By a Doctor of Pharmacy, founder of KOUAGA
It is probably the question I am asked most often: at what point in pregnancy should you start applying a stretch mark cream? The short answer fits in one sentence: as early as possible, ideally as soon as you find out the good news! But if you give me three minutes, I would like to explain why, and also tell you what science does not yet know.
Why start early: what happens in your skin
A stretch mark is not just a surface mark. It is a scar that forms in the dermis, the deep layer of the skin. When the skin stretches quickly, which naturally happens during pregnancy, the collagen and elastin fibres that give it its suppleness can break and a stretch mark can appear1,2.
The key point is that this process begins early, often even before the belly visibly rounds. From the very first weeks, hormonal changes are already altering the structure and elasticity of the skin1. That is why acting from the first trimester makes sense: you support the skin before it is put to the test, rather than reacting once the marks have set in.
The real secret is not when. It's consistency.
When you start matters a lot, but always less than how consistently you keep going. Daily application, morning and evening, to the areas under the most strain (belly, breasts, hips, thighs, buttocks) is better than a treatment applied perfectly for one week and then forgotten. The skin needs support over time, not a one-off gesture. In addition to massage, staying well hydrated and drinking regularly is essential to support your cells and your skin.
And if you are already in your second or third trimester as you read this: it is not too late. Starting now, and continuing after the birth during the postpartum period, helps your skin through this phase of transformation.
Now, the part that is rarely shared
I am a Doctor of Pharmacy. Before creating KOUAGA, I spent months reading the scientific literature on stretch marks. And what struck me most was not what we know, but everything we still don't.
On the prevention of pregnancy stretch marks, there are only a few clinical studies worldwide. The global reference in evidence-based medicine, Cochrane, concluded after analysing all the literature that no topical preparation has robustly demonstrated that it prevents stretch marks from appearing3. To give you an idea: stretch marks account for less than 0.02% of global clinical research4.
Why am I telling you this, at the risk of weakening my own brand message? Because I believe an expert brand has a duty to be honest. No cream can guarantee that you will not get stretch marks. What a good treatment can do is support the skin's elasticity, hydrate it intensely and accompany it as it changes. That is already a lot, and already useful.
What really matters when choosing a treatment
Since the ideal timing is "early and regularly", the real criterion becomes: which treatment will you want to apply every day for months, with complete confidence? For a pregnant or breastfeeding woman, the question of ingredient safety and efficacy is essential. Choose formulas designed for pregnancy and breastfeeding, free from controversial ingredients, and whose tolerance has been assessed.
That is precisely the standard we set ourselves at KOUAGA: skincare whose compatibility with all populations, including pregnant and breastfeeding women and teenagers, has been validated by toxicological assessments. A gesture you repeat every day on your body during pregnancy should never be a source of worry.
KOUAGA, the stretch mark experts.
Sources
- Farahnik B, Park K, Kroumpouzos G, Murase J. Striae gravidarum: risk factors, prevention, and management. Int J Womens Dermatol. 2017;3(2):77-85.
- Al-Himdani S, Ud-Din S, Gilmore S, Bayat A. Striae distensae: a comprehensive review and evidence-based evaluation of prophylaxis and treatment. Br J Dermatol. 2014;170(3):527-547.
- Brennan M, Young G, Devane D. Topical preparations for preventing stretch marks in pregnancy. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2012;(11):CD000066.
- KOUAGA estimate based on the ClinicalTrials.gov registry: 60 to 80 registered trials on stretch marks, out of more than 500,000 studies (consulted in 2026).