Are pregnancy lotions really effective in lightening stretch marks? If so, which brand/s do you recommend?

Some people swear by Palmer's line. I personally used cocoa butter but didn't had an effect. I still got them. I also used coconut oil and applied religiously, but to no avail. At that time, I drank lots of fluid and made sure to keep myself hydrated as well. Therefore, I can really say that if it's in your genes to have stretchmarks, and/or if your skin isn't elastic enough then no there's no enough lotion you could use to prevent or lighten tiger stripes. Better to just maintain a little bit of weight, so your skin won't be stretched that much.

You can try Enfant. They have a line specifically formulated for preggy and post partum moms. Not sure though if they're that effective, I'm using Bio Oil as of now and although some pregnant women use it, I believe it's not really recommended for them.