People tend to think that stretch marks mainly occur in women (maybe because of pregnancy) but...it's not true! It happens to skinny people, fat people, men and women alike for several reasons. Here's a video that will sum things up when it comes to 6 things that you should know about those pesky stretch marks:



So, we now know the 6 things about stretch marks:

1. Everyone has equal chances of getting stretch marks
2. Stretch marks occur when the skin expands and contracts rapidly due to genetic reasons/ hormones/ sudden weight gain and loss and the elastin in the skin can't cope and tears
3. Stretch marks will fade over time (yay!)
4. Stretch marks can't be cured (unforunately) but they can be reduced and prevented
5. Cocoa butter duplicates the natural oils on the body and helps to reduce the appearance of stretch marks and prevent stretch marks
6. We need to moisturise our skin daily (oops...)

We've heard before about how chocolate is good for the skin (not just for eating) but it's actually the cocoa butter that's the superfood that keeps your skin supple and moisturised. How so? I'll let this video explain:



Now...I'm plagued by stretch marks too - no thanks to teenage growth spurt in the boobs and hips. If there's any way to reduce the appearance of all these stretch marks around my hips and butt...I'm all for it!

I'm sure you've seen Palmer's products around with their signature image of a pregnant lady in front as well as their dark brown "Cocoa Butter Formula" tag. Founded in America more than 170 years ago in 1842, Palmer’s has become one of the world’s leading names in skincare. Their unique heritage and commitment to quality has stood the test of time – Palmer’s can be found in bathroom cabinets in the homes of families in more than 80 countries, making it one of the most popular skincare brands. Their #1 formula, Cocoa Butter Formula, is one of Palmer’s key offering in its wide range of skincare.

Palmer's has come up with a new SPRAY version of their Cocoa Butter lotion and I love that I no longer have to deal with gloopy amounts of lotion or cream. Their key ingredient is obviously their Cocoa Butter and it uses a nique delivery system and Rapidsorb ® Technology which is non-aerosol based and uses NO propellants to deliver fine sprays which allow the lotions to be very quickly absorbed into the skin. Just point, spray and massage.

I reckon that the spray will be great for pregnant women who should be moisturising their bellies as their pregnancies progress and once the belly gets larger, it'll be harder to moisturise the bottom part of the bulge but the spray kinda negates that.

I love the smell of the spray. It's only a hint of chocolate but it's not overpowering so you will not smell like a walking candy bar after you've moisturised yourself.

Before Cocoa Butter

Not sure whether you can see the faint white stretch marks in the above 2 photos. These are around my hips and butt areas.

For the testing of the Palmer's Cocoa Butter, I only used it on my body and I skipped all other possible moisturisers/creams, including my Nivea Body Conditioner. After 2 weeks...


As you can see, my stretch marks are still there in full glory. They haven't reduced much in appearance, which was a tad disappointing. Maybe 2 weeks is not long enough. However, the moisturising ability of the cocoa butter was amazing!

Firstly, I sprayed it on other areas of my hips and waist where it was absorbed really quickly. Believe me, the lotion was absorbed in seconds! I felt that it helped with a bit of my eczema and prevented it from turning worse. Secondly, I also sprayed a bit on my legs and it kept my feet so moisturised that even my nail technician who does my pedicure could tell the difference!

Do note that because this is a spray, be careful to spray it directly onto the skin and if you're spraying it onto your legs like I did, some may get onto the floor and make the floor a bit slippery so I recommend spraying the cocoa butter on you while you stand on a bathroom mat.

You can get Palmer's Stretch Mark Spray Lotion at: Watsons, Guardian, Fairprice, BHG, Robinsons, John Little and leading cosmetic stores and its retail price is S$29.90/200g.