Pregnancy Skincare Concerns
Hormones, stress and dehydration are only a few reasons why your skin has gone haywire during pregnancy. We’ve put together a few simple solutions to treat a variety of pregnancy skincare concerns.
Pregnancy is a time of great change, both in your life and in your body. As hormones rage around your body causing nausea and tiredness, they can also dramatically change the condition of your skin. Increased blood circulation will lead to that ‘pregnancy glow’. However it can also make a lot of women look too flushed or aggravate rosacea prone skin. These changes are completely natural and to be expected when you are expecting. So what can you do to ease these new and often stressful skincare concerns?
It’s often advisable to avoid using harsh or chemical laden skincare during this time as your skin absorbs everything you put on it. Stick to gentle, natural products that will care for your skin. However it’s important to avoid essential oils as some become incredibly active for pregnant women. Oils like Clary Sage are recommended for late stage pregnancy and labour only so always check what you are using is suitable for your stage of pregnancy.
Whatever skin issues you struggle with during these special months, remember that it won’t last forever and your body is simply on a journey to growing and birthing your beautiful baby. Be kind to yourself. Pregnancy is physically as well as mentally tough and you should definitely not be beating yourself up over a bit of redness or increased acne. We hope these tips and products will help ease your concerns and allow you to enjoy your pregnancy without feeling self conscious.
Pregnancy Skincare Concerns
Dry Skin
Hormonal changes during pregnancy can mess with your normal sebum levels. Less sebum can leave you with dry, tight and flaky looking skin. Not a great look. Hot water and steam can exacerbate the problem so avoid overly hot showers and steam rooms. Instead, use a hyaluronic product like Evolve’s Hyaluronic Serum 200* to help top up your skin’s moisture levels. Face oils can also combat dryness. Stay hydrated too. Drinking lots of water is important during pregnancy but can do wonders for dry skin.
Redness & Broken Veins
During pregnancy, the amount of blood in your body increases, leading to flushing and visible capillaries. For women who have experienced rosacea pre pregnancy, this can often become aggravated. Avoid very hot baths or steaming your face as this will only increase your redness. Use gentle products designed for rosacea prone skin. We love Ren’s range of Rosa Centifolia products, formulated specifically for red skin.
Oily Skin
Those pesky hormones are raging around your body and often lead to a greasy looking visage. Even though you may feel like an oil slick, it’s important to retain moisture in your skin. Remember, oily skin is often caused by your skin overcompensating because it is too dry. Therefore don’t use anything too stripping or drying. Instead try a light moisturizing formula that won’t tip your oil levels over like Antipodes Light Organic Day Cream.
Breakouts
Caused again by your hormones, some pregnant women find themselves with more acne than a teenager. Add to that the stress of pregnancy and the looming prospect of labour and your skin is going haywire. Avoid products containing fragrance or alcohol as they can be drying. Instead try a gentle mask once a week to clarify your skin or cleanse with Coconut Oil which is naturally antibacterial. And don’t forget to replenish moisture using a light oil, like Votary’s Super Seed facial Oil.*
Sun Sensitivity
All of your new skin sensitivities will unfortunately also include one to the sun. If you don’t already, applying a daily high factor broad spectrum sunscreen is super important. It will help keep unwanted redness and flushing at bay. Choosing a clean sunscreen is also more important during pregnancy as any nasty chemicals can be absorbed by your skin. If in doubt, check out our favourite non toxic sunscreens here. If you can, try to stay out of direct sunlight, especially when the sun is at it’s highest to avoid prickly or burnt feeling skin.
Pigmentation or Melasma
Melasma, or ‘pregnancy mask’ can affect up to 50% of women in pregnancy so is very common. It’s usually caused by those fabulous hormonal changes. However it can affect women with darker skin tones, especially in sunnier countries when not using sunscreen effectively. Unfortunately there is no real cure for it. Experts instead advise using a good sunscreen and avoiding harsh chemicals. Both things you should already be observing during your pregnancy. If you are feeling self conscious, here are a few foundations with good coverage that we love.
Disclaimer: * We were sent a sample of this product to try before we made our recommendation to you. We were under no obligation to feature the product, we only include products we like that we think work. The content of this article is for general advice only and should not be used as a substitute for professional healthcare or beauty advice. We make every effort to ensure we only recommend safe products however you should always do a patch test when trying new products. This post may contain affiliate links.
