The movies are not realistic when it comes to pregnancy. Not everyone has a majestic perfect “pregnancy glow” throughout their pregnancy. In contrast, most of us normal people deal with several skin issues as our hormones rage inside our bodies. A good skin care routine is essential for every pregnant woman, and you need to know what products to avoid as your progress through your pregnancy. In this article, we will discuss several skin care secrets to help remedy common skin issues during pregnancy.
Note: I had the absolute pleasure to partner with BYE BYE BLEMISH to bring you this article. They provide skincare solutions that give overnight results.
Common Skin Care Issues
During PREGNANCY, you might notice some changes in your skin. And not all of these deal with the face! All of the hormonal and developmental changes will take it’s toll on your entire body. Here are a few changes that you might expect during pregnancy, and a few skin care secrets that might help!
Stretch Marks
Stretch marks are one of the most common skin changes during pregnancy. In fact, almost 90% of women say that they have some form of stretch marks during pregnancy. Some remedies include exercise, applying MOISTURIZERS, hydrate as much as possible, and have a healthy diet and weight.
Pregnancy Mask
Pregnancy mask is also called melasma or chloasma. These are dark spots and blemishes that usually happen on the face. It is best to try to use sunscreen and CLEANSERS for the face as necessary.
Breakouts
If you are like me and already had problems with your acne, while you are pregnant you might have it even worse! The extra hormones in your body might cause your body to secrete more oil than usual.
It is important to be careful what acne products you use, and notify your dermatologist if you are currently on an acne regimen. You might need to change your treatment when you become pregnant. Make sure to use a non-fragrant cleansers, EXFOLIATES, or soap daily to help. Just make sure not too use it too often to avoid dryness.
Linea Nigra
Your linea nigra is a dark line that runs down your belly button to your pelvic area. This usually develops around the second trimester, and gets darker as your pregnancy progresses. This is very common, and unfortunately there is nothing known to prevent this. However, I think that it is a beautiful part of pregnancy! This line goes away on its own without any treatment.
Dry Itchy Skin
As your baby gets bigger, so will your belly! And as your belly stretches, the skin will get itchy as it tightens. Some treatments for an itchy belly include frequent moisturizing, oatmeal baths, and calamine lotions. Feel free to itch your belly all you want, you are pregnant after all! However, if possible try to use a rag or towel to scratch. Sometimes your finger nails actually make itching a lot worse.
Varicose Veins
Varicose veins are spider-like bluish veins that sometimes develop during pregnancy. They can be uncomfortable, and even painful at times. It also sometimes does run in the family, but you can take measures to prevent them.
Some skin care secrets include: avoid standing for long periods of time, prop your feet up when possible, wear support stockings, and get enough VITAMIN C.
Products to Avoid During Pregnancy
Pregnancy is a wonderful blessing for every mother. However, it also comes with a lot of responsibility. One extremely important responsibility is to keep tabs of what enters your body. Not all products are equal, and some products can seriously harm your baby or your pregnancy. Below is a list of a few products to avoid until the baby comes.
Hair Spray and Nail Polish
These are actually commonly used products that actually can cause birth defects if not used responsibly. Try to find a spray or polish that does not have Phthalates as it active ingredient. If you have to use them, make sure you have a well-ventilated room and do not inhale any of the chemicals. It is preferable to use a gel or mousse over hair spray when possible.
Self-Tanning Products
Most self-tanning products have a chemical called Dihydroxyacetone (DHA) which actually may cause mutations in a developing baby. This is why it is very important to avoid the products that contain these ingredients whenever possible.
Hair Removal Cream
The chemical thioglycolic acid is also found to cause birth defects. However, many hair removal creams do have this as one of their active ingredients. Make sure to pick a product that does not have thioglycolic acid, DHA, or Phthalates.
Scented Soaps
I am including scented soaps in this list not because of a chemical, but because of a side effect. Many pregnant women suffer from some form of nausea during their pregnancy, and some do not realize it is simply from their soap! Try to have a soap that is unscented, or does not have a trigger scent for you. This is one skin care secret that many have not thought of.
Sample Skin Care Routine
Every woman is different, and every woman responds differently to pregnancy. Your body is in hormone overload, and your uterus can seem like a portable space heater at times. That can do a lot to your skin. Here is a few tips to help you throughout your pregnancy.
Let Your Skin Breathe!
This may seem like an easy tip, but you would be surprised what some nice fresh air will do for your face. Try to avoid make-up, keep your hair out of your face, and try not to touch your face too much.
Drink More Water
Try to stay hydrated, that is the best way to moisturize your face. It is best to drink at least 8-10 glasses of water a day. If it is hard to remember, make an alarm on your phone, or have someone that you can take a regular break with.
Try to Reduce Stress
I know that this can be very hard at times, but try to reduce your stress when possible. Stress can produce major side effects on your body. Surround yourself with positive people, and cut off negativity in your life.
Have a Good Skin Care Routine
Your skin needs a lot of tender love and care during pregnancy. Your face is the first thing that many people see, and you want to take care of it! One absolute essential for every pregnant woman is a good routine to take care of their skin. I love the products by BYE BYE BLEMISH. They have a wide variety of products that can help clear your skin up.
A good start is by drinking water, letting your face breathe, reducing stress as much as possible, and having a good skin care routine. It is usually good to only cleanse or exfoliate one to two times daily when pregnant. Over-treatment can lead to excess drying and peeling.
What are your skin care secrets while pregnant? Comment below so we all can learn!
Conclusion
Congratulations on your new baby! It is such a blessing, and I am so happy that you are educating yourself on what to expect. Preparation brings a level of confidence that is so important to new parents. Remember that you can always check out our BABY ACADEMY for all of our prenatal resources for new parents. Please let me know if there is anything that I can do to help!
Free Prenatal Class
Enjoy a free prenatal class from the comfort of your own home! This is a course that I wrote based on a decade of professional and personal experiences regarding everything from childbirth to newborn care. This is a self-paced course that you can watch anytime and anywhere you want! You can sign up HERE. I look forward to connecting with you! – Rachel
Exciting News!!
Did you know that many insurance plans include FREE prenatal and postnatal consultations? See if you qualify by filling out this form: INSURANCE AUTHORIZATION FORM. Consultations can be virtual, in home, or in office with no out of pocket costs.
Sources
- https://americanpregnancy.org/pregnancy-health/skin-changes-during-pregnancy/
- https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/staying-healthy-during-pregnancy/pregnancy-and-skin-changes
- https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/pregnancy-week-by-week/expert-answers/skin-changes-during-pregnancy/faq-20416440
- https://www.eadv.org/cms-admin/showfile/EADV%20Pregnancy%20TF_%201.%20Common%20Skin%20Changes.pdf
- https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000611.htm
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3444563/
I totally had the mask of pregnancy with all three of my kids. It was awful, but staying out of the sun and strong sunscreen was definitely the best way to prevent it.
Yes so true! Not everyone has the majestic pregnancy glow lol
Good advice!
Thanks!
It’s funny because my skin never changed with my first pregnancy but the second was a whole different story. I would have loved to try out these tips. Drinking tons of water was the only thing I probably did right. Maybe if I go for a third 😳
Yes every pregnancy is completely different too! Water is so important during your pregnancy for a bunch of different reasons
Oh man, I remember how my belly would itch when I was pregnant with the twins!
Yes all the time!!
You list a lot of good points I would have not even thought of. This is great to know which ones to avoid!
Yes sometimes we cannot possibly know everything 🙂 its good to do research!
Pregnancy definitely wreaks havoc on the body and some things never go back to normal. This is a great article for dealing with some of the changes they don’t tell you about.
Yes, sometimes the hardest things are what we do not expect
These are great tips. The breakouts were terrible when I was pregnant!
Ya fir me too!
Great tips and advice for the mommy to be!
Thanks so much
I agree that it’s so important to avoid a lot of skin products when pregnant. Less is better!
Rachel, this is so amazing! What I love is that I still can use these tips even after pregnancy. Thanks so much for sharing! Do you have any unscented soaps that you recommend?
Thanks so much for reading! I personally love Olay and Aveeno soaps 🙂 especially for sensitive skin!
I love Aveeno! Do you think Castile soap is good, too? Also, what about for baby skin? What are the things I have to be in the lookout to protect his skin? I have a preemie and I worry about eczema and dryness for him…
Of course! Usually for newborns as little chemicals as possible. You usually do not want to apply any creams or lotions unless you need to. Their body usually does the transition beautifully on their own. For the bum I always liked vaseline more than diaper rash creams!
Awesome! Thank you! That’s so helpful.
Glad I can help! Ask anytime 🙂