stretch marksQ: I'm pregnant. Which creams will help me avoid stretch marks?

A: Creams certainly won't hurt but they may not help much. And stretch mark creams with parabens, petrochemicals, silicones, gotu kola or lots of essential oils can actually cause more harm than good.

Stretch marks are caused by broken elastin fibres found in the deep layers of your skin and occur any time the skin expands faster than it can produce new fibres.  I haven't seen any scientific proof that anti-stretch-mark "miracle" lotion do much more than moisturize the surface of your skin because most creams don't penetrate deeply enough to affect the elastin.

Stretch marks are also affected by hereditary predisposition, so if your mother has lots of them, chances are you will too.The one potential solution: Try gaining weight slowly and evenly throughout your pregnancy. To keep your skin soft and supple (and possible preventing any breakage of surface fibers) apply lots and lots of natural plant oil without any added essential oils to minimize the risk of irritation or worse, wreaking your hormonal balance. Best oils to prevent stretch marks include olive, sunflower and grape seed.