The 8 Best Stretch Mark Creams to Buy for Pregnancy in 2018

A pregnant woman’s body goes through quite a lot during the process of creating a human being. Unpredictable mood swings brought on by fluctuating hormones are just the beginning. There’s also nausea, increased need to pee, fatigue, and, sometimes, stretch marks that pop up thanks to a body that’s quickly changing shape. If you’re unfamiliar with stretch marks, they often look a bit like indented streaks that might appear on your stomach, breasts, hips, buttocks, and/or thighs.

While there’s a lot that’s been said about stretch marks, the truth is they are nothing to fear. Not only are stretch marks a brazen sign of everything your warrior body went through to produce your child, but they can also often be taken care of—or at least diminished in appearance—with the help of a little bit of stretch mark cream. If some stretch marks have appeared on your own skin recently (they tend to pop up especially in the third trimester) and you’d like to start trying to lighten them now, or if you’d like to try to prep your skin to avoid getting them at all, consider the following products that can help.

Best Overall: Burt’s Bees Mama Bee Belly Butter

burts-bees-belly-butter — Courtesy of Amazon

When it comes to a stretch mark cream product, you want something safe and effective, and any added perks like extra moisturizing, pleasant to smell, and easy to apply are nice to have, as well. Burt’s Bees Mama Bee Belly Butter is a stretch mark cream specially designed for pregnant women and moms, made to nourish your belly both before and after pregnancy. With the name-brand recognition of Burt’s Bees, you know you can trust this product to deliver.

Grab this cream to soften and smooth your skin with naturally hydrating cocoa, shea and jojoba butter, or help your skin recover after pregnancy with the 99 percent natural belly butter that provides relief and comfort to stretched skin.

The lotion is fragrance-free, so it won’t bother your sensitive nose if you’re currently pregnant, and the formula is non-irritating, made without harmful ingredients like phthalates, parabens, petrolatum, or SLS. With more than 3,000 reviews, if you’re looking for your first cream to try out, this is a good place to start.

Best Oil: Bio-Oil

If you prefer applying an oil as opposed to a cream to prevent or treat stretch marks, Bio-Oil is an Amazon Choice and the #1 selling scar and stretch mark cream. Its also clinically proven and dermatologist tested to not only treat scars but also improve dull aging skin so you can use it all over your body.

Bio-Oil is made of a blend of oils that help add moisture to your skin helping it stretch as your belly gets bigger and aid in restoration postpartum.

Reviewers remark it worked well for them during pregnancy and they continued to use the bottle which lasts a long time afterward. Some note that since it is an oil it can be a bit messy to apply.

Best Prevention Cream: Body Merry’s Stretch Marks & Scars Defense Cream

As with most things in life, when it comes to stretch marks, sometimes it's what we do to our skin before the marks appear that can help keep them at bay. Body Merry’s Stretch Marks & Scars Defense Cream is a great option for those pregnant mamas hoping to avoid the stretch mark scene altogether.

This body butter will also help reduce stretch marks if you already have them, but its star power is in preventing those pesky marks from appearing in the first place. It works by firming and moisturizing your skin with a customized blend of high quality and natural ingredients, and it was formulated to deliver intense hydration and provide protection to help smooth rough skin and marks, as well as provide your hard-working skin with a little relief.

The formula is gentle while still being powerful, and the rich texture cream spreads quickly and easily, absorbing in seconds so you can get on with your day. If you’re looking for a body butter chock full of vitamins and antioxidants, this one has ‘em all, from vitamins E, C, B3 and B5 to plant stem cells, seaweed, and rich oils. As an added bonus it is cruelty-free and safe for every skin type.

Best During Pregnancy: Mederma Stretch Marks Therapy

When you’re pregnant, there are a lot of warnings about what you should and shouldn’t eat, drink, and put on your body, so you definitely want to stick with a brand you can trust when it comes to your skincare routine.

Mederma’s Stretch Marks Therapy cream helps prevent stretch marks and has been clinically tested as safe to use during pregnancy, starting in the second trimester. The product is a paraben free, nourishing cream formula that combines a unique blend of ingredients including cephalin (a proprietary botanical extract), hyaluronic acid, and Centella Asiatica plant extract. This product can continue to be used during breastfeeding, as well.

Best Organic: Botanic Tree Simply Organic Triple Action Stretch Mark Prevention

Most stretch mark cream products for pregnancy and afterward use safe and healthy ingredients, but if you want to be extra cautious, Botanic Tree Simply Organic Triple Action Stretch Mark Scars Prevention cream is an Amazon’s Choice product made with only the best ingredients.

The cream reduces and prevents stretch marks and scars using 100 percent organic extracts like cocoa butter, shea butter, vitamin B5, moringa, and olive oil, among others, which are a perfect match for any skin type. Made in the USA and cruelty-free, this product is a must try for organic-loving moms.

Best Moisturizer and Stretch Mark Cream Combo: Best Nest Mama Body Butter

If you’re looking for a little added moisture in your stretch mark cream, consider Best Nest Mama’s Body Butter. This luxurious, hydrating body butter melts on your skin and is specially formulated to relax and moisturize.

Let the soothing calendula, organic cocoa butter, botanical oils, beeswax, and sunflower seed oil eliminate cracked skin and inflammation and help ease discomfort to make your skin its softest, all while helping diminish stretch marks, too.

Best Herbal Based: ToullGo Pregnancy Repair Cream

Pick up ToullGo’s Pregnancy Repair Cream for an Amazon’s Choice herbal product that will help remove fat granules, repair scars, skin, and stretch marks, and will give the skin enough moisture while keeping your skin elasticity and smoothness.

The Chinese herbal formula of pure natural fiber works to wake up the activity of yours cells and supplement and stimulate collagen, all of which helps return your skin to its pre-pregnancy state.

Best Massage: Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula Massage Lotion for Stretch Marks

For something sensual and hard working, check out Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula Massage Lotion for Stretch Marks. Another Amazon’s Choice product, this crowd favorite is made with a special skin-strengthening formula that’s safe for all skin types and has the results to back it up. Let the vitamin E work its magic while you enjoy a massage that smells great, thanks to shea butter and cocoa extracts.