Stretch mark serum: what is in it and what to expect
Mama's Choice Stretch Mark Serum, its ingredients, how to use it with the cream, and what our test figures mean, so you know what to expect and when.
You already have the cream. So what is the serum for, and do you need both?
They do different jobs. The cream is the daily layer over skin that is still stretching. The serum is lighter, absorbs faster, and is made for marks that have already appeared.
What is in it
Mama's Choice Stretch Mark Serum is a light, water-based serum. Most of the work falls to a short list of ingredients.
Niacinamide, a form of vitamin B3, helps skin look brighter and more even. Fresh marks are red or purple and older ones are paler than the skin around them, so evening out that contrast is what makes a mark look less noticeable.
Japanese mugwort helps soothe and moisturise dry skin. Stretching skin often feels dry and tight, and this is aimed at that feeling.
Bisabolol, found naturally in chamomile, helps skin feel calm and comfortable.
Aloe vera and sodium hyaluronate, a form of hyaluronic acid, help the skin hold on to moisture.
It sinks in fast, so you can get dressed soon after, which counts for a lot on a humid Malaysian morning.
Which one, and when
| Cream | Serum | |
|---|---|---|
| Texture | Richer, cool on the skin | Light, absorbs quickly |
| Main job | Moisture and comfort while skin stretches | The look of marks you already have |
| When | After a shower, morning and night | First, before the cream, or on its own |
| Key ingredients | Lipobelle Soyaglycone, shea butter, aloe vera | Niacinamide, Japanese mugwort, bisabolol |
Serum first, cream on top. The lighter layer reaches your skin before the richer one seals it in. You can buy both together as the Stretch Mark Cream and Serum set.
How to use it
Apply to clean, slightly damp skin. Massage in circles until it is fully absorbed.
Twice a day, on your belly, hips, thighs, breasts and upper arms, anywhere that is stretching or already marked. Keep it away from the nipple and areola.
Carry on after the birth. The months afterwards are when red marks are turning pale, and that is when care makes the most visible difference.
What fading looks like
Red marks (striae rubra) turn into silvery ones (striae alba) over months. That colour change happens whether or not you use anything at all.
What care influences is how noticeable the end result is. New marks respond better. Older white marks can still look softer and smoother, though they change more slowly.
Do you need both?
Not necessarily. Plenty of mothers use one and are happy with it.
Cream alone suits you if your skin is stretching now, feels itchy, and you have few or no marks yet. The Stretch Mark Cream deeply moisturises, keeps skin supple and helps prevent stretch marks.
Serum alone suits you if the stretching is over, you have marks already, and a cream feels too heavy in this climate. A product you keep using is worth more than one you abandon.
Both make sense if you have marks and are still stretching, which describes most of the second and third trimesters.
Whatever you choose, using something every day for months is what decides the result.
What our figures mean
The serum helps reduce the look of stretch marks and dark spots. In a Mama's Choice use test with 29 mothers in Indonesia (2022):
- 90% agreed their stretch marks looked less noticeable
- 90% agreed it helps skin feel more moisturised
- 83% agreed the skin over their stretch marks looked brighter
- 76% agreed dark spots over the stretch mark area looked less noticeable
These are what the mothers themselves saw and felt. A use test like this records their impressions. It is not a measurement taken by a machine, and there was no comparison group. Results differ from person to person.
What to expect, and when
It will not erase a mark. No serum at any price does that. It helps marks look less noticeable.
Give it months. Skin renews itself slowly, so judging a serum at three weeks is judging it too early.
Older marks change less. A white mark you have had for ten years will soften a little. A red mark from this pregnancy has more room to change.
Formulated for pregnancy and breastfeeding
The serum is made without parabens, it is dermatologically tested, and it is halal certified by BPJPH, Indonesia. The full ingredient list is in our ingredient dictionary and on the product page.
If you have a skin condition or use a prescription skin cream, check with your doctor before adding anything new.
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This article is for information only and is not a substitute for diagnosis or medical advice. Please talk to your doctor about your own situation.
