Go into any pharmacy or health-food shop almost anywhere in the world and you'll find an impressive array of stretch mark oil and cream.
The market for these products is huge - what woman hasn't needed a solution to this problem at some time or other? But it's easy to find yourself confused by the enormous variety of products on the shelves.
Most stretch mark treatments have their merits, but some stand out as more effective than others.
Broadly, they can be divided into two categories: oils and creams.
Variety There are lots of oils available, each one claiming unique properties.
Some people swear by Bio Oil, others go for Emu oil or natural plant oils.
But why is there such a variety of these oils - what do they actually do? No-one really knows the perfect formula for removing stretch marks, and in fact, there is no product that works perfectly for everyone.
The wide variety of products available gives multiple options for consumers, and of course that's good news - but it does get confusing when there are so many skin-improving oils, all of them promising to smooth out problem areas and make the skin look more attractive.
Use Oils can be great for preventing stretch marks, which is invaluable during pregnancy for example, but they can be messy, and avoiding stains on clothing and bed linen can be a problem.
From that point of view, creams are often preferable.
Usually they can simply be rubbed in and are absorbed without leaving greasy residues or increasing laundry worries.
Comparisons While oils can be highly effective at reducing striae, they have formidable competition from some very impressive cream products.
In fact, creams and laser procedures are believed by many to be the most successful and beneficial method.
A straightforward comparison between creams and oils places creams out in front in terms of effectiveness as well as convenience.
But the bottom line is this: if you're looking for a fast and effective method, trial and error is the only way to really settle on the right option for you, so please do your own research to find your ideal solution.
Conclusion Some people get excellent results using oils, but creams are less messy, more convenient and can penetrate the skin, getting right to the root of the issue and really dealing with the scarred tissue.
Don't just choose an oil and stick with it: try out all of the options available.
You might just find that, on balance, a cream will give you a better result than a stretch mark oil.