There’s a seemingly endless number of skin care products on the market that promise to address pregnancy-induced stretch marks, but the experts we spoke to say data is limited and there’s no miracle ingredient that can erase stretch marks entirely. There’s some evidence that centella asiatica, a plant-derived ayurvedic treatment, and hyaluronic acid may help, according to the American Academy of Dermatology.
Keeping skin moisturized (a key part of maintaining a healthy skin barrier) as your bump grows is the best thing you can do to prevent stretch marks and address dryness and itchiness, according to our experts. “If the skin is hydrated it can better maintain its elasticity, which can certainly help combat some of the stretch mark development,” says Shah.
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To target stretch marks and other pregnancy-related skin issues like itchiness, dermatologists recommend looking for body care products designed to support skin barrier health. “The biggest takeaway here is that you don’t necessarily need a pregnancy product,” says Shah. The best pregnancy bump-care products are, in fact, just really good moisturizers, she says.
Ilyas recommends this Palmer’s lotion because of the centella asiatica in its formula. (As noted earlier, centella asiatica is an ayurvedic treatment that can potentially help prevent stretch marks.) This lotion’s also free of parabens, phthalates, fragrances and dyes, according to the brand, so it’s suitable for extra sensitive pregnancy skin. The brand recommends massaging it all over your body liberally twice a day for the best results
“It’s hard to fully prevent stretch marks because you can’t realistically control why they happen,” says Shah. What you can do, as noted above, is support your skin barrier, which may reduce the appearance of postpartum stretch marks. She likes Nēmah’s cream that contains shea butter, an occlusive that protects the skin from water loss. While it may not make stretch marks disappear, it does have two antioxidants — vitamin A and vitamin E — that prevent cellular damage while increasing moisture in the skin. You can use it both morning and night.
For a more luxurious option, you may want to consider Clarins’ stretch mark cream, which similarly has centella asiatica in its formula. It also has key ingredients for skin barrier support — including glycerin (a humectant that helps draw moisture into the skin), and squalane (an emollient that helps seal moisture in) — that make it very soothing, says Shah.
“Theoretically the hyaluronic acid in this lotion can help with stretch marks,” says Castilla. Even if it doesn’t, it will help with skin dryness, she says. It also includes vitamin B3, also known as niacinamide, which research shows can help decrease skin inflammation and reduce water loss in the skin.
Available at most drugstores, Cetaphil’s moisturizing cream is a favorite of Castilla’s, including for dry pregnancy skin. It’s clinically proven to hydrate skin for 48 hours, according to the brand, thanks to its blend of glycerin (an emollient) and niacinamide (an occlusive). The formula targets skin sensitivity, including those most common during pregnancy such as dryness, tightness, irritation, roughness, and a weakened skin barrier, according to the brand.
Castilla also recommends La Roche Posay’s Lipikar moisturizer. It’s formulated with ceramides, a moisturizing ingredient that supports a healthy skin barrier by acting like mortar between skin cells. “It’s very gentle and works very well for any dry skin, including during pregnancy,” says Castilla.
“For dryness, Vanicream lotion is a nice product line with simple formulations and minimal use of preservatives and fragrances,” says Ilyas. Vanicream’s lotion is also free of essential oils, which experts in our guide to pregnancy-safe skin care products recommend avoiding. During pregnancy when you’re being extra careful about what you put on your skin, she advises patients to steer clear of essential oil-based products, which are not well-regulated. Shah likes this formula specifically since it’s a simple, nonirritating moisturizer that’s good for daily use.
Created by and for expectant mothers, this balm from Summer Fridays provides deep hydration for your belly and can be used as often as you’d like. It’s formulated with calendula oil and a natural sunflower seed and avocado oil blend for intense moisture, along with vitamin E to boost elasticity and healing, according to the brand. For best results, the brand recommends massaging the balm into your skin whenever moisture or relief is needed.
This belly butter from Burt’s Bees is designed for both prenatal and postpartum use to help soften and smooth your skin, according to the brand. It uses cocoa, shea and jojoba butters to moisturize skin, and is formulated without parabens and phthalates. The butter also uses vitamin E to treat and condition your skin, and is fragrance-free.
If the skin on your abdomen is feeling uncomfortable, dry, itchy or irritated — especially in the third trimester — Castilla recommends switching to a body cleanser, like this one, that supports your skin barrier (look for ingredients like jojoba seed oil and glycerin). Avène’s cleansing oil “isn’t going to strip your skin,” she says, and is gentle enough to use daily.
This belly oil uses calendula, sweet almond oil and grapefruit to help hydrate and soothe skin irritation that may be caused by a pregnant belly, according to the brand. It has a quick-dry formula and a non-greasy texture, and can be used safely on all skin types, including sensitive skin. For best use, the brand suggests applying the oil twice daily to damp, post-shower skin, and then massaging into the skin until fully absorbed.
According to experts we spoke to, when shopping for pregnancy bump skin care there are four factors to keep in mind:
The single most important thing you can do for the skin on your pregnancy bump is to keep it hydrated, according to the experts. They recommend looking for products with a combination of humectants (ingredients that draw moisture into the skin), emollients (ingredients that seal moisture into the skin, occlusives (ingredients that act as a barrier on the skin) and ceramides. “They are naturally found in skin and help hold the skin cells together so that it can maintain hydration,” Castilla says. Together these four types of ingredients support a healthy skin barrier.
Again, there is no miracle cream for stretch marks. But moisturizers with ingredients that support a healthy skin barrier can theoretically help (and certainly won’t hurt). Ingredients that support collagen synthesis have the most potential to address stretch marks, according to Ilyas and Shah. As the building block of skin cells, collagen is responsible for maintaining skin’s elasticity and volume. Importantly for stretch marks (which are essentially microtears in the skin caused by stretching), collagen plays a key role in wound healing, helping to attract new skin cells to the site of the damage. Centella asiatica, hyaluronic acid, and vitamin E can all help boost collagen production in skin, according to our experts.
Ultra hydrating doesn’t have to mean ultra messy. Look for formulas that are easy to apply and for products that you need to gently massage into the skin, such as an oil or a lotion, says Ilyas. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends massaging your moisturizer of choice into stretch marks to increase its potential impact.
“Your skin is more sensitive and generally more reactive during pregnancy than it is normally,” says Castilla. Use formulas that are gentle, hydrating and fragrance-free.
Stretch marks are caused by a combination of genetics, hormonal changes, and stress on the skin. “The stretch on the skin is similar conceptually to a balloon that is expanding,” says Ilyas. “While stretching, the skin will thin and experience excess dryness as it becomes more challenging to hold onto moisture. Then, the elastic fibers in the skin may break down and collagen thins out.” The resulting tear in the skin will initially appear reddish, eventually fading to a pale hue as it scars, she says.
There are two ways that skin care ingredients can pose a risk during pregnancy, says Ilyas. “The first is by directly irritating the skin, which can simply make your skin uncomfortable or inflamed,” she says. Avoiding products with harsh exfoliants (like beta hydroxy acids), fragrances and dyes can help avoid irritation. “The second is the risk that absorption of the product can play in terms of impacting the fetus,” says Ilays. “I recommend patients avoid products with ingredients that have known risks during pregnancy if taken orally as the absorption can vary widely if applied topically. This would include retinol and salicylic acid.”
While dry itchy skin on your bump is normal, some pregnancy skin changes are not. “Excess itching and the development of red bumps, especially along your stretch marks, may indicate the possibility of PUPPP (pruritic urticarial papules and plaques of pregnancy),” says Ilyas. This hive-like condition is harmless to you and your baby, but you should talk to your doctor about treatment for symptoms. Pregnancy can also trigger eczema. “If you’re starting to see itchy, red, scaly rashes, that’s something to talk to your doctor about because it won’t go away with just moisturizers,” says Castilla. Other skin changes that warrant a call to your doctor, says Ilyas, include: blisters, sores, ulcerations, and any rashes associated with systemic symptoms like joint pains, fevers, chills, and/or malaise.” Finally, if your palms and the soles of your feet are itchy, that can be a sign of a liver condition called cholestasis of pregnancy, and you should notify your doctor right away.
At NBC Select, we work with experts who have specialized knowledge and authority based on relevant training and/or experience. We also take steps to ensure all expert advice and recommendations are made independently and without undisclosed financial conflicts of interest.
Macaela MacKenzie is a journalist and former Glamour editor who has covered beauty and wellness treatments for over a decade. Ashley Morris is an associate SEO reporter for NBC Select covering skin care, lifestyle and more. For this article, MacKenzie spoke to three dermatologists about the best ways to treat itchiness, stretch marks and irritation from pregnancy bumps, and highlighted their top skin care picks and the rationale behind them.
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