Somatique Stretch Mark Treatment Review

In this review, you'll read about the Somatique Stretch Mark Treatment. To read about the Somatique facial cleanser click here.

 In my last post, the Somatique Facial Cleanser review, I promised a review for the Somatique Stretch Mark Treatment, and a lot of you expressed a huge interest in it, so I'm going to be as detailed and thorough as I possibly can in this post. If any questions are left unanswered, don't hesitate to ask away. 

 Put briefly, Somatique's Stretch Mark Treatment is designed to help prevent stretch marks with its awesome, organic, effective ingredients like Shea butter, jojoba oil, tamanu oil, Vitamin E, coconut oil, aloe vera and beeswax. However, it can also be used to help fade existing stretch marks. This is why I wanted to use it. I don't have any new marks, but have had old ones since my teen years.

Now that I've had a month of use with this stuff, I'm going to tell you all about it. I'll start with my results.

My Results Using the Somatique Stretch Mark Treatment

I should start by telling you that everyone is going to be different with these things. Results are likely to vary greatly between individuals. I personally have probably moderate stretch marks. Not severe like you may see immediately after giving birth or something of that nature. My stretch marks are deep, though. My stretch marks are mostly on my legs and sides/obliques. They appeared on my inner and outer thighs as well as lightly on my calves during my teen years. I'm 24 now, so they've been with me for a while.

It's been around 1 month since I began using the Somatique Stretch Mark Treatment cream. As of the time of writing, I've seen a possible change in appearance of my stretch marks (those on my outer thighs.) However, the change, if any, is so minor that photos weren't useful here. I will certainly continue use and photograph any results after more time has passed. I wish so badly that I could've had some noticeable results by now, but the "after" photos would look identical to the ones you see labeled "before."  

At times, though, when looking at the stretch marks on my outer thighs, they seem less noticeable. The marks on my sides, the ones that are the deepest, are still just as bad as before. Hopefully, the change will appear soon as I continue to apply the cream twice daily. I won't give up hope just yet!


Things to Keep in Mind:

 I assume folks who have new stretch marks may see a quicker improvement than those who've had them much longer. I don't know if this is true, though.  I also have minor stretch marks that aren't as deep or as many on my chest. During the time I've been using the Stretch Mark Treatment, I've focused on the worst of the areas -- my thighs and sides. I've even taken photos before and after for you guys.

These are my "before" photos. If any change does happen, and the marks show any sign of improvement, I'll include the "afters".

 I didn't want to get too graphic, considering the marks appear in areas that are under my clothing, so I simply took some up-close photos of the skin to give you readers an idea of what I started with. I figure this may be helpful in some way, and better than just words.

Somatique Stretch Mark Treatment pictured on the left

I began using the Somatique Stretch Mark Treatment immediately when it arrived to me, which was around the end of February. I apply to clean, dry skin nightly and sometimes in the mornings, too.

The Somatique Stretch Mark Treatment  impressed me with its super rich, thick and highly moisturizing properties. It healed my dry skin areas (which are pretty much on every body part I have) within the first week of use. 

So far, I've seen an improvement in my skin's softness. It's never been this smooth and soft! Or this moisturized, either. I actually took a liking to this stretch mark cream as an intensive moisturizer and skin smoother, too. I realized quickly that even if I didn't receive an improvement in my stretch marks, I'd be happy with the softness of my skin alone.

What I Love About Somatique Stretch Mark Treatment:

•  Safe for pregnant & nursing women
  

•  Organic, safe and effective ingredients

• Highly moisturizing and leaves skin smooth.

• Improves skin elasticity
  

Ingredients and Their Benefits:

 Organic Aloe Vera Juice, Organic Sunflower Oil, Glyceryl Stearate, Organic Vegetable Glycerin, Octyl Palmitate, Shea Butter, Organic Coconut Oil, Cocoa Butter, Cetyl Alcohol, Potassium Stearate, Organic Beeswax, Matrixyl 3000, Hyaluronic Acid, Vitamin E, Organic Jojoba Oil, Tamanu Oil, Organic Borage Oil, Organic Flax Seed Oil, Organic Evening Primrose Oil, Organic Rose Hip Oil, Vitamin B5, Arnica, Organic Lavender, Organic Calendula, Organic Chamomile, Grapeseed Oil, Macadamia Nut Oil, Sodium Carbomer, Phenoxyethanol, Ethyl Hexyl Glycerin.

Like most of the Lady Soma products I've used, the stretch mark treatment is also high in antioxidants, which help promote elasticity.  antioxidants are responsible for not only preventing damage to the skin, but also repairing it, too.  

Jojoba Oil: It's rich in Vitamin E (antioxidant!), which means age-prevention. Restores skin's natural pH balance. 

Works as an anti-inflammatory (so that's good for redness and irritated areas, including psoriasis and eczema). Softens and smooths texture of skin (and hair), acts as an incredible moisturizer, without clogging pores. It restores skin's  normal  oil balance. Jojoba oil is hypoallergenic and safe to use on all skin. Also has fungicidal properties. It's been touted for its acne scar and stretch mark fading abilities. 

Tamanu Oil: Has also been used widely in the removal of stretch marks, and has some evidence to back up its efficiency: 
"BioScience Laboratories conducted a study of Tamanu oil's ability to improve the appearance of scars. The results showed that when Tamanu oil was applied to the scarred area twice daily for nine consecutive weeks, scar length decreased by an average 0.28 centimeters and the and width was decreased by an average 0.12 centimeters."
 Source: Botanical.com
 
It's also been used to treat many skin conditions. It has anti-microbial properties

Coconut Oil: Also well-known for its use in stretch mark treatment. Coconut oil has amazing skin benefits (and internal ones, too!) It has anti-fungal, anti-septic,  anti-microbial properties and more. It's a decent moisturizer, helps with skin problems, protects against UV rays,

Aloe Vera

Ya'll know I have to refrain from getting too excited when I talk about healthy, awesome ingredients like aloe. It has been my life-saver in more ways than just skin-related (IBS - candidiasis). Aloe has so many benefits for us, internally and externally. It's soothing to any kind of irritation, it helps heal and has anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties.

How it Feels

I wanted you guys to get an idea of the cream's awesome creamy, rich texture, so here's a photo of the actual cream.

As you'd expect in a product that contains so many awesome oils, this has a somewhat greasy feeling right before its fully absorbed into the skin, and that's something I do love -- the cream will fully absorb into skin leaving behind little residue. The residue that may be left behind usually ends up absorbed as well after some time, then I'm left with soft, smooth skin. It's not nearly as greasy as you may expect, but it's thick and rich, which makes it even better! A thin, watery cream would never be enough for stretch mark treatment.

The little glass jar comes with 4 oz of cream, and since it's so thick and rich, it takes a little more than a quarter sized drop to cover my thighs. In fact, it takes about a tablespoon full to cover a thigh. I'm not sure this would be a product that'll last throughout a whole year or anything, but so far, I have at least a several month supply left.

Now, I have to admit it -- I've been in love with the way this stuff leaves my skin so perfectly soft and hydrated that I couldn't resist but to use it on my face! I know that sounds insane, but the ingredients are safe and healthy, so they shouldn't cause any issues. My skin was just so incredibly dry that when I seen how well it worked on my thighs, I had to try it on my face, too and I was pleasantly surprised with the results!

 I guess I can also admit that during a rub-down of my stretch mark areas, I realized how perfect this cream would also be on dry feet, so.... Yeah, I used it on my feet one night, too. Hey, who could blame me? They felt so great! I slipped my socks on, and my feet have been softer ever since that one application of the stuff.

Then I decided it was best to not get too carried away and use it all on my non-stretch-marked body parts.

Disclaimer (I know, I hate them, too, but these days you kind of can't afford to note post them.):

I am not a specialist or any other kind of doctor or expert. Content on this blog is not intended to be taken as medical advice, diagnosis, treatment or advice of any sort. I'm simply sharing information about my own experiences and results from use of a product or activity in hopes of providing useful information/suggestions to readers, not to be taken as a patient/medical adviser relationship. I am not responsible for what readers choose to do after viewing the content here. Furthermore, I do not hold an "exceptional" or other special relationship with the company mentioned. I'm simply a consumer who worked with the company on a review that is in compliance with FTTC's guidelines. That means, everything you read here is my own words, not anything of the company's. I was not provided with monetary compensation for my review. All information posted has been done so with complete honesty. No action should be taken based solely on the content of this publication ( I'm not responsible.) Readers who rely on the information in this blog to replace the advise of an appropriate health care provider assume all risks of such behavior.

Somatique Face Cleanser Review

In this review, you'll read about Somatique's Facial Cleanser (Pictured on right). To read about the Stretch Mark Treatment, click here.

     

You guys may remember my postings on Lady Soma products I'd used (and fallen in love with) a while back. I have had the amazing opportunity to try two newer products from the same folks of the Lady Soma product line. This one is Somatique, and I've been using both their Facial Cleanser and their Stretch Mark Treatment. In this post, I'm going to discuss the Facial Cleanser because I just can't get enough of the stuff! And also because I haven't yet gotten to use the Stretch Mark Treatment for a long period of time, so I won't be posting on it until I've used it long enough to see the full results. Be on the lookout for that post in the future, though, because I already know it's going to be an exciting one (hint: I'm already pretty impressed with the Stretch Mark Treatment).

Now, I don't often spend time writing about a facial cleanser unless there's really something that can be said about it, and let me tell you, with the effective and carefully selected ingredients in the Somatique Facial Cleanser, there is a lot to be said about it. It's good stuff! 

In this post, I'm going to go into detail about the ingredients in this Facial Cleanser, so you get a good understanding of why I am so fond of it.   Hint: Ya'll know I adore a facial cleanser that's natural, safe and packed with great skin benefits! 

Keep reading to get the whole low-down on the Somatique Cleanser.

Somatique Facial Cleanser is, as the bottle says, a "thorough and gentle cleanser," which is really what most of us want in a facial cleanser. The key is to get those pores well cleaned without completely stripping your face of all its great stuff like the natural, and necessary oils. 

And let's face it, some of us have a tough time getting a cleanser that provides us with clean skin while not stripping it down to a face full of flaky, dry skin. Can anybody relate?

For most of my life, I've struggled with my facial cleansers. I've tried it all. And my skin refuses to be laid back and easy going. It wants to be oily in some areas and dry, flaky in others. It wants to break out here and there, and whew! It's exhausting.

I was really fond of the Lady Soma Berry Face Mask I'd used in the past, and still enjoy using from time to time. So when the opportunity to introduce a brand new facial cleanser into my beauty routine came up, I didn't hesitate to try it out. My skin tends to spaz out anytime I introduce it to a new cleanser, but I was all too  happy to go there with the Somatique Cleanser. Are you ready to hear how that has been going for me and my crazy, mood-swinging skin?

My Results Using Somatique Facial Cleanser

Immediately after using Somatique Facial Cleanser, my skin was soft and smooth! That's something I don't feel often, so I was happy when I rinsed off and revealed soft skin that wasn't so dry that it felt tight. That's kind of what I expected simply because I could just feel the great cleansing action happening when I massaged the cleanser on my face.

During the first couple of weeks of using the Somatique Facial Cleanser, I began to see an improvement in my skin's texture (which was awful at the time of starting!) My pores were looking less large, and to my surprise, those blasted dark eye circles that have resulted in so much frustration lately appeared to be looking less... dark and circley!

 I didn't expect the facial cleanser to have any affect on those stubborn fellas, so I was nearly awe-struck (that's a word, right?) when I seen them improving. Also because I've literally used every "remedy" you can find for ridding my face of those monsters. I'd even made up a few myself (ahem, peroxide, etc. No, I'm not proud...)

I actually didn't consider that the Somatique Facial Cleanser was the culprit for such improvement until I seen the dark circles continue to improve to the point where I thought it through to figure out what could've changed. Only one thing -- the Facial Cleanser. Even my diet hadn't changed. So I confident-ally tell folks that this cleanser seems to have improved my eye circles. 

Aside from that awesome, unexpected benefit, my skin is going through a process of change, it seems. It was really looking rough as far as my texture, complexion and random breakouts of all sorts. It was overwhelming, so it took some time for the Somatique Facial Cleanser to really work through my skin's horrors, but I'm seeing it look more smoother every week. 

The breakouts are happening less, too, but I'm still battling a few left-over scars and blemishes, which even those seemed to show some improvements after a week into the Facial Cleanser. 

This cleanser is incredible for extremely dry, irritated skin. Since it's packed with many herbs that are so effective in reducing irritation, calming, removing marks, scars, etc, it's an absolute favorite of mine, and is the perfect go-to for all skincare issues. And to really make me fall in love, Somatique went and included well-researched ingredients for serious anti-aging, and also those that have the ability to reduce damage already done to the skin, including signs of aging. 

You can read more into the benefits to be had by scanning the "Ingredients" section of this post. There you'll find where I've briefly included the biggest benefits of each ingredient.

Features I Love About Somatique Facial Cleanser:

As if the above results I shared aren't enough to love Somatique Facial Cleanser, there's more! 

• It really is gentle. Many products put that claim on their label, but most of those never failed to still strip my skin dry and leave it flaky. This cleanser from the Somatique line actually is gentle on your skin. 

 Heavy make-up wearers rejoice! Somatique's cleanser will not fail you. Yes, even your black mascara...

•  It cleans well. Yes, that's important to note because I've used a few cleansers in my life that did not remove dirt and makeup as well as others. This cleanser is probably one of the most effective cleaners I've used of the natural category. A lot of natural cleansers are great, but don't always have that super cleansing power that some of us rely on. 

•  The ingredients in the cleanser work to help repair your skin and keep it healthy, even after you rinse!

•  While this doesn't make or break a product or its efficiency, I can't help but love Somatique's Cleanser even more for its awesome scent! It's a completely natural-smelling, light, but herbal scent and I adore it! I could inhale that scent. I wish I could have body spray of that scent. It's just so lovely, refreshing and clean!
  

• The ingredients!   Ooh, this is one of the most exciting parts. I love knowing that the ingredients in a facial product are very effective and have so many benefits for my skin. I'll go into detail on that below, for you other ingredient-freaks out there. The Somatique cleanser contains a variety of organic herbs, which is always a major plus to me. Very important!
  

Ingredients and Their Benefits:

 Organic Herbs, Organic Aloe Vera Leaf Juice, Decyl Glucoside, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Cocamidopropyl Betaine (from coconuts), Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate (Vitamin C), MSM, Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate, Disodium Lauryl Sulfosuccinate, Carbomer, Amino Acids, Hyaluronic Acid, Wildcrafted Wild Cherry, Wildcrafted Dandelion, Wildcrafted Euphrasia Officinalis (Eyebright), Olive Oil, Organic Rose Hip Oil, Borage Oil, Orange Peel Tincture, Oregano Oil, Tea Tree Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Ethyl Hexyl Glycerin.

 Firstly, let's start with its high concentration of antioxidants (these guys are a must for folks who want nice, anti-aged skin!) That's something I loved about the Lady Soma berry mask -- the high antioxidant content -- so I was happy to see that this line also uses high amounts.

Most folks already know about antioxidants, so I won't overwhelm you with the information and benefits that come with using them (internally and externally). We know that antioxidants are responsible for not only preventing damage to the skin, but also repairing it, too.  
 

Aloe Vera! 

Ya'll know I have to refrain from getting too excited when I talk about healthy, awesome ingredients like aloe. It has been my life-saver in more ways than just skin-related (IBS - candidiasis). Aloe has so many benefits for us, internally and externally. It's soothing to any kind of irritation, it helps heal and has anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties. 

 

 Amino Acid and Hyaluronic Acids

For someone like me with such problematic skin, Hyaluronic acid is good to remove the old dead skin build-up, and helps rejuvenate and encourage new skin cells. This results in a brighter complexion, for one.

 Hyaluronic acid (naturally found in skin) helps re-hydrate. It holds up to 1,000 times its weight in water, which means it's incredibly effective in delivering moisture to skin and holding it in there.

HA  protects skin from dirt and pollutants, provides tissue repair, helps skin hold in collagen and elastin, and plays an important role in keeping skin youthful. HA also creates a protective barrier against microorganisms.

Amino acids increase skin's capacity to stay hydrated. They

keep skin strong and healthy. They can help smooth skin and fill in lines/wrinkles, reduce appearance of scars, age spots, stretch marks, etc. They also even skin tone and color, which results in a nicer complexion.

P.S. Taking amino acids internally as well can boost your wrinkle-fighting as it causes an increase in collagen production, so using both the Somatique Cleanser and taking amino acids internally can really enhance your benefits. 

Tea Tree Oil 

Tea tree oil is another all-time favorite of mine simply for its many uses. Tea tree oil has been a staple in the medicine cabinet since I was a small child, so I've continued to keep it on hand and take advantage of its benefits throughout my life. Tea Tree oil is used effectively to treat a lot of skin problems including acne, 

Like aloe vera (also an ingredient in this facial cleanser), tea tree oil is a potent anti-fungal, antibacterial and anti-viral. As an un-related side note, I've even used tea tree oil to cure yeast infections, and I've discussed how I did that in previous posts.

It kills bacteria, so this is one reason it's so effective in treating acne.

Tea tree oil is a natural skin-toner, and strangely enough, it has the ability to soak up oils! It's an oil that soaks up other oils. This is why tea tree oil can be drying to the skin if used in excess, but that's no issue since it's one of many ingredients in the Somatique cleanser. 

Rosehip Oil 

Rosehip oil is rich in Vitamin C, and is amazing because it not only repairs damaged skin cells and reduces wrinkles, but is helpful for acne scars, dryness, eczema, burns and more. Rosehip oil is --  like many of the well-researched ingredients Somatique used in this product -- very effective for all sorts of skincare needs. It rehydrates skin

 How it Feels

 

Check out the Facial Cleanser in the photo above. I know it's not good quality, but I'm still trying to hone my skills with photography, and my camera wasn't loving its job that day.

I hope you can still see it enough to get an idea of the texture/consistency of the Somatique Cleanser. I'm really fond of the super rich, thick, gel-like consistency this has to it. It means that I can use a small drop to thoroughly cover my whole face.

I'm not kidding when I say it's thick! It lathers better than most of my actual body-soaps! It makes for a nice massage on my face and neck, too.

Disclaimer (I know, I hate them, too, but these days you kind of can't afford to note post them.):

I am not a specialist or any other kind of doctor or expert. Content on this blog is not intended to be taken as medical advice, diagnosis, treatment or advice of any sort. I'm simply sharing information about my own experiences and results from use of a product or activity in hopes of providing useful information/suggestions to readers, not to be taken as a patient/medical adviser relationship. I am not responsible for what readers choose to do after viewing the content here. Furthermore, I do not hold an "exceptional" or other special relationship with the company mentioned. I'm simply a consumer who worked with the company on a review that is in compliance with FTTC's guidelines. That means, everything you read here is my own words, not anything of the company's. I was not provided with monetary compensation for my review. All information posted has been done so with complete honesty. No action should be taken based solely on the content of this publication ( I'm not responsible.) Readers who rely on the information in this blog to replace the advise of an appropriate health care provider assume all risks of such behavior.