Pregnancy is a wonderful time. But, your hormones are going to cause your skin to go crazy; sometimes the positive kind of crazy and sometimes the what the heck kind of crazy. You’ll likely experience dry skin, acne and hyperpigmentation. With that being said my greatest piece of advice for crazy pregnancy skin is to not take this time to treat the problems. It is time to be ultra basic. Basic bitch skin treatments are here to stay for 9 months!
Let’s just start right away by saying what we are going to stay away from: Retinoids, Benzol Peroxide, Salicylic acid, Essential oils, Hydroquinone, Phthalates, Formaldehyde and Chemical sunscreen/ deodorant. Our body absorbs everything we put onto our skin. Make sure those ingredients are free of the above listed ingredients mamas to be!
Retinoids should be avoided all through pregnancy as well as one to two months before conceiving if you can. Retinoids are extreme anti aging products and have direct links of birth defects.
Benzol and Salicyclic are so helpful for horomonal acne. But this is not the time to worry about your acne. As hard as it is to say these products can cause direct harm to the fetus.
Essential oils come in all different forms of concentration. It is very important that if you’re not sure of the concentration of that you are using avoid essential oils. Believe it or not, an example of this is peppermint. Peppermint in high doses isn’t great for mamas to be!
Hydroquinone is a lightener used of course for one of our pregnancy woes: hyperpigmentation. Our body absorbs large amounts of this chemical so it is just safe to stay away!
Phthalate exposure has shown serious reproductive and hormone dysfunction. The greatest exposure we encounter with phthalates are in cosmetics! Check your ingredients for DEP. Yes ladies, makeup isn’t all that safe as well as skincare during pregnancy.
Formaldehyde can increase the risk of miscarriage and infertility. Now, might I add, we are so conscious of this chemical now that many cosmetics have changed this as an ingredient but there are still forms of it in our hair colour and cosmetics. Please just be mindful as I still colour my hair and run this risk. Consult your doctor and ensure you make the decision with them and for yourself.
Chemical sunscreens and deodorants have come into light over the last few years. There are safer options for both because both are pretty much essential for every day use! Please just be mindful your sunscreen is clean as well as your deodorant.
With being in the beauty industry I do some practices that your doctors may not agree with. Please consult your doctor and your beauty providers on all services. If you’re getting a massage ensure it is prenatal. If you’re getting a lash lift or brow lamination LET your provider know! It is not recommended. If you’re getting a facial, let the aesthetician know: peels are not your friend during pregnancy as well as other products to treat acne during a treatment. This is all so important. It’s only 9 months! You can make your change to ensure safe cooking of baby.
If you are having other issues arise such as rosacea, eczema or psoriasis please go see a dermatologist. They specialize in your skin and can give proper treatments for such skin issues during pregnancy. I had such bad acne that my dermatologist provided me a topical safe during pregnancy that I rarely use but use when and if needed.
I want to ensure us women are educated in all that we are putting onto our skin that is absorbers by our body. This pandemic actually gives us an amazing break to not use so much or need to use so much since we aren’t going anywhere crazy. My best recommendation is checking Sephora’s clean products for skin and makeup if you’re unsure of where to start. I give you all the best of luck in your pregnancy and afterwards in your mama journey!