As you probably already know, pregnancy brings about significant changes in one's life, including hormonal shifts that can affect your skin. Many women develop stretch marks on their abdomen, breasts, or thighs during pregnancy, while others may experience oilier or drier skin or even acne. In addition to all these changes, there are specific guidelines to follow when it comes to skincare products for pregnant women. Some ingredients should be avoided during pregnancy as they can potentially be harmful. It can all feel a bit overwhelming, so we're here to share some tips with you. Today, we will discuss skincare during pregnancy, how to prevent stretch marks, and how to choose the right products with safe ingredients. So keep reading to learn how to care for your skin during pregnancy.
Regularly Moisturize to Prevent Stretch Marks During Pregnancy
First and foremost, we want to emphasize that it's common and entirely normal to develop stretch marks when you're pregnant. So, there's nothing to worry about. Your body is changing, and your skin is stretching to accommodate the growing baby, which is a positive sign. If you do develop pregnancy stretch marks, you're not alone—many women experience them, and it's perfectly okay. However, if you want to reduce their visibility or prevent them from occurring, we have some tips that can help.
- Massage in Your Favorite Lotion: Keeping your skin well-moisturized, soft, and protected is essential. To achieve this, use a rich organic body lotion and apply it regularly. We recommend applying lotion all over your body, focusing on your belly, breasts, and thighs, as these areas are most prone to stretch marks during pregnancy.
- Deeply Hydrate Your Skin with Oil: Providing your skin with even more moisture through the use of an organic body oil can minimize the development of stretch marks. We suggest using oil at least 1-2 times a week to prevent stretch marks. Proper hydration is crucial during pregnancy because well-moisturized skin is more elastic, reducing the likelihood of developing pregnancy stretch marks.
Choose Gentle and Mild Products for Pregnant Women
During pregnancy, many women experience heightened skin sensitivity due to hormonal changes and various other bodily transformations. This can lead to worsening eczema, new-onset acne, increased dryness, and more. Therefore, it's essential to steer clear of products that may exacerbate these issues and irritate your skin further. Many pregnant women turn to organic skincare and natural ingredients during this time.
If you want to be kind to your skin and avoid irritation, inflammation, and other problems, our recommendation is to explore our natural skincare products. For example, take a look at our Organic Body Wash and Body Lotion Kit. These products will keep your skin well-moisturized, maintaining your skin's natural pH balance and moisture levels. Plus, the body lotion doesn't leave a sticky residue on your skin.
Don't Forget to Protect Your Skin from the Sun During Pregnancy
As we've mentioned, your skin becomes more sensitive during pregnancy, making it more susceptible to UV radiation's harmful effects. This can lead to sunspots and hyperpigmentation appearing more easily. Skincare during pregnancy is not just about preventing stretch marks; it also involves sun protection.
We've discussed the importance of SPF many times before, as it's a crucial step in everyone's skincare routine. However, during pregnancy, your skin's ability to resist the sun's harmful UV rays diminishes further. As a result, pregnant women are more prone to sunspots and hyperpigmentation. To prevent pigmentation issues, the best thing you can do is use high SPF daily. Our tip is to apply SPF 50 every day. This will protect your skin from sunburn, pigmentation, wrinkles, premature aging, and reduce the risk of skin cancer. So, there are no reasons to skip sunscreen.
Choosing the Right Skincare During Pregnancy - Ingredients to Avoid
During pregnancy, it's important to select products and ingredients that are gentle on the skin and won't cause inflammation. Moreover, experts recommend avoiding certain ingredients during pregnancy as they can be harmful.
- Vitamin A: Retinol is a beloved ingredient for many because it helps prevent skin aging, evens out skin tone, and fights acne. However, products containing vitamin A are considered unsafe during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
- Glycolic Acid: We often recommend using AHA acids to even out skin tone, improve skin texture, and overall skin condition. However, one of these acids, glycolic acid, has smaller molecules that can penetrate deeper into the skin and may be more irritating than other AHA acids. Consequently, it's not recommended during pregnancy. If you want to perform mild exfoliation, you can use lactic acid instead.
- Salicylic Acid: BHA or salicylic acid is a popular ingredient among those dealing with acne. However, it's an ingredient not recommended for pregnant women. It has even smaller molecules than glycolic acid, allowing it to penetrate deeper into the skin. As a result, it can irritate your skin, especially when it's already sensitive during pregnancy.
Good Ingredients in Skincare During Pregnancy
Although there are several ingredients you should avoid during pregnancy, there are still some great ones to include in your skincare routine.
- Niacinamide (Vitamin B3): One of our favorite ingredients, niacinamide (Vitamin B3), is fortunately safe to use during pregnancy and breastfeeding. It controls sebum production, reduces the appearance of pores, evens out skin tone, and diminishes signs of aging.
- Vitamin C: If you want radiant skin during pregnancy and wish to eliminate pigmentation issues, you can continue using your vitamin C serums.
- Hyaluronic Acid: If you like hyaluronic acid in your skincare, you don't have to stop using it during pregnancy. You can continue to hydrate your skin with your favorite serums enriched with hyaluronic acid.
- PHA Acid: If you want to use chemical exfoliation during pregnancy to remove dead skin cells, even out skin tone, and address other skin concerns, you can still use PHA acids. These have larger molecules, making them less intense than some AHA and BHA acids, providing a gentle chemical exfoliation.
Taking Care of Your Skin During Pregnancy with the Right Products
We understand that finding the right skincare products during pregnancy can be challenging as it requires some research. You need to understand guidelines regarding desirable and undesirable ingredients. However, with the help of our skincare guide for pregnant women, you can easily navigate these rules and ensure you're using the right skincare products during pregnancy. These tips can help you care for your skin properly and avoid stretch marks during pregnancy. Do you have any tips to share with us?