ;). Both my Mom and sister have always told me how bad their stretch marks were, so if it’s true that stretch marks are hereditary I’m a goner. However, I decided that even if I’m doomed to get some stretch marks, it’s still worth trying to put up a fight. I believe that even if you can’t completely prevent them, you can definitely reduce them by improving the elasticity of your skin.

So, I researched! And let me tell you, it can be so discouraging at first! There are so many ads/posts/forums out there that are just trying to sell a certain product, everyone trying to claim that their method is the best, and it left me wondering what was real/true. That being said, I wanted to provide a post telling you about what I decided was true/important from my own research. I want you to know that in the end the methods I chose to focus on were the result of lots of research, and the things I listed below are what I’ve decided to do in my pregnancy. None of the companies or products below are sponsoring me – I’m buying the product myself!**

From Inside and Out

Another thing I think is important to say – you can battle stretch marks both internally and externally – by what you consume and what you apply to your skin. While both are important, I learned that stretch marks actually go so deep into your skin that I believe what you do internally makes the biggest difference. What you eat/consumer affects your skins elasticity from the inside, and skin with better elasticity is less likely to get stretch marks.

Alright, so here’s my plan of attack!

INTERNAL METHODS

Drink lots of Water – Even when you’re not pregnant, the BEST thing you can do for you skin is to drink a LOT of water. When you are pregnant, your body needs a greater amount of water as it is, so you have to drink even more than you normally would. Water really helps improve skin elasticity, so just over-do it…even if you feel like you’re having to go the bathroom ALL THE TIME. I talked about the kind of water I like in this post, but I like to carry this water bottle with me everywhere, full of cold alkaline water (that I throw these trace minerals in).

Collagen – Collagen formation is necessary to improve skin elasticity. Taking some form of collagen is a good habit to get into even when you’re not pregnant to prevent aging, but when you’re pregnant it definitely helps reduce your chances of stretch marks. I did a ton of research, and decided to take this supplement from Vital Proteins. It’s grass-fed, pasture-raised collagen peptides, and that’s the only ingredient! This was important to me because when I checked with my doctor, she said that it’s great to take a collagen supplement as long as there aren’t other things added to it, such as herbs that can be questionable when you’re pregnant. It’s soluble in hot or cold liquids, so I either throw mine in my morning coffee (yes I’m still drinking a 1/2 cup of coffee in the mornings!) or a morning smoothie. I really can’t even taste it!
Vitamin C – Vitamin C is an antioxident that your body uses to reduce damage from “free radicals,” which prevent healing and the formation of healthy scar tissue. Vitamin C also helps your body form collagen and cartilage. You can take Vitamin C as a supplement like I have been, but it’s actually best to try and eat foods that contain lots of Vitamin C such as oranges, grapefruits, strawberries, cranberries, broccoli, peppers, and leafy greens.

TOPICAL METHODS

Coconut Oil + Pangea Organics Balancing Oil – I’ve heard for years that coconut oil helps to prevent stretch marks, but I didn’t want to just slather any old coconut oil on my skin. I’m super picky about weird smells or feeling greasy, so I wanted to make sure that if I was throwing coconut oil on it was worth it ;). Enter Pangea Organics – an amazing organics line that I love. The founder of the company has a trick for stretch marks that he has been sharing with his friends for years: mix a 12 oz jar of raw organic coconut oil (melt it in a warm water bath on the stove) with an entire bottle of Pangea Organics Balancing Oil, stir together, then let solidify. You can use this to rub on your belly in the morning and at night. I’ve been doing this one at night, and my stretch mark prevention cream in the mornings/day.

Stretch Mark Prevention Cream – Ok, so so far all the methods I’ve listed have been organic/natural. However, call me vain but I am not above going beyond that to prevent stretch marks! Sometimes you need a little something else! So I researched, scoured forums, asked friends, and the stretch mark prevention cream I finally settled on was this one by Mustela. The cream reinforces skin’s elasticity and suppleness and supports natural cell renewal to prevent stretch marks. The box claims that 96% percent of women who use it don’t get stretch marks – sounds like good odds to me! 😉 It comes in a little kit along with a breast firming serum. While it’s not organic, I researched the ingredients and both products are completely safe to use during pregnancy and after (while breastfeeding).

I’d love to hear what worked or didn’t work for you! And I will make sure to update this post with my results – I’m currently just 20 weeks, so I still have a ways to go ;).

xx

Jen

**Full disclosure, I do work with Pangea Organics (they really have so many amazing products!) which is how I even found out about mixing the Balancing Oil with coconut oil. But I would post about their products regardless, because I really do believe in them!