How to
treat stretch marks

Stretch marks are “cracks” that can appear on the surface of the skin.

They are most likely to appear on the stomach, thighs, buttocks and chest. When they first form, stretch marks can be red and very visible. Like scars, over time they blend into your skin tone, taking on a pinkish then pale tint.

Stretch marks are caused by a loss of elasticity in the skin. Rapid and uncontrolled stretching causes the skin to lose its structure and break down the collagen fibres on its surface.

Stretch marks are most common during periods of significant change in a person’s life, such as pregnancy, puberty, hormonal changes and weight fluctuation. The areas particularly affected by weight fluctuation are the preferred target for stretch marks, such as the hips, thighs, buttocks, chest and stomach. However, stretch marks can appear anywhere on your body.

Stretch marks can occur during significant periods of change in a person’s life, such as pregnancy, weight fluctuation, hormonal changes and puberty. As we mentioned before, stretch mark tend to pop up when your body is experiencing times of sudden or big adjustments. Times like these can cause your body to rapidly change in size and your skin can struggle to keep up with developments.

When life moves too quickly for the natural elasticity of our skin, this is where stretch marks can form.

If you experience stretch marks during pregnancy, this can be due to the hormone changes and altering levels of cortisol in your body, which can weaken and reduce collagen in your skin. Alongside the rapid changes with your body, this creates the ideal environment for stretch marks to occur.

To prevent stretch marks, we recommend keeping your skin moisturised with nourishing body moisturisers and body treatment oils. Our Tonic Treatment Oil is iconic for its firming properties and helps to improve elasticity and smooth the appearance of stretch marks. For something more lightweight, our Body Partner is specially formulated to target and prevent stretch marks whilst comforting the skin.

If you are going through pregnancy, or a weight loss or gain journey, it is important to moisturise your body on a daily basis. We recommend applying your moisturiser or oil after showering or bathing when your skin is damp to allow the products to lock in extra moisture.  For optimal results, use body exfoliators such as our Tonic Body Polisher, once a week to allow the moisturisers and oils to penetrate more deeply.

During pregnancy, prevention is the best cure. You must help and prepare your skin for the transformation and stretching it will undergo.

To maintain your skin’s firmness and tone, use the renowned Tonic Body Treatment Oil after bathing or showering daily. Apply the oil to damp skin, concentrating on the at-risk areas, such as your bump, stomach, breasts, hips, thighs, lower back and buttocks. The oil, with 100% plant extracts, is the perfect tonic to envelop the skin in softness. For best results, we recommend following up with our Body Partner specially formulated to prevent and treat stretch marks. Massage it in with gentle circular motions, concentrating on your bump, stomach, breasts, hips, thighs, lower back and buttocks. And once your baby is here, continue this beauty ritual several months after childbirth, to pamper and support your skin.

It is unlikely that you can remove stretch marks entirely without seeking professional help from a licensed therapist.

However, preventative measures (such as moisturising daily) and specialist treatments can significantly reduce the appearance of stretch marks.

Our Body Partner contains the specially formulated Phyto-Stretch Complex with Centella Asiatica and organic Green Banana extract to visibly reduce stretch marks in length, width, depth and colour. We recommend using this targeted expert treatment daily to improve skin’s firmness and reduce the appearance of stretch marks.

Avoid sun exposure on red stretch marks in their inflammatory phase.

Once they tan, stretch marks in their early phases can be incredibly difficult to remove. If you know that your stretch marks are going to be exposed to the sun, we recommend applying SPF 50  sun protection to avoid further damage.

When stretch marks become pale in appearance, note that they cannot tan. It is important to apply sun protection to avoid over accentuating the contrast of pale stretch marks against tanned skin. If you wish to minimise the appearance of them further, we recommend using our Self-Tanning Tinted Gel or Self-Tanning Milky Lotion for a subtle glow and even skin tone.