'Sparkle and Stretchmarks' blog, March 20th 2013
The article reviews the Apothederm Stretch Mark cream, outlining the key ingredients and benefits, as well as giving a personal review of the product.

Apothederm Stretch Mark Cream Review

As this is my final Bump Watch update, I thought it was the best time to mention an AMAZING Stretch Mark cream that I have been using.



I was sent a bottle of Apothederm Stretch Mark Cream to try about 3 weeks ago, and have been using it every day since.

Now given the name of my blog, it is probably no surprise that I have been asked to try umpteen Stretch mark creams during the pregnancy - I have tried quite a few now and although they have been pleasant, I have to say that nothing I have tried so far has compared to Apothederm.
I will be completely honest - the first thing that struck me about Apothederm was the price tag! At £68 a bottle it is certainly not cheap! I was intrigued to see why the price tag was so high and what the product offered that was different to other stretch mark creams on the market...



Here's what they say:

"Apothederm™ Stretch Mark Cream optimally blends four natural emollients: shea butter,
cocoa butter, olive oil and highly moisturizing meadowfoam seed oil for a silky, fast-absorbing
formulation. Adding power-packed action are patented heptapeptide-7,
resveratrol, liquorice extract, brightening amino acids, algae extract, sodium hyaluronate
and other advanced ingredients that work to fade the appearance of stretch marks
and nourish the skin."

Key Ingredient Functions:

• Heptapeptide-7, a patented SmartPeptide™ that helps boost collagen and
support skin vitality. Peptides applied to the skin perform their function and are
then naturally broken down by the skin’s proteases into individual amino acids.
Heptapeptide-7 consists of seven naturally occurring amino acids that are
commonly found in the skin. This peptide sequence is modelled on natural
sequences found as part of the body’s own defense and repair system such as LL-
37 (the human innate immune system).

• Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), emollient moisturizer that corrects
dehydration and dryness while protecting the skin’s natural moisture balance.

• Limnanthes Alba (Meadowfoam) Seed Oil, emollient triglyceride composed of
over 98% long-chain fatty acids. Also contains naturally occurring antioxidant
tocopherols. It forms a moisture barrier and helps prevent moisture loss.

• Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, emollient, helps soften skin.

• Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter, hydrates and softens skin.

• Sodium Hyaluronate, super humectant, can draw 1000 times its own weight in
moisture to the skin and helps maintain hydration balance.

• Pichia/Resveratrol Ferment Extract, antioxidant, helps to reduce pigmentation

• Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, anti-irritant, helps to reduce
pigmentation.

• Bisabolol, anti-irritant and anti-inflammatory ingredient to help soothe red,
irritated skin.

Key Benefits:
• Impressive results seen in just 2 weeks & continued improvement at week 12
• Improvement in texture & smoothness
• Visibly reduces the appearance of both red & silver stretch marks
• Helps support & firm the skin
• Leaves skin soft & moisturized
• Elegant, fast-absorbing, non-greasy formulation
• Fragrance & paraben free



What I thought:

The directions advise you to apply the cream to the affected areas once in the morning and once in the evening, using circular motions to rub in and allowing to dry before putting on clothes. Simple enough!

The cream is quite thick, so it doesn't run upon application - which was actually a nice change from other stretch mark creams I have used!

A little of it goes a long way, so about 4 amounts the size shown in the picture above is enough to cover my bump, my sides and my inner thighs (where Stretch marks appeared about 3 weeks ago!)

Since using the cream, the stretch marks on my bump and sides look far less "red" and angry - they are still visible but they have faded quite substantially. These stretch marks appeared around 10 weeks ago.

The stretch marks on my inner thigh appeared about 3 weeks ago, so roughly around the time that I received the Apothederm cream and started using it - those stretch marks are now almost completely invisible!!

So I certainly think that it makes a real difference if you start using the cream early on before the stretchmarks have really taken hold - I'm very impressed by how well it worked on my newer stretch marks!



The stretch marks on my sides have faded a lot.

I guess only time will tell how well it will work on my more established stretch marks, but it has certainly made them fade in the 3 weeks I have been using it - the information that accompanied the cream stated that:
•70% of participants in clinical trials had a visible improvement in stretch marks in 14 days
• Over 90% saw overall improvement after twelve weeks of continued use.
So I am very hopeful that with continued use, the appearance of the stretch marks will improve further!


The stretch marks before using the Apothederm cream.


The stretch marks on my bump after 3 weeks of use

I know that the price tag is quite high, and had I not tried this myself I may be reluctant to pay so much - but now that I have seen for myself how effective it is, I wouldn't think twice about purchasing it early on in future pregnancies - I think it is worth the cost to avoid having unsightly marks and I would much rather pay more for a product that works than continually pay smaller amounts for something which isn't working at all!

Click here to go to the blog page

Apothederm cream is available from Dermacare Direct