Firstly congratulations! Secondly, let’s dive into the long debated topic- pregnancy skincare. Pregnancy is a beautiful time filled with loads of hormonal changes and this can impact your skin. Whilst this is the time to focus on the baby, it is also important for you to be completely self indulgent by looking after yourself from top to bottom. Most pregnant and breastfeeding mothers are hesitant to use their regular skincare out of fear of the effects on the baby, this topic is long debated but after speaking with a number of doctors the answer is clearer than you think.
You can use most of your normal skincare products, but out of an abundance of caution, it is advisable to remove any retinoids from your routine- yes, bye bye retinol (for now). The reason we remove or it is recommended to remove certain skincare products or ingredients from your routine is because it is unethical to test ingredients on pregnant study participants, from what we know the only ingredient to have a definitive risk to an unborn child is isotretinoin (accutane).
Some people are truly lucky and experience no changes in their skin or pregnancy fallout, whereas some people experience hormonal acne. Dealing with acne can be especially difficult when you feel as though there are not many products you can use, we have compiled a list of skincare products that help to deal with breakouts and hyperpigmentation throughout your pregnancy.
Kate Somerville EradiKate Daily Foaming Cleanser
Kate Somerville have formulated this acne fighting power house cleanser with the naturally occurring element- sulfur. Sulfur helps to reduce breakout inflammation and also kill the acne causing bacteria. Sulfur is blended with oat extract and other botanical ingredients to soothe and exfoliate acne prone skin. This wash can be used daily and can be left on for 2 minutes as a mask.
Emma Lewisham Supernatural Blemish Serum
Emma Lewisham herself, struggled with finding skincare that was suitable for her skin needs during her pregnancy. This then became the driving force behind formulating products for her namesake brand. One of the most incredibly things in the skincare space is the technology used to create a product with live probiotics that can actually tackle breakouts and strengthen your skin’s microbiome. All the products in the Emma Lewisham range contain ingredients that are naturally derived and suitable for use during pregnancy.
The Ordinary Mandelic Acid Serum
You might be missing your heavy duty exfoliators, but slow and steady also wins the race. The Ordinary’s Mandelic Acid Serum is gentle enough for your skin, but also efficacious enough to reduce skin texture, improve hydration and reduce visible hyperpigmentation.
Sunscreens!
As a blanket statement, most people avoid chemical sunscreen filters and then avoid sunscreens all together as they are not fans of mineral sunscreens. Good news! Your chemical sunscreen is fine to use throughout your pregnancy, it will not be absorbed into your bloodstream and cause harmful side effects. If you are still on the fence, check out our mineral sunscreen article.
With any skincare products you are unsure of, always check them with your doctor and midwife, each person will have a slightly different skincare philosophy but it is best to opt for the opinion of the practitioner you trust the most.
