“Packaging is as important as the gift itself” – it’s something that most of the gift manufacturing companies follow very closely.  The same holds good for you too. Your outer-self i.e. your skin is as important as your inner-self. A lot of people do realise the importance of skin care. Well, this is one reason why there are so many skin care products in the market and most of the skin care products seem to do pretty well. We generally tend to associate skin care to just good looks. However, there is more to it than just that. There are multiple benefits associated with a healthy and glowing skin.

Firstly, it has a good effect on you yourself. It makes you feel fresh and energetic. You are able to do more work and are quicker with everything you do. More importantly, the freshness adds to your enjoyment and makes your day. So a healthy skin too plays its part in building confidence. Yes, you can take most of the credit for having achieved that (however, do leave a little for the skin care products too).

Moreover, this flow of positive energy is experience by people around you too and you observe that even they are friendlier with you. You get more respect from others. They are more responsive to your queries. They themselves experience the freshness that you are exuding. They love working with you and for you. Yes, that’s how it works. Some people might even go ahead and ask you about the skin care products you use (you might or might not reveal those secret skin care products to them). Thus, a healthy skin can be instrumental in creating a pleasant and friendly environment around you. On the other hand, carelessness or negligence on this front can make you look unattractive and dull. You will not only look dull but also feel dull. Your work efficiency is reduced. Even the people you meet might not be as friendly. In fact, it might lead to the aging process getting started much earlier.

Thus the importance of skin care cannot be ignored. However, skin care is not that difficult at all.  There are a lot of skin care products available and you can choose the ones that suit you the best. There are various ways in which skin care products are classified and the knowledge about these classifications will help you understand them better and make a selection.

- The first categorisation is based on the skin type – so you have skin care products for oily skin, skin care product for dry skin, skin care products for sensitive skin etc.

- Another way is to categorise skin care products based on their use e.g. you have moisturisers, cleansers, skin care products for exfoliation, toners etc.

- Then you have skin care products for treatment of various skin dilemmas i.e. skin care products for acne, skin care products for stretch marks, skin care products for anti-ageing  etc.   

- Another classification is based on the ingredients e.g. herbal skin care products, synthetic skin care products, cosmetic skin care products etc.

However, skin care products are not the only way of skin care. You also need to build some basic skin care procedures in your day to day life (as we discuss in the other article on personal skin care).

“Packaging is as important as the gift itself” – it’s something that most of the gift manufacturing companies follow very closely. The same holds good for you too. Your outer-self i.e. your skin is as important as your inner-self. A lot of people do realise the importance of skin care. Well, this is one reason why there are so many skin care products in the market and most of the skin care products seem to do pretty well. We generally tend to associate skin care to just good looks. However, there is more to it than just that. There are multiple benefits associated with a healthy and glowing skin.

Firstly, it has a good effect on you yourself. It makes you feel fresh and energetic. You are able to do more work and are quicker with everything you do. More importantly, the freshness adds to your enjoyment and makes your day. So a healthy skin too plays its part in building confidence. Yes, you can take most of the credit for having achieved that (however, do leave a little for the skin care products too).

Moreover, this flow of positive energy is experience by people around you too and you observe that even they are friendlier with you. You get more respect from others. They are more responsive to your queries. They themselves experience the freshness that you are exuding. They love working with you and for you. Yes, that’s how it works. Some people might even go ahead and ask you about the skin care products you use (you might or might not reveal those secret skin care products to them). Thus, a healthy skin can be instrumental in creating a pleasant and friendly environment around you. On the other hand, carelessness or negligence on this front can make you look unattractive and dull. You will not only look dull but also feel dull. Your work efficiency is reduced. Even the people you meet might not be as friendly. In fact, it might lead to the aging process getting started much earlier.

Thus the importance of skin care cannot be ignored. However, skin care is not that difficult at all. There are a lot of skin care products available and you can choose the ones that suit you the best. There are various ways in which skin care products are classified and the knowledge about these classifications will help you understand them better and make a selection.

* The first categorisation is based on the skin type – so you have skin care products for oily skin, skin care product for dry skin, skin care products for sensitive skin etc.

* Another way is to categorise skin care products based on their use e.g. you have moisturisers, cleansers, skin care products for exfoliation, toners etc.

* Then you have skin care products for treatment of various skin dilemmas i.e. skin care products for acne, skin care products for stretch marks, skin care products for anti-ageing etc.  

* Another classification is based on the ingredients e.g. herbal skin care products, synthetic skin care products, cosmetic skin care products etc.

However, skin care products are not the only way of skin care. You also need to build some basic skin care procedures in your day to day life (as we discuss in the other article on personal skin care).

A common skin concern for both men and women alike is the problem of stretch marks. Though they don’t pose any serious harm to the skin, their appearance can be embarrasing. Stretch marks occur on the skin surface as a result of sudden weight gain or muscle gain and stretched skin at the time of pregnancy. Initially, they appear as pink or purple marks and gradually fade to a lighter hue. Stretch marks are further accelerated when the skin is stretched beyond its elasticity.

The sad part with stretch marks is that are they are irreparable. Once formed, you cannot eliminate stretch marks completely. However, there are a variety of creams and lotions that help to diminish their appearance even though complete removal is not possible. This is why prevention is always better than cure! Therefore, as soon as you notice the first signs of stretch marks, you should start using a stretch mark removing skin care product in order to prevent further marks.

The most effective way to eliminate stretch marks is through surgery or laser treatments. However, they are very expensive and extremely complex procedures. This is why skin lightening products are the most popular ways to get rid of stretch marks. Here are some things you should know when buying stretch marks removal products.

1. Cure Management

Many stretch marks removal products guarantee “complete removal” of stretch marks. Don’t rely on them because it is not possible to eliminate stretch marks completely. This is because stretch marks are actually tears in the skin tissues that occur in the dermis layer. Topical applications cannot sew back the torn tissue. Therefore, instead of believing false claims look for products that promise more realistic results. Topical skin care products can only help to reduce the appearance of stretch marks by making their color match with the color or surrounding skin.

2. Ingredients of the Product

Examine the ingredients of the stretch mark removal products and see if they can help with lightening the appearance of stretch marks. Look for natural moisturizing ingredients like aloe vera, almond oil, and coconut oil that hydrate the skin and enhance its structure. Because stretch marks are a result of skin’s inability repair itself as rapidly as the tissues lying beneath the skin, the moisturizing ingredients would help it to do the same. They improve the skin’s elasticity and enable it to stretch and strain without any tissue tears. Also look out for skin lightening ingredients like hydroquinone, retinol, and alpha hydroxy acids.

3. Collagen & Elastin

Collagen and elastin are skin proteins that are responsible for the structure and elasticity of the skin. While collagen supports the skin structure and keeps it firm, elastin enable the skin to stretch and strain without getting ruptured. And since the development of stretch marks is a result of poor skin elasticity, supplementing the two proteins would definitely help repair the damage. However, the molecules of collagen and elastin are much larger than your skin pores and thus topical application of any of these would have no results. Therefore, don’t use stretch marks removal products that promise to deliver topical collagen and elastin particles. Rather, look for products that aim to stimulate the production of collagen and elastin fibers within the skin cells.

4. Prevention as well as Cure

Stretch marks removal products should aim to prevent the development of stretch marks as well as reduce the appearance of the existing ones. It should be a two way process. This highly depends on the potency of ingredients in the skin care products and their efficiency.

5. Use it Effectively

Like with other skin care products, give the stretch mark removal cream time to show results. Don’t toss it off after a week’s use when you see no improvement. The formulations need to reach the dermis layer of the skin and need time to impact the tissues within. Therefore, give it enough time to show results. Also, use it regularly as directed on the products and keep your skin well moisturized.

Product Suggestions

Obagi C-Clarifying Serum
It is a great clarifying serum that combines 4% hydroquinone and Vitamin C serum along with L-ascorbic acid. 4% hydroquinone is a well established ingredient for evening out pigmentation issues and stretch marks in the skin. Paired with Vitamin C, the serum promotes an even skin tone and also provides potent antioxidant protection.

Vivite Vibrance Therapy
This is a great product to remove the appearance of stretch marks and evening out skin tone. It contains potent ingredients like Licorice root extract, Mulbery fruit, green tea, grapes, and fennel seeds to keep the skin young and fresh looking while evening out age spots, brown spots and other forms of hyperpigmentation. It also helps to hydrate the skin and protect against free radicals.

Essential Oils For Stretch Marks

Many of us want to maintain young-looking, blemish-free skin. As we get older, this becomes more and more difficult to achieve especially with the presence of inevitable wrinkles and stretch marks. For stretch marks, many people have been mulling over the idea of using herbal and home remedies for stretch marks.

When a woman gets pregnant, the abdomen stretches to accommodate the growing infant in the womb. Once they deliver the baby, the abdominal skin shrinks back but not to the exact same condition it once was before the pregnancy. There maybe excess fat and the lines caused by elasticity are also very evident.

This situation also happens when a person gains so much weight and loses weight after that. The elastic lines are the evidences that the body was once on a larger size.

These marks look like scars. After delivery, a woman may see purplish or reddish color on their abdomen. This will later turn into silvery white marks called stretch marks. Essential Oils For Stretch Marks

The abdomen is not just the area that is prone to this. It can happen to other parts of the body such as thighs, breasts, upper arms, hips and lower back.

The first treatment that many will try to consider is the use of lotions and creams. There are some over-the-counter lotions and creams that promise to reduce the signs of elastic lines.

However, most of these products are not that great in removing them. Most of these products will just prevent it from developing and not reduce the marks once it is already there.

The use of laser treatment for the marks can also be utilized. Lasers are used to encourage the growth and formation of new collagen. New collagen rejuvenates the skin and plumps up the skin tissues making it fuller.

Although this treatment is effective, it can break the bank. This method is costly and you might have to do many sessions before completely removing the marks. Essential Oils For Stretch Marks

Stretch marks little scars caused by rapid weight gain either during pregnancy, puberty and body builders. They start off as pink and purple lines but turn into silver and white over time. The area of the scar looks indented and it soft to touch. When the skin gets stretched rapidly it loses its elasticity and the middle layer of skin, the dermis, loses support which leads to tearing. This causes stretch marks; however, there is a fairly in-expensive way to treat these.

Most women do not just have stretch marks in one place. Many get them on their stomach, breasts, buttocks, thighs and arms. A good cream will be able to target these areas and help in the elimination of the stretch marks.

Bio Oil is a skin care product that helps to improve the appearance of stretch marks. It also helps to increase the elasticity of the skin, reducing the appearance of new stretch marks.

There is a product called TriLASTIN which helps in the reduction of stretch marks. This product is fast acting, with results in as little as three weeks. It has a 60-day guarantee. TriLASTIN is a two step system. There is the Accelerator cream that works as a pre-conditioner and the Stretch Mark Complex which works to correct the scars.

Revitol is another cream. It can be used for any stretch mark, whether new or old. However, like any other cream, it works best on newer-formed stretch marks which are pinkish in color. However, Revitol can also be used on darker and white streaks by making less noticeable.

Tretinoin creams also work very well on newer stretch marks. The cream also works to reduce the look of the stretch mark, making them less noticeable. However, always make sure to talk to your doctor when you are pregnant. As with most creams, the ingredients maybe be passed to your unborn baby and it may be a harmful effect when taking creams with tretinoin in them as it.

Another helpful cream to use is Barmon stretch mark cream. It is guaranteed to fade away stretch marks. If you are not satisfied with the cream you are entitled to get your money back. It works on preventing stretch marks but it also helps with existing marks.

When looking for a lotion, look for oils such as rose hip, emu, jojoba, and castor. Also look for cocoa and Shea butter and vitamins A, E and C in the ingredients. Lotions and creams with cocoa butter are supposed to help prevent stretch marks entirely. Vitamins such as A, E and C will increase the elasticity of your skin, minimizing the formation of new stretch marks.

All creams that are made to help prevent stretch marks and help to minimize the appearance will keep your skin healthy and elastic. Talk to your doctor about which cream is right for you. Make sure to tell you doctor whether or not you are pregnant or whether or not you are on steroids or other medication.

What is the best stretch mark cream in the market? Currently, there is a lot of stretch mark cream available on the market. Every one is claiming to be the best stretch mark cream which can eliminate or even cure your stretch marks.

For those of you who have new and mild stretch marks, then it is much easier to overcome those unsightly marks. But it is difficult to treat older and serious stretch marks by applying cream. What most of these cream does is, it only reduces the appearance and it makes your skin soft and supple. 

So, when I say the best stretch mark cream, I mean the most appropriate kind of cream for different of stretch marks. You got to consider the age, the color of your stretch marks and also your skin type. 
  
It is said that the most effective or they like to say the best stretch mark cream is the one which contain ingredients such as cocoa butter, lanolin and wheat germ oil. This kind of cream said to heal and rebuild the damaged skin. It reduces the appearance of your stretch marks very well.

Another recommendation is stretch mark cream which has a bioactive topical formula that has a combination of skin firming agents. It is said to reduce visible lines and make your skin to appear firmer.

Then I have heard that stretch mark cream that uses emu oil and liposomes, can deeply penetrates your skin to repair and diminish both new and old marks. 

Check out stretch mark removal cream with ingredients such as elastin, collagen or vitamin E, which can help restore your skin’s elasticity and increase circulation in the affected area. Claimed to  be able to eliminate stretch marks effectively and at the same time preventing new scars from forming.

There is another claim that stretch mark cream with ingredients such as healing garden snail secretions, can reduce the discoloration and scarring of older stretch marks,

Personally I have tried only few kinds of stretch mark cream. As I have said, they only make my skin feel soft and they help to reduce the visibilty of those ugly stretch lines. Some of the marks are still there, but not as visible. That’s all to it. 

If you are still in doubt over the best stretch mark cream for your kind of stretch marks, you should find out more from forums on the Internet and ask for feedbacks. You can find lots of great information from people all over the world who have tried different kind stretch mark cream themselves.
 
Another way is to go the nearest store and do your own research. Check the label and find out the composition of the product. Then google and get to know more about the ingredients used.

From personal experience, the best stretch mark cream is the one which is safe to use and it is suitable for your kind of stretch marks.

Things you should know about stretch mark removal creams

Stretch marks are a common cause of care for men and women alike. Although they are of no harm  to the welfare of an individual, they are considered to be  displeasing and discarded by most of the  people.  Stretch marks happen on the skin when you speedily increment and then lose  weight. They initially appear as purple or pink marks which appear on the upper layer of the skin.  When the skin is stretched beyond its elasticity, it gives boost to these stretch marks. In context  of stretch marks, the statement that prevention is better than cure applies ably. It is not  smooth to get rid of stretch marks easily hence it is better to  unkeep them or commence with the stretch mark removal treat as shortly as you observe the  stretch marks visible.

Although surgery is the most powerful way to get rid of stretch marks completely, but everyone wouldn’t want to  spare so much of money to get a surgery done just to get rid of a decorative  difficulty unless they need to get into modeling profession. Stretch mark removal creams rest to be  the most strong way to get rid of stretch marks. There are many kinds of creams  available to handle stretch marks. It can be very confusing when it comes  to selecting a specific cream.

Here are things which you should know before buying a particular stretch mark removal cream:

1.) The initially and foremost object to notice is the cure  management of the stretch mark removal cream. Whenever you think of stretch mark  removal creams, you first imagine about the creams that would  assist you get rid of stretch mark creams but its better to examine out for the creams that will  help you unkeep the stretch marks.

2.) Secondly, examine out for creams which possess natural ingredients like Aloe Vera, almond  oil, coconut oil as they support in moisturizing the skin and growing its  strength. Stretch marks are the cause of the unfitness of the skin to cultivate as  rapid as the tissues lying beneath the skin. The natural ingredients improve the  skin to gain its elasticity. Thus, see out for a cream which contains these  natural ingredients.

3.) Collagen and elastin are the two elements which are liable for making the skin more elastic so as to  prevent it from stretch marks. Make sure that the stretch mark removal creams which you use  comprise these elements so that your skin can defend back the stretching and  increment back its elasticity.

4.) A better removal cream should not only focus at preventing the stretch marks but should work towards  removing the already existing stretch marks. In case your cream is not fit to get you rid of your previous stretch marks, it  is certainly of no use.

5.) Most of the creams which assure of removing the stretch marks completely are fake because no cream can be  effective enough to seep down the skin to remove the stretch marks completely. It can only  decrease the effect of stretch marks and make them invisible.

I am 11 weeks pregnant. I do not want any stretch marks (of course!), and I’m a petite girl — 95 lbs right now. When should I start using stretch mark cream, and how often? Also, does anybody have a good recommendation as to which type of cream to buy? Thanks!!

I found this new treatment called N-Lite laser surgery. It is the only treatment I have found that can cure my old white stretch marks that I have had ever since I was 13. But lately I haven’t been working out and gained about 20 pounds. I have just started putting myself on a regular fitness schedule and I was wondering would it be better to get the treatment before I lose the weight? I mean just in case gaining the weight again gives me stretch marks again?

I am ten weeks pregnant and already starting to show I’m even wearing maternity pants now! How soon did all of you start using stretch mark creams and did they work for you? . Which brands worked the best? Thanks!