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You’ve been working hard all year to fit into your favorite bikini this summer.
After hitting the gym almost every single day and swapping your usual four slices of pizza for a healthy salad, you deserve to show off your figure.
Finally, it’s time to flaunt your toned body at the beach. You’re feeling as happy and healthy as you ever have—that is, until you look down.
No matter how hard you’ve worked for your body, stretch marks have this awful way of making you feel instantly self-conscious.
Even though everybody has them, you sometimes wish you were one of the lucky few who didn’t.
There are plenty of expensive skin treatments you could buy to make your stretch marks less noticeable, but you don’t have to pay the big bucks to speed up the fading process.
Here are 8 incredible ways you can get rid of your stretch marks naturally:
- Aloe Vera: This amazing gel has the power to increase collagen production and heal anything, from a painful sunburn to dark stretch marks. It’s inexpensive and easy to use—plus you can use it as often as you want. Just apply a thin layer of the gel to your stretch marks, and allow your skin some time to absorb it.
- Castor Oil: Known for its ability to heal dark spots and acne scars, castor oil also does wonders at fading the appearance of stretch marks and wrinkles. After you buy a bottle of castor oil, try massaging a thin layer into the whole area around your stretch marks for about 15 minutes.
- Lemon Juice: Because lemon juice is already known as a way to help lighten hair and skin, it’s also a natural remedy for reducing the darkness of stretch marks. Next time you’re in the shower, try washing your body with dried lemon juice to get the best results.
- Potatoes: Rich in vitamins and minerals that assist in rebuilding skin cells, potatoes can also help reduce the appearance of dark stretch marks. To try out this unique treatment, just split a potato in half and rub the juicy sides on your stretch marks. Let the moisture soak in and allow it to dry. Make sure to rinse the area with warm water and soap afterward.
- Cocoa Butter: Though cocoa butter seems to be the poster child for getting rid of stretch marks, it actually only really works well at preventing them from forming. Regular use of this smooth cream will keep your skin moisturized and soft to help keep new stretch marks from growing.
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- Egg Whites: Many people swear by egg whites as the perfect moisturizer for hair and skin. Since they are rich in protein, collagen, and vitamin A, egg whites also work as natural remedies for stretch marks. Once you separate the egg whites from the yolk (which you can toss), rub a layer of the milky liquid into your skin. After it starts drying, leave the egg whites on your stretch marks for about 15 minutes, and wash off the residue with warm water.
- Essential Oils: Natural oils are perfect for treating anything from dry skin to brittle hair, but there are a few that many people swear by for reducing the appearance of stretch marks. Olive oil seems to be a frontrunner, but here are a few more that can help:
- Lavender oil
- Rose oil
- Frankincense oil
- Myrrh oil
- Geranium oil
- Chamomile oil
- Helichrysum oil
- Vitamin A Cream: Like aloe vera, vitamin A cream is commonly used to increase the production of collagen to tighten skin. It’s important to start using this powerful cream on new stretch marks, as its effectiveness usually decreases over time. Women who are pregnant or nursing are advised not to use vitamin A cream, because it has a reputation for causing birth defects in some cases.
Which of these do you think works the best? Tell us in the comments!
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