There are a lot of cliches and stereotypes about pregnancy, like unpredictable emotions, strange cravings, and morning sickness, but it seems the one about the pregnancy “glow” is more elusive for some. Pregnancy sometimes feels like going through puberty all over again – with all the hormonal changes your body experiences, including a massive increase in estrogen, your skin is bound to do some weird things. And you might feel anything but glowing sometimes.
For some women, those shifts can mean an improvement in your skin. Some, not so much. Many mamas experience excessively oily or excessively dry skin, acne, dark spots, itchiness and a host of other issues. You may even get a sampling of all of the above! Here’s a quick guide to keeping your pregnancy-related skincare issues under control. As much as humanly possible, at least.
Clean Out Your Product Drawer
Sometimes it feels like pregnancy is all about what you can’t have or do. Sure, it’s worth it in the end, but having to give up cocktails, sushi and then some of your favorite skincare products? It can seem like a bit much. But, the ingredients in many soaps, face washes, creams, lotions and other treatments are unsafe-or haven’t yet been proven not to be unsafe-during pregnancy. Some super-strength topical ingredients can also actually make issues like acne or dry skin worse. Ditch retinoids, salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide and some essential oils from your skincare drawer as soon as you know you’re expecting, and check with your midwife or doctor if you’re unsure about any of them.
Switch To Natural
Now that you’ve purged, it’s time to find new products or homemade concoctions that work. One of the first clues that I was pregnant was that my skin went crazy. Oil production increase as estrogen increases, so my first trimester was pretty much one giant breakout. Luckily things cleared up by month 4, but I’m convinced that because I found some great natural alternatives to my usual “emergency” benzoyl peroxide-based zit cream that I relied on: In the summer, I’d use Detox Facial Mask every night to soak up sweat and oil without drying my skin out, and I used a Hydrating Facial Mask to get my skin some much-need moisture.
Careful With The Cravings
Pretty much any woman who’s been pregnant can vouch for the fact that sugar and simple, refined carb cravings intensify a lot-especially if you develop food aversions that make you avoid the healthy stuff. But sugary carbs wreak havoc on your skin, especially if you’re relying on them for every meal or snack. Even if you can’t help but go to town on the ice cream or croissants, try to make sure you’re still getting leafy greens, healthy fats (avocado toast!) and drinking lots of water.
Oh, and if you need more incentive to lay off the junk food-keep your blood sugar under control or you might end up with gestational diabetes. Then you’ll have no choice but to be on a super strict doctor ordered diet!
Don’t Stress
Sure, easier said than done when you’re planning for a baby, your hormones are all over the place and you feel like crap. Add skin problems into the mix, and you have a recipe for more skin problems. Don’t obsess about your body’s
