What are stretch marks? A stretch mark is a silvery band of skin or scar that appears when someone gains weight or loses weigh in rapid succession. These rapid fluctuations cause your skin's collagen and elastin to rupture because they're not used to these rapid changes. As your skin starts to heal from this rupture, you'll get stretch marks. They'll initially be pink or red in colour, and you'll get them under your topmost layer of skin. As time goes on and they start to heal, you'll notice them fading to a grey or silver.

Contents:

What Causes Stretch Marks How to Get Rid of Stretch Marks: 21 Natural Ways

1. Bone Broth
2. High-Quality Collagen Supplement
3. Diatomaceous Earth
4. Aloe Vera
5. Apple Cider Vinegar
6. Tea Tree Oil
7. Cocoa Butter
8. Lemon Juice
9. Coconut Oil
10. Vitamin E Oil
11. Castor Oil
12. Olive Oil
13. Turmeric
14. Jojoba Oil
15. Baking Soda
16. Coffee Scrub
17. Argan Oil
18. Sugar Scrub
19. Rosehip Essential Oil
20. Glycolic Acid
21. Baby Oil

Bottom Line

What Causes Stretch Marks?

However, not everyone develops stretch marks. Along with rapid weight loss or gain, other factors can play a role as well including puberty-related growth spurts, weight training with rapid muscle growth, certain medical conditions, genetics and hormone fluctuations. The good news is, stretch marks are harmless, and there are things that you can do in order to reduce the appearance of new and old ones at home. Usually, it's a combination of methods that works best, and we're going to give you 21 natural and effective ways of how to get rid of stretch marks. You may want to experiment until you find the methods that work for you.

How to Get Rid of Stretch Marks: 21 Natural Ways

1. Bone Broth

You Will Need:

• 3 to 4 pounds beef marrow and knuckle bones
• 2 pounds short ribs
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 4 quarts water
• 3 halved celery sticks
• 2 halved carrots
• 3 quartered onions
• Large pot or crockpot

Or you can get ready made organic broth here

What You Have to Do:

1. Place bones in a deep pot, and add the water and vinegar.
2. Let it sit for one hour before turning it on.
3. Add vegetables and bring it to a boil, skimming anything off the top.
4. Reduce to a low simmer and cook 24 to 72 hours continuously.
5. Let cool and strain. Drink and store in the fridge.

Or you can get ready made organic broth here

How Often You Do It:

Once to twice a day.

Why This Works:

Bone broth has so many benefits comes packed with gelatin, and gelatin helps to improve your skin's elasticity. It also starts to give your skin more collagen from the inside which firms up your skin. When this happens, your stretch marks or wrinkles start to become less noticeable. You can drink your bone broth once or twice a day, and you should start seeing improvements in your stretch marks.

2. High-Quality Collagen Supplement

You Will Need:

• 1/3 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons collagen peptides (you can get high quality collagen here)
• 2 tablespoons raw honey
• Ice cube tray or a mould

What You Have to Do:

1. Pour lemon juice and honey into a skillet on low heat. Heat until warm (not boiling).
2. Mix the gelatin into the honey and lemon juice and stir until well combined.
3. Once combined, pour it into ice cube trays or moulds.
4. Freeze for 15 minutes.

How Often You Do It:

Eat four or five gummies per day to get a dose of collagen. Or you can just mix in two scoops of collagen peptides with water or a smoothie. Collagen dissolves in water so it is extremely versatile and easy to use.

Why This Works:

Collagen is well-known for giving you vibrant, glowing, healthy skin with good elasticity. This makes the skin all over your body look youthful. As you age, your body loses collagen, and this is why it's easy for wrinkles, fine lines and stretch marks to appear. However, one study showed that increased the amount of collagen in your body can actually help to reverse this damage to your skin. Another study took a group of women aged 35 to 55 years old and split them into groups. One group got a placebo while the other group got collagen. At the end of the eight-week study, the group that took the collagen reported more skin elasticity, a noticeable decrease in their fine lines or wrinkles and more youthful skin.

3. Diatomaceous Earth

You Will Need:

• Pure and Food Grade Diatomaceous earth. You can find it here.

What You Have To Do:

1. Apply a small amount of the DE to your skin
2. Take 2 to 3 minutes and massage it into your skin with your fingers.
3. Leave it on the skin for 10 minutes and then wash off with warm water.

How Often You Do It:

Apply for 2 months and re-evaluate at this time.

Why This Works:

Diatomaceous earth can be used externally or internally. It contains high levels of silica which act as a great skin exfoliant. It also contains collagen and other minerals which act to cleanse and rejuvenate the skin.

4. Aloe Vera

You Will Need:

• Aloe Vera plant or Aloe Vera Gel

What You Have to Do:

1. If you have the plant, you can snap off a leaf and scrape the aloe from inside. Once you do this, apply it to your stretch marks.
2. If you buy the gel, you can rub a small amount over your stretch marks to get the benefits.

How Often You Do It:

This depends on how dry your skin is or how prominent your stretch marks are. You can apply it once or twice a day for the best results.

Why This Works:

Aloe Vera is a natural moisturiser that brings moisture to your skin and locks in it. It has a 99% water content, and this can help to improve your skin's elasticity. You'll also notice that it helps to take care of any dry skin issues or itching you have. This gel comes packed with minerals, vitamins and antioxidants that help to repair the cell damage that causes stretch marks. You should notice an improvement after a few weeks.

5. Apple Cider Vinegar

You Will Need:

• Spray bottle
• 1 cup of apple cider vinegar

What You Have to Do:

1. Pour your vinegar into your spray bottle.
2. Spritz your stretch marks each night before bed.
3. Let your stretch marks air dry.
4. Wash thoroughly in the morning and moisturise.

How Often You Do It:

Put this one once a day at night before you go to bed.

Why This Works:

Apple cider vinegar contains malic and acetic acids. These two acids work to repair the cells in and around your stretch marks. Additionally, they act as lightening agents that will reduce the look of your stretch marks and make them fade or become less noticeable over time. It soaks into your skin since you let it air dry and repairs your skin from the outside first.

6. Tea Tree Oil

You Will Need:

• 4 ounces of carrier oil (sweet almond, jojoba, coconut or olive)
• 10 drops tea tree oil
• 5 drops peppermint oil
• Dark glass container

What You Have to Do:

1. Add your carrier oil to a small bowl.
2. Mix in you 10 drops of tea tree oil and peppermint oil until it's well combined.
3. Add your mixture into your dark glass container for storage.
4. Massage it into your skin.

How Often You Do It:

Massage the mix into your skin once or twice a day.

Why This Works:

Tea tree oil has powerful antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties that can help keep your skin clean as well as reduce the look and feel of your stretch marks. It'll gradually fade your stretch marks to an almost unnoticeable colour. Additionally, tea tree oil has beneficial antiseptic properties as well that can encourage faster healing of the cells around your stretch marks.

7. Cocoa Butter

You Will Need:

• 1/2 cup cocoa butter
• 1 tablespoon wheat germ oil
• 1 tablespoon apricot oil
• 1 tablespoon vitamin E oil
• 1 tablespoon kernel oil
• 2 teaspoons beeswax

What You Have to Do:

1. Add all ingredients to a pot and heat it on the stove until the beeswax melts.
2. Store it in an airtight container until you're ready to apply it topically.
3. Massage it into the skin over and around your stretch marks until it absorbs into your skin.

How Often You Do It:

Massage it into your skin two or three times a day.

Why This Works:

These various oils and the cocoa butter have powerful hydrating properties that will help to keep your skin supple and moisturised. Additionally, cocoa butter can also sink into the deeper layers of your skin and repair cell damage. This makes your stretch marks less noticeable and promotes softer skin.

8. Lemon Juice

You Will Need:

• 1 or 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon cucumber juice
• 2 tablespoons flour

What You Have to Do:

1. Mix all of the ingredients to form a thick paste.
2. Apply the paste to your stretch marks until the entire area has a thin layer.
3. Air dry and let it absorb into your skin for around 10 minutes.
4. Rinse the area with warm water and moisturise.

How Often You Do It:

Apply the paste once a day either in the morning or in the evening.

Why This Works:

Lemon juice is very acidic, and this acid content can help to tighten up your skin and reduce how noticeable your stretch marks are. Additionally, lemon juice has strong anti-inflammatory properties that help to repair the damage to multiple layers of cells and reduce the inflammation that you have around the area.

9. Coconut Oil

You Will Need:

• 1 cup coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon vitamin E oil
• 2 drops essential oil for fragrance (optional)
• jar (for storage)

What You Have to Do:

1. Place all of the ingredients in a mixer.
2. Mix on the "whip" setting or high speed for five or six minutes until the oil gets fluffy.
3. Pour the oil into your desired container.
4. Massage into your stretch marks.

How Often You Do It:

Massage into your skin once a day.

Why This Works:

Coconut oil has a significant amount of lauric acid, which carries antibacterial properties along with strong moisturising properties that can reduce or fade the appearance of stretch marks. Another study showed that coconut oil can help heal your skin, and since stretch marks are a type of injury or "stretching" of the skin, it can help put some elasticity back into it. It works on several layers of your skin, and this is why it's important to let it absorb in.

10. Vitamin E Oil

You Will Need:

• Bottle of Vitamin E capsules

What You Have to Do:

1. Using a pin or a knife, poke a hole in or cut the vitamin E capsules to extract the oil.
2. Apply this oil straight onto your skin.
3. Massage it in using a circular motion and let it air dry.

How Often You Do It: Apply this oil to your skin two or three times a day for the best results. Why This Works: Vitamin E is an antioxidant, and this means that it works to reduce the amount of cell damage your skin has, including stretch marks. It also has moisturising properties along with anti-inflammatory properties that soothe any inflammation or redness that may be present in your stretch marks. All of this can eventually make them fade away so they're not as noticeable.

11. Castor Oil

You Will Need:

• Bottle or container of castor oil

What You Have to Do:

1. Put the castor oil in a bowl and heat it up until it's warm in the microwave or put it in a pot and heat it up on the stove.
2. Massage the oil into your stretch marks for 15 to 20 minutes until it absorbs.
3. Rinse any remaining castor oil off and pat the area dry.

How Often You Do It:

You can apply this oil once a day before bedtime.

Why This Works:

Castor oil forms a protective barrier that keeps your skin nourished and hydrated, and this is particularly useful if you live in an area with little moisture or if you're prone to dry skin around your stretch marks. This oil also contains high levels of ricinoleic acid, which works to condition your skin, naturally. It increases healing time, and this can reduce the appearance of your stretch marks and help to calm any inflammation or discolouration.

12. Olive Oil

You Will Need:

• Bottle or container of extra virgin olive oil

What You Have to Do:

1. Pour your olive oil into a microwave-safe bowl and heat it up until it starts to get warm to the touch. You can also do this on the stove if it's more convenient.
2. Dip your fingers into the oil and massage it into your skin until it's absorbed.
3. Let the area air dry.

How Often You Do It:

Massage the oil into your skin twice a day for the best results.

Why This Works:

Olive oil comes packed with nutrients, antioxidants and vitamins that are very healthy for your skin. Additionally, these things help heal your skin of various problems like dryness, itchiness, blemishes, inflammation and scars or stretch marks.

13. Turmeric

You Will Need:

• 1 tablespoon turmeric powder
• 1 tablespoon yogurt/coconut oil or fresh cream

What You Have to Do:

1. Add your turmeric powder and yogurt or fresh cream.
2. Mix them together to form a thick paste.
3. Spread this paste over your stretch marks and let it dry for 10 to 15 minutes.
4. Rinse it off with warm water and follow with moisturiser.

How Often You Do It:

Repeat this process up to twice a day every day to fade stretch marks.

Why This Works:

Turmeric powder contains significant levels of antioxidants along with skin-lightening and anti-inflammatory properties. When you apply this paste, the turmeric will start to contain any inflammation you may have, and it'll also contain any cell damage and start repairing it. As long as you apply this regularly, you should see a decrease in your stretch mark's appearance.

14. Jojoba Oil

You Will Need:

• Vial or container of pure jojoba oil

What You Have to Do:

1. Pour a few drops of jojoba oil into your hands.
2. Massage the oil into your stretch marks for 10 to 15 minutes.
3. Let the area air dry.

How Often You Do It:

Depending on your skin, you can apply it two or three times per day.

Why This Works:

Jojoba oil is a carrier oil that comes packed with skin healing and anti-inflammatory properties. If possible, you do want to apply your jojoba oil to your skin as soon as you start to notice any stretch marks because this will help the properties in the oil go to work faster and reduce the amount of damage the stretch marks do. Jojoba oil also stimulates new and healthy cell growth, and this is important for reducing the appearance of any present stretch marks.

15. Baking Soda

You Will Need:

• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon baking soda
• Cling or plastic wrap

What You Have to Do:

1. Add your baking soda and lemon juice together in a bowl.
2. Mix these two ingredients until you get a thick paste.
3. Apply an even layer of paste to your stretch marks.
4. Wrap the area where the paste is in cling wrap and let it sit for 15 to 20 minutes.
5. Remove the cling wrap and wash the area with warm water.

How Often You Do It:

Apply this paste once a day.

Why This Works:

Baking soda adds a naturally abrasive texture to anything it's added to. For example, this is what gives toothpaste that slightly gritty feel. This natural scrub helps to remove the dead layers of skin around and over your stretch marks. This can cause a natural lightening of this area, and this can make your stretch marks less noticeable.

16. Coffee Scrub

You Will Need:

• 4 to 8 ounces of water
• 1 tablespoon of aloe vera or olive oil
• 1/2 to 1 cup dry coffee grounds

What You Have to Do:

1. Dump your dry coffee grounds and your tablespoon of oil or aloe vera in a bowl.
2. Slowly add the water to the mix until you get a thick paste.
3. Scrub this paste over your stretch marks in a circular motion for 5 minutes.
4. Rinse the area with warm water, pat dry and moisturise.

How Often You Do It:

Apply this scrub once a day.

Why This Works:

Coffee has a high caffeine content, and caffeine is a stimulant that can easily soak into your skin and stimulate fat degradation. Also, caffeine has a high antioxidant count, and these antioxidants can help to heal any damaged cells that are in your stretch marks. This will work to lighten the appearance. Finally, massaging a circular motion will stimulate blood flow to that area, and this also helps lighten stretch marks.

17. Argan Oil

You Will Need:

• Bottle or vial of organic argan oil

What You Have to Do:

1. Pour a few drops of the argan oil onto your hands.
2. Massage the oil into your skin for 10 minutes until it sinks in. Don't rinse it off.

How Often You Do It:

Apply this oil twice a day, every day.

Why This Works:

Argan oil is extremely popular in a variety of cosmetic products because of its numerous benefits. It is very rich in vitamin E, and it has powerful antioxidant properties. These two things combine together to help heal damage to your skin caused by stretch marks and nourish your skin to help repair and restore its elasticity. It also helps to keep your skin's collagen levels up, and this results in a diminished appearance of stretch marks as well.

18. Sugar Scrub

You Will Need:

• 2 or 3 drops of almond oil
• 2 or 3 drops of lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon raw sugar

What You Have to Do:

1. Add your oils and sugar into a bowl.
2. Mix everything together until it's combined into a grainy paste.
3. Massage the scrub into the area of your stretch marks for 5 to 10 minutes.
4. Rinse with warm water and moisturise.

How Often You Do It:

Apply this scrub one or two times each day.

Why This Works:

Sugar has a rough texture that acts as an excellent exfoliant for your skin. The slightly grainy texture helps rub away layers of dead skin cells that may cause your stretch marks to look more pronounced and noticeable. Massaging the sugar scrub into your skin also helps to promote good circulation that enhances your cell's healing capacity.

19. Rosehip Essential Oil

You Will Need:

• Vial or container of rosehip oil

What You Have to Do:

1. Pour a few drops of the rosehip oil into your hands.
2. Massage it into your stretch marks in a circular motion for 5 to 10 minutes.
3. Allow it to air dry.

How Often You Do It:

Massage this oil into your stretch marks once or twice per day.

Why This Works:

This oil is rich in vitamins A and E, and these vitamins enhance your body's natural collagen production. The collagen will help to improve your skin's elasticity levels, and this can make it more firm. It also has high amounts of fatty acids. Fatty acids work to increase your skin's natural healing capacity, and this can reduce your stretch mark's appearance.

20. Glycolic Acid

You Will Need:

• Container of glycolic acid

What You Have to Do:

1. Add a few drops of the glycolic acid to your hands.
2. Gently work the acid into the skin around your stretch marks and the stretch marks themselves.
3. Allow it to air dry.

How Often You Do It:

Apply it once a day, and it's best if you do it before you go to bed.

Why This Works:

Glycolic acid has strong anti-inflammatory agents that help to reduce any pink or redness in your stretch marks, and they'll also help to calm down any inflammation you may have. This reduces how noticeable your stretch marks are. It can also help your body produce more collagen, and this can make your skin healthier and ensure that it has more elasticity.

21. Baby Oil

You Will Need:

• Container of baby oil

What You Have To Do:

1. Take a hot shower and pat your skin dry.
2. Gently rub the baby oil into your stretch marks and in the surrounding skin.
3. Allow the oil to air dry and absorb into your skin.

How Often You Do It:

Apply the baby oil each time you take a shower, usually once or twice a day.

Why This Works:

Baby oil has a high amount of mineral oil in its formula, and mineral oil is effective at adding moisture back into your skin as well as forming a protective barrier to help prevent further moisture loss. This added moisture can help to fade your stretch marks. Baby oil can also help prevent future stretch marks by nourishing your skin and keeping it supple.

Bottom Line

Now that you know how to get rid of stretch marks, you can start trying these 21 natural stretch mark remedies and see which ones work the best for you. With a little patience and consistency, you should start to see softer skin with more elasticity, and your stretch marks should start to fade and become less noticeable over time.