Stretch marks

Overview

Topical supplements for stretch marks have been studied with generally disappointing results. Cocoa butter cream applied during pregnancy did not prevent stretch marks, including when combined with vitamin E. Olive oil rubbed on the belly twice daily from mid-pregnancy also did not reduce stretch mark number or severity compared with no treatment.

Aloe may reduce redness and itching during pregnancy but did not reduce stretch mark count. Beta-glucan serums showed slight patient-reported improvement but little visible change on examination. Green tea extract cream (3%) reduced severity in one small uncontrolled study. All supplements carry low ratings. See the heatmap and evidence reviews below for more detail.

Effect graph

Unlock now

Relevant supplements

Relevant supplements sorted by DEX Score.


Beta-Glucan	★★★★★	Low
Aloe	★★★★★	Low
Green Tea	★★★★★	Low
Olive Oil	★★★★★	Very Low / None
Cocoa	★★★★★	Very Low / None

Weakest

Strongest

12345

Unlock now

Studies

Find individual evidence reviews for supplements sorted by DEX Score.

5 supplements for and rated at least stars. All purchase bands. No minimum star filter.

AloeView supplement →

Reconsider purchase★★★★★

How we scored this

Effect SizeLowEvidenceLowTrustMedium

Evidence Review

It is uncertain if aloe helps prevent or treat stretch marks.
Applying an aloe cream during pregnancy reduced redness and itching but did not reduce stretch mark number.
After laser treatment for stretch marks, aloe gel improved skin texture in some areas but was less effective than other treatments.
Aloe’s effect on preventing stretch marks is unknown.

Browse 2 studies

RCTComparison between topical recombinant human epidermal growth factor and Aloe vera gel in combination with ablative fractional carbon dioxide laser as treatment for striae alba: A randomized double-blind trial2020n=24

RCT in 24 striae alba patients found fractional CO2 laser plus rhEGF or aloe both improved texture similarly; rhEGF showed greater patient-reported improvement at 6 months.

Effect: Benefit
Duration: 12 weeks
Population: Adults with striae alba
Participants: 24

View on PubMed

RCTThe effect of Aloe vera gel and sweet almond oil on striae gravidarum in nulliparous women2018

RCT in 160 nulliparous women found aloe vera and sweet almond oil creams reduced striae itching and erythema and slowed spread versus base cream or control.

Effect: Benefit
Dose: 700 g/day
Population: Women

View on PubMed

Beta-GlucanView supplement →

Reconsider purchase★★★★★

How we scored this

Effect SizeLowEvidenceLowTrustMedium

Evidence Review

It is uncertain if beta-glucan creams help stretch marks.
Early studies show that using a beta-glucan-containing serum twice daily for 12 weeks slightly improved how patients felt about their stretch marks, but doctors did not see much change.
Combining beta-glucans with a laser treatment modestly helped scars more than either alone.
It is unclear if these changes are meaningful.

Browse 1 study

RCTImproving the outcome of treating striae gravidarum by combined therapies using topical β-glucan and 1565-nm non-ablative fractional laser: A prospective randomized vehicle-controlled parallel group study2022n=64

In 56 postpartum women, 12 weeks of topical beta-glucan mildly improved striae gravidarum appearance; non-ablative fractional laser showed greater benefit, and combined laser plus beta-glucan further improved atrophy versus laser plus vehicle.

Effect: Benefit
Duration: 12 weeks
Population: Women
Participants: 64

View on PubMed

Green TeaView supplement →

Reconsider purchase★★★★★

How we scored this

Effect SizeLowEvidenceLowTrustLow

Evidence Review

A small study in young women found that using a cream with 3% green tea extract on stretch marks twice a day for 8 weeks helped reduce their severity.
The cream was well tolerated, but the study did not have a comparison group.

Browse 1 study

Clinical trialEfficacy of green tea ( Camellia sinensis Linn) 3% extract cream on improvement of striae distensae2024n=36

In 36 women (ages 18–25) with striae distensae, an 8-week twice-daily 3% green tea extract cream improved stretch mark appearance versus control.

Effect: Benefit
Duration: 8 weeks
Population: Women
Participants: 36
Ages: 18–25

View on PubMed

CocoaView supplement →

Do not purchase★★★★★

How we scored this

Effect SizeVery Low / NoneEvidenceLowTrustMedium

Evidence Review

Research shows that applying cocoa butter cream to the skin during pregnancy does not prevent stretch marks.
Studies where pregnant women used cocoa butter daily on their belly and other areas found no difference in stretch marks compared to those using a placebo cream.
Using cocoa butter mixed with vitamin E also did not reduce how often or how severe stretch marks were.

Browse 2 studies

RCTPrevention of striae gravidarum with cocoa butter cream2009n=150

A double-blind RCT in 300 pregnant women followed from 16 weeks to delivery found cocoa butter cream did not prevent striae gravidarum (44% vs 55% with placebo; P=0.09).

Effect: No Benefit
Duration: 16 weeks
Population: Women
Participants: 150

View on PubMed

RCTCocoa butter lotion for prevention of striae gravidarum: a double-blind, randomised and placebo-controlled trial2008n=210

A multicenter RCT in 175 nulliparous women found daily cocoa butter lotion did not reduce striae gravidarum compared with placebo (45.1% vs 48.8%; P=0.730).

Effect: No Benefit
Population: Women
Participants: 210

View on PubMed

Olive OilView supplement →

Do not purchase★★★★★

How we scored this

Effect SizeVery Low / NoneEvidenceLowTrustMedium

Evidence Review

It is not clear if applying olive oil on the skin helps prevent or improve stretch marks during pregnancy.
Early research shows that gently rubbing a small amount of olive oil on the belly twice a day starting around weeks 18 to 20 of pregnancy did not lower the number or severity of stretch marks later in pregnancy compared to not using a treatment.

Browse 2 studies

RCTThe effect of olive oil on prevention of striae gravidarum: a randomized controlled clinical trial2012n=50

An RCT in 100 nulliparous pregnant women found twice-daily topical olive oil did not significantly reduce striae gravidarum overall, though severe striae were less frequent in the olive oil group.

Effect: No Benefit
Population: Women
Participants: 50

View on PubMed

RCTEffects of olive oil on striae gravidarum in the second trimester of pregnancy2011

An RCT during the second trimester found olive oil applied twice daily did not reduce striae gravidarum versus no treatment (40% vs 50% occurrence).

Effect: No Benefit
Population: Women

View on PubMed

Unlock now

Evidence visualised

Same ratings as above, aggregated so you can see coverage and imbalance.

Purchase-guidance distribution

How many supplements fall in each purchase band

Effect-size distribution

How large the reported benefits tend to be

Study distribution across 5 supplements for stretch marks (striae distensae) (8 studies total).
Supplement	DEX	Studies	Share
Aloe	★★★★★44%	2	25%
Cocoa	★★★★★32%	2	25%
Olive Oil	★★★★★32%	2	25%
Beta-Glucan	★★★★★44%	1	13%
Green Tea	★★★★★40%	1	13%

Unlock now

Overview

Effect graph

Relevant supplements

Studies

Evidence visualised

On this page