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Potatoes don’t just make amazing French fries, you know! They can also be used to reduce the appearance of dreaded stretch marks. To do so, cut a potato in half. Extract the juice of one half and grate the other half finely. Mix the juice with the gratings and apply it liberally over stretch marks. Leave it to dry for half an hour and wash away with cold water. An enzyme called catecholase in potatoes works as a bleaching agent to lighten stretch marks and reveal brighter skin.
Did you know that a sweet scrub can get rid of stretch marks easily? To make it, combine 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar with 1 teaspoon of almond oil and 1 teaspoon of lemon juice. Scrub this mixture onto the skin, let it sit for 30 minutes and wash it off with warm water. While sugar works as a scrub to exfoliate the dead cells, nourishing almond oil and the lightening properties of lemon reduce the dullness and marks. Use it daily for a month for best results.
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A simple, unprocessed way to stop stretch marks from affecting you is with cocoa butter and beeswax. Heat ½ cup of cocoa butter with 2 teaspoons of grated beeswax until liquidised. Apply the mixture over stretch marks and leave it for 40 minutes. This will allow the intense moisturising power of cocoa butter and beeswax to work on the skin and new skin cells to regenerate. Wash it off with warm water and soap.
To make a breakfast-ready home remedy for stretch marks, mix together 1 beaten egg, 2 teaspoons of ground almonds and 1 tablespoon of oatmeal. Apply this thick paste over the affected areas, rub it gently while doing so and let it dry completely. After an hour, wash it off thoroughly. This works because the protein in egg, brightening abilities of almond and exfoliating powers of oatmeal come together to reduce dullness and reveal bright, even toned skin underneath.
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Amazingly enough, castor oil too can be used to reduce unsightly stretch marks. To do so, massage warm castor oil directly on the skin. Then place a hot, moist cotton towel over it. Leave it in place until the towel is cold and wash away the oil. By steaming the skin, you allow castor oil to go deeper in the skin, nourish it better and lighten its marks.
A no-fail home remedy for stretch marks combines the magic of glycerin and lemon juice. Mix 1 tablespoon of each and apply the runny liquid over the stretch mark affected area. Massage it into the skin, leave it for 30 minutes and wash it away completely. While lemon juice lightens the marks, glycerin moisturises it for a nourished and taut appearance.
Written by Dayle Pereira on 27th Jul 2017