|
Return to Your Pregnancy Main Page
Skin Care During Pregnancy
Face it- pregnancy changes everything. Including your skin. Fortunately, there is plenty that you can do for skin care during pregnancy that is safe and effective. Read on to learn about skin care during pregnancy for oily skin and breakouts, as well as skin care during pregnancy for dry skin.
Skin Care During Pregnancy: Oily Skin
During the first trimester, many women experience an increase in breakouts and this is especially true for those who were prone to acne before pregnancy. According to most physicians, the reason for this is the dramatic shift in hormones. With an increase in androgen levels, many women experience an increase in oil production and unsightly breakouts along with it.
- Do NOT treat pregnancy-related breakouts with conventional acne medications. Many of these medications are harmful to fetal development and known to cause birth defects. Advise your dermatologist that you are pregnant or are planning to become pregnant, so you can develop a regime that is appropriate for skin care during pregnancy. Avoid all prescription acne medications, including vitamin A preparations such as Accutane or Retin-A. Also avoid over-the-counter creams that contain retinol or antibiotics.
- During the first trimester, also do NOT use cleansers, makeup and moisturizers that contain chemical exfoliants. These products include salicylic acid, glycolic acid and alpha and beta hydroxyl acids. Read labels, because many popular products contain these chemicals, and they may not be appropriate for skin care during pregnancy especially not the first trimester. Consult your obstetrician to see if he or she approves of using these medications on your face after the first trimester.
- Do use moisturizers, makeup, sunblock and cleansers that are labeled "noncomedogenic" or "nonacnegenic". These products are designed to keep your pores clean and clear, to help avoid breakouts.
- For oily skin care during pregnancy, DO use mechanical exfoliants to keep skin clean and physically remove pore-clogging dead skin cells from the surface of your skin. Gentle scrubs with very fine particles are most appropriate, and you can make your own scrub by adding a small amount of baking soda to an appropriate cleanser.
- DO try a cleansing facial at a salon every two weeks or so for gentle, thorough cleansing. Advise the salon of your condition, and let them know that you are avoiding vitamin A preparations and chemical exfoliants.
The fundamentals of oily skin care during pregnancy:
- Use a gentle, nondrying cleanser on your face twice daily. Avoid moisturizing soaps, since they contain emollients that can clog pores in the meantime.
- Stay out of the sun, and apply an oil-free sunblock every day.
- Scrub with a mechanical exfoliant three times a week.
- Use a clarifying mask to gently coax the oil out of your pores once a week.
Skin Care During Pregnancy: Dry Skin
Women who are prone to dry skin may find this to be even more of a problem during pregnancy, both on the face and all over the body. During pregnancy, you carry an increased volume of blood along with the need to provide body fluids to sustain your growing baby. With all of these demands for fluid, moisture is taken away from your skin and diverted to address these other needs. The result is very dry, and often itchy skin.
Recommendations for Dry Skin Care During Pregnancy
- Do NOT use anti-itch ointments that contain cortisone or hydrocortisone. It is not yet known how these chemicals affect your developing baby, so until conclusive clinical trials demonstrate that these medications are safe your best bet is to avoid them. . While it's not proven that they affect the baby's development, there have been no clinical studies performed to make sure they don't affect your baby, so your best bet is to avoid them. (TRY BLOOMING BODY BELLY BLISS for your itchy skin; it soothes skin on contact and eliminates itch using natural ingredients that are proven safe for use during pregnancy.)
- DO drink more water. This is your first line of defense, to keep your skin hydrated from the inside, out.
The fundamentals of dry skin care during pregnancy:
- Wash your face twice daily with a gentle cleanser formulated for dry skin.
- Use a rich, emollient moisturizer and sunblock.
- If your skin is extra flaky, remove the dead skin cells with a mechanical exfoliant.
- Use a moisturizing mask once a week.
- Keep rooms well humidified.
- Don't bathe too much -- and when you do, take short, lukewarm showers and baths. On your body, use a gentle moisturizing soap (such as Blooming Body Butter Me UP! Or So Sensitive!)
- Moisturize from head to toe with a rich cream such as Belly Bliss to trap water in your skin
- For very dry skin, apply oil after every shower, then top with a moisturizing cream or butter. We recommend our Resilience oil, followed by Belly Bliss.
The information on this Web site is for educational purposes only, and is not intended to be a substitute for informed medical advice or care. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat any health problems or illnesses without consulting your pediatrician or family doctor. Please consult a doctor with any questions or concerns you might have regarding your or your child's condition.
Please view the complete line of Blooming Body products, designed for a more comfortable and beautifully pregnancy, by clicking here.
Return to Your Pregnancy Main Page
|
Site by CarneyFireman,
Inc.
