No matter what state your skin is, it needs to be exfoliated. That’s what helps to remove dead skin cells so that new ones can appear. One of our favorite

homemade exfoliants is sugar. Preferably brown sugar because of its texture. It’s a humectant, so it doesn’t dry out your skin. And it’s a powerful exfoliant, so it can soften

the appearance of stretch marks. A sugar scrub works best if a tablespoon of brown sugar is mixed with a carrier oil like almond, avocado or grapeseed. Rub it on

your marks, let it sit for 10 minutes and then rinse in cool water.

Potato juice doesn’t get nearly the props that it deserves. It contains Vitamins A, B and C, potassium, iron, protein and fiber. That makes it a soothing and healing solution

for the skin. Potato juice has been proven to lighten dark circles under the eyes, soften wrinkles, and it has a natural bleaching effect on the skin. Naturally, it would

be something we recommend if you’re trying to reduce the appearance of stretch marks. Mix it with some lemon juice, apply the solution directly to your stretch marks, let it

sit for an hour and rinse. (Click here to learn how to juice one.)

Certain oils can speed up the healing process while also providing a soothing effect. Olive and castor oil are two of them. Olive oil has plenty of antioxidants in it.

Castor oil? It has a great reputation for softening the appearance of all sorts of scars and age spots. Combine the two, massage them into your stretch marks for 20

minutes. Wrap the marks with a thin cotton cloth and apply a heating pad directly on top. The heat of the oil will speed up the healing process of the

marks. Do this for about six weeks and you should start to see some results.

It’s pretty common for us not to have as much Vitamin K in our systems as we should. A deficiency can make stretch marks appear more prominent. So, if you’re

planning on getting pregnant, Vitamin K can prevent scars from developing on your dermis. Take a Vitamin K supplement or eat foods that are high in Vitamin K. Some of

those include cabbage, broccoli, prunes, kiwi, blueberries, grapes and cilantro.

There are stretch marks creams that are sold in drug stores. Most of them have a lot of cocoa butter in them. Cocoa butter is also a highly-effective ingredient because

has both anti-aging and anti-aging properties in them. Cocoa butter will also improve blood circulation; that also aids in healing your skin. Our recommendation is to make your own stretch

mark cream. Melt some cocoa butter. Add a few drop of tea tree oil; it has anti-inflammatory and antibiotic properties. Squeeze some lemon juice into the oil so that it

can help to lighten your stretch marks. Put in some glycerin and rosewater too. Glycerin retains water in the skin, helps with cell maturation and tones the skin too. Rosewater?

It contains anti-inflammatory properties that removes the redness in skin.

Stretch marks are sometimes hereditary, but mostly they happen when your body grows faster than your skin is able to keep up with or contain. That’s why a lot of pregnant

women get them. Exercising can help to tone your skin. They can reduce the appearance of stretch marks too. They won’t go away overnight, but in time, they will look oh so

much better. All thanks to exercise and a little tender loving care.