This is the $13 beauty buy Meghan Markle relies on to keep stretch marks at bay

Stretch marks -  pink or silver squiggles - can develop on the stomach and thighs during pregnancy but a certain Duchess is allegedly taking no chances. According to an ‘insider’ who spoke to The Sun, Meghan Markle used Bio Oil to avoid stretch marks while pregnant with Archie. So will this $13 drugstore buy be her go-to with her second child, too?

"Meghan's pregnancy standby is Bio Oil which is non greasy and does the job effortlessly without messing up her clothes or five-star sheets," the source explained at the time.

Stretch marks are essentially caused by skin stretching so rapidly during times of weight gain, pregnancy, or growth that the collagen and elastin tissues become damaged. This, in turn, creates the appearance of fine lined scars.

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Since its launch in 2002 , Bio Oil has won 223 skincare awards and is the No.1 selling product to help minimise the appearance of scars and stretch marks in 18 countries worldwide.

It’s derived from calendula, lavender, rosemary and chamomile oil and also contains vitamins A and E to even out skin tone plus a ‘breakthrough’ ingredient called PurCellin Oil, which is a replica of the oil that ducks produce to keep their feathers waterproof.

The brand recommends that Bio-Oil Skincare Oil be massaged in a circular motion into the stretch marks, twice daily, for a minimum of 3 months. During pregnancy, it should be applied from the start of the second trimester to areas that are prone to stretch marks such as the abdomen, breasts, lower back, hips, buttocks and thighs.

While Bio Oil is at pains to stress it can't remove stretch marks, experts point out that moisturizers that create a protective seal over the skin could help to minimize their formation.