You Can Be Body Positive And Still Want to Reduce Stretch Marks
Real talk: it’s entirely possible to be proud of your stretch marks and still want them to fade away. (Should we say it louder for the people in the back?!) That’s right — you can take steps to feel more confident in your skin and still be a body positive queen.
The key is self-love, which comes in many forms. Being body positive means viewing your body as an aspect of you that deserves celebration rather than a problem to be fixed. It means coming from a place of wanting to be the happiest and most confident version of yourself, rather than punishing yourself by trying to fit an unattainable beauty standard.
But sometimes that can be easier said than done, right? Never fear — here are some tried and true ideas for how to love yourself in the body you’re in.
Remember: Your Body Belongs To You
Starting with pregnancy and moving into the early days of motherhood, you get used to being pinched and poked and pulled from all directions and by an assortment of hands, both tiny and not-so-tiny. It can be easy to lose sight of the fact that this is your body and yours alone.
As society shifts toward encouraging body-acceptance, let’s remember not to moralize. What women choose to do with their own bodies isn’t a moral decision; it’s not “good” or “bad” to want to make changes to your body, or to fully accept it exactly as it is. Self-love takes many different forms, and if loving your body means wanting to reduce your stretch marks, you’re still doing it right.
Care For Your Skin The Way You Care For Your Baby’s
You wouldn’t even think of putting harsh chemicals on your baby’s skin, right? Treat your own skin with that same care. Minimizing the appearance of stretch marks and healing your postpartum skin can help build your confidence as you navigate life in your changed body.
Using a doctor-recommended product like Bio-Oil® Skincare Oil can be the perfect thing to add to your self-care routine to help you love your skin, marks and all. It’s made with a combination of plant extracts and vitamins and it’s super light, non-greasy and spreads easily on your skin. Bio-Oil® Skincare Oil is also the world’s leading scar and stretch mark product and the one most recommended by both doctors and pharmacists.
And if dry skin is an issue for you, try Bio-Oil® Dry Skin Gel. It creates a protective barrier to resist moisture loss and helps return dry, chapped skin to its optimal hydrated state. So many moisturizers out there can be up to 70% water, which only dries out skin even more. Bio-Oil® Dry Skin Gel contains just 3% water and has a unique gel-to-oil texture that forms an occlusive layer on the skin and stops moisture from escaping. Even if you’re three, five, 10 years postpartum, Bio-Oil® will help you love your marks.
Your Body Is A Map Of Where You’ve Been
Our bodies — including the marks, the scars, the stray hairs — are maps of the journey we’ve taken. They’re our reminder that not only have we survived every single hard day, but we’ve also created a whole lot of great memories in this amazing vessel. Our bodies are beautiful, not in spite of what they’ve endured, but because of it. Every bedtime snuggle, sweet drawing, and spontaneous hug is a reminder of this simple but profound truth. Your body is the source of all this love. How crazy is that?
Practice, Practice, Practice
You’ve heard this before, but it bears repeating: focus on the things you love about yourself. It may sound corny, but if you find just a minute every day to remind yourself of a few things you love about your body, it can be a game changer. Next time you have a quiet moment (LOL, right?!) stop and think of three things you love about your body. Anyone can come up with three! Maybe it’s your full eyebrows. Maybe you love your crooked smile or your strong arms. You’ll be surprised by how practicing this consistently can reframe your entire approach to self-care.
Will there be days when loving your body is a struggle? Of course. But keep at it. Your body has allowed you to create remarkable memories, and it will continue to allow you to create many more. And in the here and now, you deserve to feel completely tuned in to all the beauty and strength you possess, both inside and out.
Body positivity takes practice. Love your body, love your marks with Bio-Oil®.
