Pregnancy-Safe Skincare: Clearing The Confusion

Introduction

You find yourself getting bigger, your hormones are on a rollercoaster almost always, just thinking about it causes you nausea, and there’s an everyday reminiscence of fitting into your old clothes. With all the unequipped changes that you go through during pregnancy, skincare is undoubtedly one of the most hazy topics you will encounter.

There are several data-backed studies about the do’s and don’ts during pregnancy, and there are traditional beliefs around the same. While a lot of them cover the most apparent issues such as nutrition, exercises, bodily changes, etc., not a lot of them actually talk about skincare.

For someone like me who fought acne for almost a decade of her life, it was scary to anticipate what these pesky hormones would stir up after disciplined treatments to my skin. As a first-time mom-to-be, it was absolutely stressful to think I had to throw out my multi-step, well-curated (over years), skincare routine for a period of 40 weeks before the birth of my child and god-knows-how-long as I breastfeed the little one.

As with anything that you do during pregnancy, please do consult your doctor for the smallest of questions that may arise.

As I progressed into pregnancy, the first thing I did was to sit down and understand what’s safe and what’s not for me and my baby. Amongst other topics, pregnancy-safe skincare was one of them. Let’s face it, you no longer fit into your old jeans, but you can still glow like a glazed donut with your favorite pregnancy skincare routine, no?

On the plus side, most over-the-counter skin care products are completely safe. But, it is good to know what you must avoid in your skincare products during pregnancy.

I am not suggesting products in this article, rather I am eliminating ingredients for you to have a safer, stress-free pregnancy journey.

Changes To Your Skin During Pregnancy

The hormonal shifts and increased blood flow do contribute to a brighter looking appearance during the first two trimesters. But, some women end up with the short end of the stick.

The downsides to these bodily changes cause several skin-related problems that women have little control over.

Skin changes are common during pregnancy. These changes can be pregnancy-specific, pre-existing conditions, or hormone related. These are not always the case. Some women carry their glow throughout the gestational term while some really struggle with skin-related issues.

The most common skin-related changes include:

• Hyperpigmentation or skin darkening
• Dry skin/ Acne
• Striae gravidarum or Stretch marks

Additionally, you may also experience hair growth/loss, spider veins and increased nail growth along with all the other changes your body goes through.

Skin-care Ingredients To Avoid During Pregnancy

As I mentioned earlier, there is very limited research and therefore conclusions on what is truly safe to use for your skin during pregnancy. Some studies have shown severe fetal defects with certain chemicals in the products.

For instance, the use of accutane or isotretinoin, a prescription retinoid, has shown to cause severe birth defects when taken in large amounts. In 2006, a program called iPLEDGE was formulated and mandated by the FDA to ensure safe prescription and administration of isotretinoin to women.

With not enough research at hand, it only makes sense to err on the side of caution and use products that are absolutely safe during pregnancy.

So here are the big No-Nos in skincare during pregnancy:

• Retinoids
• Salicylic Acid
• Phthalates
• Hydroquinone
• Formaldehyde
• Chemical Sunscreen

A more detailed analysis of each of these topical agents can be found in this study.

A Good Pregnancy Skincare Routine

I personally love my multi-step skincare routine. It’s a great mood-lifter for me and who doesn’t love smooth, healthy feeling skin? But, just like during travel your carry-on options for skincare are limited, pregnancy skincare pretty much feels the same way. Just imagine a longer-haul for over 40 weeks.

The comforting thing to know is, skincare is not hard. All you need to understand is the basic needs of your skin.

For me, I’ve always had slightly drier skin and I need 4–5 basic products to keep my face in good condition. And during pregnancy, I still stick to the same routine, with some altered products to enable incorporating safer products into my routine.

I start with an oil based cleanser, a gentle face wash, followed by a serum, moisturizer and of course, most importantly, sunscreen. A sunscreen is a must in your everyday skincare routine, especially if you are already prone to discoloration as a part of your pregnancy-related skin problem.

I am a skincare junkie and to have only 4–5 products in my stash is a big deal. I also love korean skincare and most of my products are also from the K-beauty world.

But, with my minimalistic approach to skincare, I have made peace with the routine and I feel less anxious when I layer my face with products everyday.

Conclusion

Skincare is one of the many ways you can and should pamper yourself as a mama-to-be. Especially, with a whole world of changes that you personally experience, poor skin is not something you want to tolerate.

But, as much as these changes are not always the most welcome of the lot, it is still a sign of what an amazing feat your body is carrying out.

I know, I’d rather prefer a plaque too, but embrace the journey despite its beautiful changes.