Stretch marks are essentially scars on the skin. When skin stretches due to sudden weight gain or hormonal changes, purplish red lines or marks can appear on it. Over time, these red-purple lines become white in color.
It may not be entirely possible to fade away stretch marks with natural remedies. But these remedies can be helpful in lightening them considerably. There are many cosmetic stretch marks treatments available. But those treatments might not be for everyone.

Here are 5 home remedies to use as stretch marks treatment.

Castor Oil

An oil massage over your stretch marks can lighten them a great deal over a period of time. One of the best oils you can use for stretch marks treatment is castor oil. It has skin-healing properties due to its ricinoleic acid content. It is a type of fatty acid that provides lubrication to the skin and also heals it.

Massage the oil over your stretch marks for 5-10 minutes. You can cover the area with a cotton cloth to help the skin absorb it better. You can also use a heating pad (optional) over it to hasten the healing process. Continue the process until you see some results. Thereafter, you can continue with the massage but do away with the heating pad.

Instead of castor oil, you can also use coconut oil over your stretch marks. It contains skin-healing and moisturizing properties. Using it over stretch marks can be effective.

Aloe Vera

Aloe vera is useful for treating most skin problems. You can also use it as a natural stretch marks treatment. It contains compounds that increase skin elasticity and also heal it. It also contains nutrients that can moisturize the skin amazingly.

Apply aloe vera gel directly from the plant or use a readymade formula over the stretch marks daily for best results. You can use it every morning after cleaning the skin or any time of the day when you can keep it on for a few hours.

To boost its healing properties for stretch marks, you can mix aloe vera gel with coconut oil for your skin massage.

Sugar

The sucrose in sugar makes it an excellent natural remedy for stretch marks treatment. It can easily dissolve into the skin and begin its healing process. It does so by removing the dead cells and encouraging skin renewal.

To use sugar for stretch marks, mix white sugar with coconut or castor oil. You can also use shea butter. Shea butter can boost collagen production, which is essential for healthy skin.

Apply it on your skin in gentle circles. When all the ingredients dissolve into the skin, you can wipe the area clean with a damp cloth or rinse with water. Apply a small amount of coconut oil or any moisturizer over the skin afterwards. Repeat the process every day until you begin to see results.

Potato Juice

Potatoes contain compounds that lighten the skin and also promote its healing. Extract potato juice and dab it over your stretch marks. Leave it to dry for 5-10 minutes. Rinse with water.

You can also mix potato juice with coconut, olive or castor oils to use as stretch marks treatment.

Lemon

Lemon has skin-lightening properties. It is very effective in fading away the scars on the skin caused by acne or other problems. It can also work as a stretch marks treatment over a period of time.

Apply lemon juice over stretch marks directly. Rub the juice from a lemon half over the scars and let it dry. Rinse with water and moisturize your skin.

You can also mix it with coconut oil to massage on the skin. Or apply the oil after rinsing the lemon juice off the skin. Once in a while, try and use turmeric along with the lemon juice. Turmeric has healing and restorative properties and can work wonders for lightening stretch marks. Take care as it can stain your clothes.