Is your pregnancy skin taking you back to your teenage years?

I mean everyone talks about having the pregnancy glow. In reality your pregnancy hormone are wreaking havoc with your skin.

Your poor skin goes through a lot of changes during pregnancy. Learning about these changes and how to work with them will give your skin a whole new lease of life.

Whether your skin is super sensitive or drier than the Sahara desert, this pregnancy skin care guide will help you.

I’ll discuss how to deal with skin issues in pregnancy, the best pregnancy skin products to use and what to avoid.

Now coping with your pregnancy skin doesn’t need to get you down. Follow these tips and you’ll have that elusive pregnancy glow in no time.

Let’s do this Mama

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8 Pregnancy Skin Issues

1. Sensitive Skin

Pregnancy is a prime time for your skin to suddenly become very sensitive. The sudden increase of hormones and rapid skin growth is the main culprits.

The best way to tackle sensitive skin in pregnancy is to switch to using gentle products that won’t irritate your skin. Your usual brand of products may do a sensitive or unscented range you can switch to.

Harsh tools such as exfoliators or cleansers need to go. A soft microfiber cloth is ideal for your sensitive skin.

2. Dry Skin

Has your skin got super dry?

Your pregnancy hormones are causing your body to lose moisture to your skin. Any water you take in is now being used by both you and your baby.

If your skin is very dry, that’s a sign you might be dehydrated. Your first step should always be to up your fluid intake. Make sure your drinking around 8 glasses of water each day.

I’d recommend using a moisturizer after washing your body or cleaning your face. Using a humidifier during the night will give your skin much needed moisture.

3. Oily Skin

Has pregnancy caused your skin to be slicker than Danny Zuko’s hair?

Oily skin is cause by overproduction of sebum in your glands. The cause? Yep you’ve guessed it, those pesky pregnancy hormones.

Regular cleansing in the morning and at night may help keep the grease at bay. However it may also make the problem worse for you.

If you’d want a solution for mopping up the oil, I’d recommend using blotting sheets.

You may also want to avoid using skin care products or makeup that is oil free. That way you’re not adding to the problem.

4. Pregnancy Acne

Have your skin transported you back to your teenage years?

Pregnancy acne is a common reaction to all that extra oil your hormones have made.

It can be so tempting to want to pick at your spots, but don’t. Your skin is much more sensitive and you can easily cause long lasting damage. Plus squeezing spots can leave you open to all sorts of nasty skin infections.

Avoid using over the counter acne products. The ingredients are often unsafe for using in pregnancy. A natural way to tackle the problem is a consistent skin care regimen.

If you feel your pregnancy acne is severe, my advice would be to see a dermatologist for a review.

5. Itchy Skin

Are you scratching your skin raw?

Unfortunately, your skin is stretched extremely fast during pregnancy. Your bump is probably the area most affected due to your growing bump. Your body hold on to a lot more fluid during pregnancy, which your skin has to deal with.

A good moisturizer is the best way to tackle to itching. An emollient with oatmeal can also be soothing for your skin.

You may also need to consider what laundry detergent you are using as it may be irritating your pregnant skin.

Itching can also be a sign of PUPPS (Pruritic Urticarial Papules and Plaques of Pregnancy) which is annoying but harmless in pregnancy. It can also be a sign of cholestasis, a condition that is dangerous for your unborn baby and needs to be medicated.

I’d strongly recommend getting any ongoing itch reviewed by your caregiver.

6. Pregnancy Stretch marks

Your body goes through many changes in pregnancy, but you’re probably praying you don’t get stretch marks. Unfortunately, it’s down to our genetic if you’ll get them or not.

These tiny pink stripes care caused by your rapidly growing skin. Although you can’t prevent them, you can minimize the impact they have.

Check out my top 10 tips for preventing stretch marks in pregnancy.

A good stretch mark cream or oil is ideal for helping your skin’s elasticity and preventing excessive damage. Keep up to your fluid levels and regularly apply your stretch mark cream to improve their appearance.

7. Pregnancy Mask

Has pregnancy caused random dark patches over your face? This is known as Chloasma or pregnancy mask.

A hormone imbalance is causing you to release too much melatonin to protect your skin against sunlight.

The best protection is to keep yourself out of the sun as much as possible. If you do need to go outdoors use clothing such as hats to shade your skin.

I’d recommend using a sunscreen with a high SPF to block as much UV light as possible. Reapply it regularly and keep your skin shade.

Pregnancy skin discoloration usually fades a few months after you give birth.

8. Redness

Is your skin super red and blotchy?

This is a common skin issue for pregnant women due to your increased blood flow. Your body is making 50% more blood in pregnancy; it’s no wonder your feeling flushed.

The best way to prevent redness is to avoid extreme weather conditions such as being too hot or too cold.

A good cooling skin product can keep the red patches at bay. Look for ingredients such as aloe vera or mint.

If you like to wear makeup, green tinted products will reduce the appearance of the redness under your makeup.

Skin Care Ingredients to Avoid During Pregnancy

There are certain ingredients in your beauty products to avoid during pregnancy. These products are known to be harmful to your unborn baby.

Your body will absorb these ingredients through your skin, so it’s best to avoid them while pregnant.

Benzoyl peroxide

This is an ingredient commonly found in acne products. It’s known to make your skin sensitive especially in sunlight. There is little evidence about its safety in pregnancy.

Parabens/ Bisphenols

These are used as preservatives in cheaper shampoos and body washes. They act similar to the estrogen hormone. This is thought to cause growth problems for babies (especially boys) if there is too much exposure in pregnancy.

Retinoids/retinol

This is a family of ingredients that should be avoided at all costs. These skin products are marketed as containing Vitamin A which is known to cause a birth defect if used in high doses.

Salicylic acid

A common ingredient in acne, cleansing, and exfoliating products. It the main type of acid not approved for pregnancy use.

Glycolic, lactic, and mandelic acids are alternatives that are considered safe for pregnancy.

Soy

Another ingredient that mimics the estrogen hormone. Too much usage is thought to increase the risk of developing pregnancy mask.

Hydroquinone

This is an ingredient used in skin lighteners. You may be tempted to use these types of products if you have a pregnancy mask. This ingredient is not recommended for pregnant women.

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Summary

Pregnancy can do a real number on your skin. It can be totally depressing if you don’t get the coveted pregnancy glow and terrible skin instead.

This guide has discussed the top 8 pregnancy skin issues and how you can deal with them. Follow these tips, and you should get your pre-pregnancy skin back in no time

Remember to check those ingredients before you go using any new products during pregnancy.

You got this mama.