Skin care for pregnancy: Routine hacks to follow

Pregnancy reflects on your skin because of the drastic hormonal changes inside your body. While, some women get to experience pregnancy glow right till they deliver their baby, not many are lucky enough. Skin care during pregnancy needs a meticulous routine which when followed, gives glowing results. With our routine plan, we will tell you what skin care is safe for pregnancy and what skin care ingredients to avoid during pregnancy.

In this article:

• Common skin worries during pregnancy
• Skin care home remedies during pregnancy
• Best skin care tips during pregnancy
• Skin care ingredients to avoid during pregnancy
• FAQs related to pregnancy skin care

Common skin worries during Pregnancy:

In pregnancy, it is common to face skin breakouts especially during first trimester. Dull skin, pigmentation, skin tags, acne and flare-ups are the skin challenges that you might encounter because of the hormonal turbulence and oil excretion. To alleviate skin related concerns and better your skin health during pregnancy, you can follow certain home remedies and skin care tips. Also, what goes inside you matters because some ingredients in skin care products are rich in harmful chemicals, thereby making them unsafe for you and your baby.

Skin Care Home Remedies During Pregnancy:

Your skin care for pregnancy routine should include simple and easy to follow home remedies that fit in your daily schedule. If you ask how to skin care during pregnancy, you should stop checking online instead embrace these pregnancy safe basics:

• Potato – If you are facing pigmentation, potato mask or gently massaging a small piece of potato on your skin will work wonder.
• Tomato – Cut tomato into thin slices or grind it to a juice consistency, add little water or yogurt and spread it gently like a mask. Wash your face after 15 minutes with water. Your skin will be flawless and smooth.
• Honey – Due to its antiseptic property, honey is considered to be very safe skin care home remedy to practice during pregnancy. It also ensures softness in skin. Wash your face with water, apply honey and leave it for 15 to 20 minutes. Wash again with water. After that, you will not get enough of your honey-touched skin.
• Coconut or lemongrass oil – Coconut or lemongrass oil act as a skin toner. They help in alleviating acne inflammation, cleansing and hydrating as they are rich in antioxidants.
• C-trusy or Vitamin C – Citrus fruits like lemon or orange work as astringents and are a best exfoliants. They have a capacity to shed pores and dead skin.
• Do not skip pregnancy nutrition foods – Follow a balanced nutritional diet along with a sound pregnancy skin care routine to get achieve best results in your skin. Include fresh fruits and vegetables, protein in all forms and diary staples like milk and yogurt. Give in to cravings once in a while but over adhering to them can cause oil and fat accumulation resulting to flare-ups in your skin.
• Keep your sanity in check – Stress triggers breakouts and acnes. Keep yourself tension free and do not burden or overwhelm yourself with worries and unproductive thoughts. The result of too much of stress during pregnancy will reflect negatively on your skin. Relax and rest to arrest the pregnancy glow and lock it up on your skin.

Best Skin Care Tips During Pregnancy:

• Keep your skin moist – When hormones run amok, it is natural to feel itchiness in your skin. To keep it moist and smooth, apply moisturiser liberally all over your body. Stretch marks are a reminder and a beautiful memory but if you want to prevent it, then keep an anti-stretch mark product handy. See to it that you load up natural skin care products to avoid damage to your skin. You can go for a natural stretch marks oil or a stretch mark cream which are not only safe but also lock up enough moisturizer so that your skin feels nourished during pregnancy and post-partum.

• Cleanse and hydrate – Pure water is neither acidic nor basic but that said, it is the basic skin care for pregnancy routine which is completely safe. Meaning, you don’t have to give second thoughts when it comes to water. So, hydrate yourself by drinking lot of water and washing your face with water. Post which you can use a nice purifying and hydrating balm that will remove impurities, clear pores if any, and rejuvenate your skin, making your skin healthy.

• Catch some rays with sunscreen – Sunscreen is your go-to skin care for pregnancy formula if you want to step out during a bright sunny day. Your skin will be very sensitive and easily prone to pigmentation and other sun related concerns during pregnancy. Protect yourself with anti-sun gear like sunglasses, a nice and comfortable piece of hat, etc but do not forget to leave your house without applying a sunscreen.

Skin Care Ingredients to avoid during Pregnancy:

• Retinoids – There are some creams or products which are rich in retinoids. Though it promises to reduce acne and aging, it has high chances of affecting your baby causing birth or neural defects.
• Salicylic acid – Beta hydroxy acid or Salicyclic acid infused products are a big no when you are hunting for skin care for pregnancy Products rich in Salicyclic acid can cause birth defects in baby and pregnancy complications.
• Hydroquinone – For skin pigmentation, instead of using hydroquinone, use up doctor recommended safe skin care products or routine. While hydroquinone brings in a positive change in pigmented skin, it gets absorbed in your body which when not supervised under medical supervision, can be harmful for your baby.
• Read first, apply later – When you are hunting for skin care products during pregnancy, always take an informed decision. Educate yourself about various chemicals that come in different names. To be more aware and safer, take your doctor’s help. Every skin is different and what works for others won’t work for you. Moreover, skin is considered as a sensitive organ in your body so you need to have a gentle pregnancy skin care routine to tend to its sensitivity.

FAQs related to Pregnancy Skin Care:

What should I do for my acne? Are anti-acne creams or treatments safe?

There are many creams and oils that promise to reverse acne and fine-lines in your skin. Do not duck in and purchase any product because some products have Benzoyl peroxide which is classified as unsafe to use during pregnancy. For sudden flare-ups, try using AHA topicals which are safe. For severe skin concerns, refrain from purchasing and inviting side effects instead consult an expert dermatologist who will assess your problem and guide you towards safe treatment or products.

What are the other options to treat a skin? Will any supplement or skin super food work?

Of course, we all tend to head towards skin creams, oils, and serums to treat our skin concerns during pregnancy. But there is good news for you. Pregnancy skin superfood acts as a manna from heaven to treat all kinds of skin related issues. Packed with plant-based collagen, it helps in skin detox, skin repair, radiance and revitalising your skin.

When the baby is out, you will have no energy and time to spend time on yourself. So, go over the top during pregnancy, gift yourself a pregnancy skin care gift set and spark the glow from within.