Pregnancy brings with it an extraordinary amount of change, and your skin is along for the journey.

One of the questions we hear regularly from expecting moms is: “What can I use to stop myself from getting stretch marks?”

The truthful answer is that there is no cream or oil that can guarantee you won’t develop stretch marks during pregnancy. Genetics, hormones, skin elasticity and how quickly your body changes all play a role. What you can do is support your skin as it stretches by keeping it well moisturised, nourished and comfortable, while understanding what is happening to your skin in the first place.

What Causes Stretch Marks During Pregnancy?

Stretch marks develop when the skin stretches relatively quickly and changes occur within the deeper structural layers of the skin. They’re particularly common during pregnancy because areas such as the stomach, breasts, hips and thighs may change considerably over a relatively short period of time. At first, stretch marks can appear pink, red, purple or darker than your surrounding skin. Over time, they generally become lighter and less noticeable.

And importantly: getting stretch marks doesn’t mean you’ve done anything wrong or failed to look after your skin.

Can You Actually Prevent Pregnancy Stretch Marks?

Unfortunately, there’s no skincare product proven to completely prevent stretch marks for everyone. Some women moisturise religiously throughout pregnancy and still develop them. Others do very little and don’t.

That’s because several factors influence your likelihood of developing stretch marks, including:

• Genetics and family history
• Hormonal changes
• Your skin’s natural elasticity
• How quickly your body changes
• How much the skin needs to stretch

So if a product promises that it will prevent or erase stretch marks, it’s worth approaching that claim with a little caution. But that doesn’t mean caring for stretching skin is pointless.

So, Does Using a Body Oil During Pregnancy Help?

A nourishing body oil can help moisturise and soften the outer layers of the skin, helping dry or stretching skin feel more supple and comfortable. Pregnancy can also make the skin feel dry, tight or itchy as the body changes. Regular moisturising can be a wonderfully simple ritual for supporting the skin during this time.

And there’s another benefit that’s easy to overlook: massage.

Taking a few minutes each day to gently massage your stomach, hips, thighs and breasts with an oil encourages you to slow down, connect with your changing body and pay attention to what your skin needs.

The goal doesn’t have to be “I must stop stretch marks.”

You are creating a literal life inside of your body. Your goal here is not to stay the same as you were. Your goal can simply be:

“I’m supporting my skin while my body does something remarkable.”

Which Oils Are Good for Stretching Skin?

This is where the ingredients in a body oil matter.

Our Bush Wellness Tissue Oil contains a blend of plant and seed oils selected to nourish, soften and condition the skin.

Rosehip Seed Oil

Rosehip oil naturally contains fatty acids, including linoleic and alpha-linolenic acids, which help condition the skin and support its natural barrier. It’s a beautiful ingredient for skin that feels dry or in need of additional nourishment.

Baobab Seed Oil

One of our favourite African botanicals, baobab oil is rich in fatty acids and is particularly useful for softening and conditioning dry skin. For a growing belly that can begin to feel tight or uncomfortable, maintaining moisture and suppleness can make a noticeable difference to how the skin feels.

Sweet Almond Oil

Sweet almond oil is widely used as an emollient because it helps soften and smooth the skin. Interestingly, some research into pregnancy-related stretch marks has looked at bitter almond oil combined with massage, but this shouldn’t be interpreted as proof that sweet almond oil itself prevents stretch marks. What we can confidently say is that sweet almond oil is an excellent moisturising ingredient for dry skin.

Avocado Oil

Avocado oil contains fatty acids and other lipid-soluble compounds and provides rich emollient support, making it particularly suited to dry skin.

Marula Oil

Another beautiful African oil, marula helps soften and condition the skin without needing a complicated skincare routine.

Grape Seed & Kalahari Melon Seed Oils

These lighter plant oils provide additional emollient support and contain fatty acids that help keep the skin feeling soft and conditioned.

Chia & Ximenia Seed Oils

These oils round out the formula with additional skin-conditioning lipids; exactly the type of nourishment that dry, stretching skin often appreciates. Rather than relying on one supposed “miracle” ingredient, our approach has always been to combine complementary botanical oils that support the skin together.

When Should I Start Using a Body Oil During Pregnancy?

You don’t need to wait until your belly starts showing. If your healthcare provider is happy with the product you’re using, you can establish a regular moisturising routine earlier in pregnancy and continue as your body changes.

The aim is consistency rather than waiting until the skin already feels dry and uncomfortable.

And remember that your belly isn’t the only area changing.

You can pay some extra attention to your:

• Belly
• Hips
• Thighs
• Bum
• Breasts

These are all areas where pregnancy-related stretch marks commonly occur.

How Often Should I Apply Body Oil?

Once or twice a day can work well, depending on how dry your skin feels. A lovely time to apply an oil is after your bath or shower while your skin is still slightly damp. This can help lock in moisture. Massage it gently into the skin rather than aggressively rubbing or pulling at the area. If your skin is particularly dry, you can also use an oil alongside a moisturising body lotion.

What About an Itchy Pregnancy Belly?

Mild itching can happen as the skin becomes dry and stretches, and keeping the skin moisturised may help with ordinary dryness and tightness. However, not all itching during pregnancy should be assumed to be caused by stretching skin.

If itching becomes severe, persistent, widespread, affects the palms of your hands or soles of your feet, or occurs without an obvious rash, speak to your doctor, midwife or other healthcare professional. Certain pregnancy-related conditions can cause itching and need medical assessment.

Is Natural Skincare Automatically Safe During Pregnancy?

No. And this is an important distinction. “Natural” doesn’t automatically mean “pregnancy-safe.”

Essential oils, botanical extracts and other active ingredients still have biological properties, and pregnancy can also make your skin more sensitive than usual.

Our Bush Wellness Tissue Oil contains a botanical oil blend alongside essential oils, botanical extracts and cannabidiol (CBD). If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, we recommend showing the complete ingredient list to your doctor, midwife or other qualified healthcare professional before using it. That being said, we have had quite a few pregnant Moms use our Tissue Oil quite happily. This ultimately boils down to personal preference.

This is good practice with any skincare product you’re unsure about during pregnancy.

Will Stretch Marks Go Away After Pregnancy?

Stretch marks often naturally change considerably after pregnancy. Fresh stretch marks tend to be more noticeable in colour. Over time, they generally fade and become lighter, although they may not disappear completely. Continuing to moisturise postpartum can help keep the skin soft, conditioned and comfortable while your body changes again.

Try to give your body time. Pregnancy creates enormous physical change over nine months, and recovery doesn’t happen overnight.

What Is the Best Way to Care for Your Skin During Pregnancy?

There doesn’t need to be a complicated 10-step pregnancy skincare routine.

For your body, think:

Cleanse gently. Moisturise consistently. Protect your skin from harsh UV rays. Pay attention when something changes.

Choose products that don’t leave your skin feeling stripped or tight, moisturise regularly and adapt your routine as your skin’s needs change.

Most importantly, remember that stretch marks are an incredibly normal part of pregnancy for many women. The aim of caring for your skin isn’t to fight against your changing body.

It’s to support it through the change.

The Bottom Line: Can You Prevent Stretch Marks During Pregnancy?

There is currently no cream, oil or skincare routine that can guarantee you won’t develop stretch marks during pregnancy.

What you can do is keep stretching skin moisturised, soft and comfortable, use gentle products, protect your skin barrier and give your skin the nourishment it needs as your body changes.

Our Bush Wellness Tissue Oil combines rosehip, baobab, sweet almond, avocado, marula, grape seed, chia, ximenia and Kalahari melon seed oils in a deeply nourishing botanical blend designed to condition and soften the skin.

For pregnancy and breastfeeding, we recommend checking the full ingredient list with your healthcare professional before use.

Because perhaps pregnancy skincare isn’t really about preventing every visible sign that your body has changed.

Perhaps it’s about taking care of the skin that’s changing right along with you.

 

Love, Shannon xx