Lots of mothers swear by the benefits of slathering their growing bellies and boobs with cocoa butter. The ingredient is mixed into affordable balms and creams that women often purchase as a preventative measure upon finding out they are pregnant. But, new research suggests that cocoa butter lotions and potions have little to no benefit. One report said:
The largest study on the subject was published in 2008 by a team of dermatologists and obstetricians. It followed 175 women in their first pregnancies, some randomly assigned to apply a cocoa butter lotion each day and others assigned to use a placebo. Neither the subjects nor the researchers knew who was using which treatment. After many months, the researchers found no difference in the development or severity of marks, known medically as striae, over the abdomen, breasts or thighs.
The piece suggests Vitamin E as an effective alternative. What's your opinion?
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