Myth or Fact: Does Breast Milk Help Stretch Marks?

Did you know that breast milk, a.k.a. liquid gold, has surprisingly a lot of uses?

In fact, according to a recent study, breast milk is being used to treat skin problems (like eczema and diaper rash), painful nipples (in breastfeeding mommas), and even eye infections! Surprising, isn’t it?

Besides breast milk’s apparent benefits in treating a few skin conditions, it’s also been rumored to help with the appearance of stretch marks. And since mommy tiger stripes are *ahem* very close to our hearts, we decided to investigate whether the claims are true or not.

So, can breast milk help stretch marks lighten? Let’s find out.

Claims about breast milk and stretch marks

In 2019, Chantelle Clark, a new mom to a 2-month-old baby, posted her 2-week stretch mark-lightening “experiment”. When asked on social media what her secret was, she simply mentioned that it was her breast milk!

According to her, she’d been putting breast milk on one side of her stomach for two weeks and left the other alone. While nursing, she lathers the milk on her tummy until it drips off and then allows it to dry naturally. 

In the photo she shared, the stretch marks on the breast milk-treated side (right side) have lightened in comparison to still purplish marks on the left side of her belly.

(Source: Chantelle Clark, Facebook)

Since then, there have been a lot of questions and speculations regarding the use of breast milk for stretch marks. 

While it appears that using breast milk for stretch marks has worked out well for Chantelle, mamas on social media also have split opinions on the benefits of liquid gold for stretch marks. In one online forum, one user mentioned that breast milk did not do much for her stretch marks, although it helped with sunburn and mosquito bites.

Most of the users also remarked that fading the stretch marks varies from one person to another and that there’s no guarantee that breast milk will work all the time. 

So, can breast milk clear stretch marks? In some cases, yes, but the individual effects vary. It’s also worth noting that while in some cases breast milk works for stretch marks, currently, there are no studies to formally support its efficacy in this regard.

Is breast milk good for your skin? Other benefits of liquid gold

(Image by Nor Gal | Shutterstock)

Although the fading ability of breast milk on stretch marks hasn't been scientifically proven yet, studies confirm that it has plenty of other benefits. Here are a few:

1. Diaper rash. According to one study, human breast milk (HBM) had the same healing effect as hydrocortisone when it comes to treating diaper rash in babies.
2. Atopic eczema. Surprisingly, breast milk has also produced the same results as hydrocortisone ointment for atopic eczema.
3. Eye infection (conjunctivitis). Since the early times, breast milk has been used by mothers in treating eye infections. In one study, breast milk was shown to be effective in preventing neonatal conjunctivitis and was comparable to erythromycin ointment in eye infections.
4. Cuts and scrapes. Does breast milk help heal cuts? Apparently, it does! In one journal, a group of women who had an episiotomy (vaginal cut given to women during childbirth) were asked to apply breast milk on their wounds twice a day for seven days. The result? Breast milk helped heal the wounds (significantly) faster, leading the researchers to recommend it as an alternative treatment for episiotomy healing.

It’s remarkable how breast milk has so many uses apart from nourishing the little ones!

Does breastmilk soap help with stretch marks?

While some people claim to experience improvements in stretch marks by using breast milk, breast milk soap is another story. It may help keep the skin moisturized due to its ingredients (usually lactic acid, fatty acids, and vitamins), but it is less likely to reduce the appearance of stretch marks on its own.

There is also limited scientific evidence supporting the use of breast milk soap for stretch mark treatment.

Other ways to reduce (or prevent) stretch marks

While these tiger stripes are a badge of honor we mamas will proudly wear for our little ones, we still hope that they don’t appear as the pregnancy progresses.

(Image by freepik)

But worry not! It is possible to prevent stretch marks naturally (even if it doesn’t involve using breast milk). Here are some of our tried-and-tested tips for stretch mark prevention:

It’s remarkable how breast milk has so many uses apart from nourishing the little ones!

1. Moisturize your growing bump.

As your baby bump starts to grow, your skin needs all the support it can get as it goes through a period of rapid physical changes. Applying tummy butter or stretch mark oil helps a lot!

Tummy butters like this Tummy Butter for Stretch Marks are enriched with Vitamin E, antioxidants, and essential fatty acids that help boost the skin’s elasticity and help prevent stretch marks. On the other hand, belly oils like the Bump Gloss Stretch Mark Oil instantly hydrate the skin, improve skin elasticity, and also soothe itchiness.

Use them regularly on your belly (and on literally any part of your body that needs soothing) to see and feel the difference!

2. Target a healthy weight gain.

Incorporating exercise and eating a proper diet for a healthy weight gain during pregnancy helps prevent the skin from stretching too much.

Eat a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and nuts, and try to incorporate a few minutes of light to moderate exercise each day. For more information on what a healthy weight gain looks like on your body, make sure to ask this on your next prenatal appointment.

3. Drink plenty of water.

Hydrate, hydrate, and hydrate! Keeping your skin hydrated means it becomes softer and more elastic and will stretch better than dry skin. If your skin is elastic, it can handle a good stretch once your body changes, hence less appearance of stretch marks.

Besides skin elasticity, drinking plenty of water during pregnancy has plenty of other benefits. They include preventing constipation (which is common during pregnancy), boosting the production of amniotic fluid, and ensuring the proper transport of nutrients to your growing baby.

How to get rid of stretch marks on breasts from breastfeeding

Since breastfeeding stretch marks are pretty much like your standard stretch marks, treat them as you would your regular belly tiger stripes.

Use our time-tested tricks to help fade stretch marks on your breast–lather a nourishing tummy butter or stretch mark oil to keep your skin moisturized and elastic.

So… Does breast milk help stretch marks disappear?

In conclusion, yes, in some cases, breast milk does help lighten stretch marks, but results may vary from one person to another.

Also, currently, there is no scientific evidence backing up the use of breast milk for stretch marks. However, there are several studies supporting the use of breast milk for several skin issues, like dermatitis and eye infections.

If you’re still worried about stretch marks and breast milk doesn’t help, don’t fret! You can always try other things to help, like safe pregnancy creams and soothing pregnancy oils to help make your skin more elastic and less prone to stubborn stretch marks.