Stretch marks are thin lines on the body that appear after the skin has undergone significant changes in size. Many have experienced the issue of stretch marks whether due to pregnancy, weight gain or loss, or genetic factors. You can use essential oils for stretch mark treatments at home. Aromatherapy and essential oils are a natural therapy for minimizing the appearance of stretch marks.
Although stretch marks are not painful on the skin, it is not uncommon for stretch mark stripes to inflict an individual with emotional pain, insecurities or feelings of embarrassment.
In this article, we’ll show you how to use essential oils to treat your stretch marks at home, including resources for handling emotional pain with aromatherapy.
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What Are Stretch Marks?
Stretch marks are thin, long lines that usually appear on the thighs, buttocks, abdomen, and breasts of the skin. They are purple and red in color, and later turn silvery-white.
Stretch marks are damaged areas of your skin. They occur in the dermis of your skin because of strains due to overstretching. Women are more prone to have stretch marks due to pregnancy than men do. For most women, changes in body weight or during pregnancy can cause stretch marks on the body. However, thin persons can also suffer from stretch marks due to genetic factors, puberty, or other changes in hormones ¹.
Why Stretch Marks Form on Your Body
Stretch marks can appear on multiple areas of the body such as the abdomen, thighs, or chest.
The medical term for stretch marks is ‘Striae distensae’. The condition typically causes disfiguring inflammations as the connective skin tissues expand beyond regular limits.
Stretch marks are also common to appear on women’s bodies during pregnancy. In this period, the consistent growth of the baby forces the skin to stretch like an air-filled balloon.
Other reasons a person may have these streaks are adrenal gland disorder also known as Cushing’s disease, growth spurts during puberty, obesity, and sudden weight loss.
Stretch Marks Facts
Stretch marks on the thigh / butt area.
- Stretch marks are classified into two categories: Alba and rubra. Alba stretch marks are an advanced type of stripes that have changed into silvery-white color, while rubra stripes are the newly formed lines with inflammatory bleeding causing them to become purple, red, or pink in color ².
- Exercises, workouts, and weight loss programs may not help you in removing stretch marks if they have already turned white/silver (Alba phase), but can be useful in the early stages (rubra)
- Elastin and collagen are two natural agents that make and keep the skin elastic and resilient ³. A decrease in the level of these substances can make your skin prone to developing stretch marks.
- Vitamin C is a nutritional supplement valuable in reducing stretch marks as it prevent the formation of free radicals that are capable of destroying the skin 4. You may also like to add it to your topical skin care routines by way of Vitamin C serum.
- Genetic factors are the major reason some individuals may develop more stretch marks than others do 5.
How Essential Oils Aid In Eliminating Stretch Marks
Essential oils are helpful in reducing the appearance of stretch marks. They contain properties capable of hydrating wounded and inflamed skin cells. By applying them, you can improve your skin’s flexibility, elasticity, and slow down the effects of aging on your body.
Combining essential oils with carrier oils like primrose, apricot, carrot, almond, and jojoba oils is ideal to give skin the best care and prevent adverse reactions on your skin. A most basic recipe with essential oils for stretch marks is to use 1 teaspoon (= 5 ml) of carrier oil in the palm of your hand, add 3 drops of essential oils of choice, and apply immediately. Pick from the following best essential oils for stretch marks below.
Top 5 Essential Oils for Stretch Marks
Treat your stretch marks naturally by using these essential oils:
- Lavender Essential Oil: Lavender essential oil is a common ingredient you can find in every cream and oil made for the removal of stretch marks. It is produced through the process of steam distillation and capable of toning and rejuvenating your skin. You will also enjoy its calming essences and refreshing aroma.
- Patchouli Essential Oil: Moisturize aging skin and handle your stretch marks by applying patchouli essential oil that can promote the growth of skin cells and regeneration of tissues.
- Helichrysum Essential Oil: Helichrysum essential oil is made from the leaves of an evergreen plant with a fruity fragrance. Treat your stretch marks and restore damaged skin with this oil that can even improve the circulation of blood in your body. It has analgesic, anti-inflammatory, diuretic, antispasmodic, and astringent properties that can handle ugly skin conditions.
- Sage Essential Oil: Sage essential oil is safe to use topically. It is processed by means of steam purification and contains anti-inflammatory, astringent, analgesic, antispasmodic, and diuretic properties. This terminology emphasizes that sage oil enhances blood flow in the body.
- Neroli Essential Oil: Experience the regenerative and restorative essences of neroli essential oil with its exceptional aroma. It is produced from the flowers, buds, and leaves of orange trees. Massaging Neroli oil onto your skin helps to treat any visible line and further appearance of stretch marks on your body. Moreover, it helps to control sagging skin.
Best Carrier Oils for Stretch Marks
Not only are you learning how to use the power of essential oils to aid stretch marks, other organic products can help heal your skin, including shea butter, glycolic acid, potato juice, liquid vitamin E, olive oil, lemon juice, cocoa butter, cocoa butter and select carrier oils.
Castor oil and Rosehip oil are the best carrier oils to aid stretch mark scarred skin. Here’s why:
Castor Oil
Castor oil is one of the most effective organic products for the removal of stretch marks, acne, sagging skin, wrinkles, and even fine lines. It is a very heavy, greasy carrier oil so do not be alarmed by its consistency when it comes out of the bottle. However, this exact fattiness gives castor oil its superb skin care qualities for stretch mark damaged skin.
Blend about two tablespoons of almond oil or fractionated coconut oil (FCO) with one tablespoon of castor oil, plus up to 9 drops of essential oils of choice and apply onto your skin where there are stretch marks. Then, allow fifteen minutes for it to be completely absorbed into the body. Repeat this treatment for two weeks, at least two to three times daily for good results.
New to the NOW brand of essential oils and accessories? Find a full NOW brand review here.
Rosehip Oil
Rosehip essential oil is rich in fatty acids, vitamins, and antioxidants. It is extracted from the seeds of a thorny rose. This aromatic oil is gentle and calm on the skin as it contains Retin A, which is a type of vitamin A used for making anti-aging products.
You can apply Rosehip oil directly onto your skin as much as needed to treat your stretch marks and prevent aging unnecessarily.
Rosehip carrier oil blends nicely with Helichrysum and Neroli. For a Rosehip based stretch mark lotion, blend 3 tablespoons of Rosehip carrier oil with 5 drops of Helichrysum and 4 drops of Neroli. Apply 2-3 x daily on areas affected.
New to Plant Therapy? Find my Plant Therapy Essential Oils Review here.
More Essential Oil Recipes for Removing Stretch Marks Easily
The following recipes will assist the removal of stretch mark lines from your skin quickly:
Stretch Mark Blend
Combine three drops each of lavender, frankincense, and sandalwood essential oils with a 15 mL amber bottle of sesame seed oil and stir well. Among these oils, frankincense oil is the favorite oil for most persons, since it contains properties that help in repairing damaged skin tissues. For best results, apply twice per day on those streaks on your body, regularly for two weeks.
This homemade recipe contains natural substances with stimulating powers and regenerative essences to handle your stretch marks effectively. If you like the blend, continue mixing up your master blend to get rid of the stretch marks on your skin.
Whipped Coconut Oil Butter for Stretch Marks
In this recipe, you select the essential oils of your choice. You can use grapefruit, lavender, and frankincense with coconut oil (NOT fractionated coconut oil) as the base of your product. Get coconut oil, all the essential oils, and a mixer. Put the coconut oil in the mixer and beat for five minutes to prepare the base of your cream using a fork, hand mixer, or a stand mixer.
However, if you are blending large quantities, it is advisable to use a fork in mixing the cream. You will get a creamy substance in the form of yogurt if allowed to mix properly for five minutes. This becomes the base where you will add other essential oils of choice to fade out your stretch marks. Another product you can use as a base is beeswax or Shea butter instead of coconut oil.
Finally, storing this product in a glass jar is recommended. Do not use plastic containers.
Lemon Lavender Stretch Mark Oil
Lemon essential oil
Add 2 oz of coconut oil, 1/2 oz of beeswax, 1 oz of evening primrose, and 1 oz cocoa butter into a bowl. Melt these substances over a double boiler on medium-low heat and while constantly stirring.
If you notice that the mixture has become soft and silky, take it off the heat immediately. Then, add 7 drops of lavender essential oil and 6 drops of lemon essential oil, and stir until it becomes fluffy.
Store the product in an airtight container. Apply the cream on your stretch marks consistently until you start seeing results.
Stretch Mark Bath
Mix 3-5 drops of Sage Essential Oil into a tablespoon of Epsom salts and combine into a warm bath. Sage oil has regenerative properties that protect your skin from further damages and stripes. It is advisable to apply the oil cautiously to avoid the occurrence of acne and other debilitating skin conditions.
Other Ways To Get Rid Of Stretch Marks
Essential oil and natural oil treatments are a beautiful way to care for your stretch-mark scarred skin. Additionally, here are a few other tips to help you regain your skin elasticity and combat the severity of stretch mark appearance.
- Work out: Avoid rigorous workouts such as weight lifting and bodybuilding. Engaging in moderate exercises is more useful for reducing stretch marks. Also, moderate cardiovascular exercises can help in eliminating these lines.
- Drink plenty of water: For our skin to remain healthy, it needs a lot of water! (source)
- Laser treatment: In some cases, laser treatment has been applied successfully to eliminate stretch marks on your body. Consult a qualified practitioner in your area.
- Self-tanning
In Summary
Most persons feel uncomfortable with lines of stretch marks on their bodies and desire for their skin to return to its original firm shape and form. Pregnant women are the most affected due to overstretching of the muscles and gestational weight gain that pushes the skin to new lengths.
The appearance of stretch mark streaks can be effectively minimized by applying a blend of carrier oils, plus essential oils of choice on the affected areas.
References
¹ Healthline.com: Stretch Marks
² Healthyy.net: Difference Between White and Red Stretch Marks
³ NCBI: Skin anti-aging strategies
4NCBI: Vitamin C in dermatology
5WebMD: The Truth About Pregnancy Stretch Marks
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