Stretch marks are a source of frustration for many people who have them. Stretch marks can be unsightly and cause a person to feel self-conscious. If you have stretch marks, you may be tempted by many creams, including cocoa butter, that claim to heal these marks. Few treatments have been proven to improve stretch marks, however.
Cocoa Butter
Cocoa butter is derived from the cacao plant and has been used in the past for folk medicine. It is an effective moisturizer and is popularly used in cosmetics. The bean is ground and pressed into butter, which is then used as the base for many moisturizing creams. It is favored, because it melts into the skin easily. Although commonly recommended for use against stretch marks, the benefit of cocoa butter is largely anecdotal.
Stretch Marks
Stretch marks commonly occur in response to growth periods, either because of weight gain or quick growth. Occasionally, stretch marks, or striae, as they are medically known, develop as a result of an underlying condition. If you notice stretch marks developing on your skin without an obvious cause, see your doctor. Stretch marks start as purple or red lines on the skin, though they will often fade to white or gray.
Medical Opinion
Although there is not a preponderance of research available, what is available does not support the use of cocoa butter in the prevention of striae. Two studies, both ofwhich tested the use of cocoa butter on pregnancy stretch marks, found no difference between those who used cocoa butter and those who used a placebo cream. One study, published in July 2008, found that even those women who used the cream before their stomachs had begun to swell in pregnancy had no difference in severity.
Misconceptions
The stretching of the skin is not entirely responsible for striae, despite what many think. For example, according to Dr. Arthur T. Ollendorff of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology in the University of Cincinnati, the hormones of pregnancy have a greater effect on the formation of stretch marks than the expansion of the skin. The exact cause of stretch marks has not yet been agreed upon, so prevention cannot be guaranteed with any one treatment, including cocoa butter.
Benefits
Do not disregard the benefits of cocoa butter, even though it cannot prevent stretch marks. Women often associate the itch and dryness of their stomachs during pregnancy with stretch marks, but these are not necessarily related. Cocoa butter can help to moisturize the skin in pregnancy and reduce the itchiness of the dry skin.
References
- The University of the West Indies: The Utilisation of Cocoa and Cocoa By-Products
- MedlinePlus: Striae
- International Journal of Gynecology Obstetrics: Prevention of Striae Gravidarum with Cocoa Butter Cream
- BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology: Cocoa Butter Lotion for Prevention of Striae Gravidarum -- a Double-Blind, Randomised and Placebo-Controlled Trial
- Net Wellness: Pregnancy
- UC San Diego -- Health Library: Stretch Marks, Itchiness, and Other Skin Changes During Pregnancy
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