Congratulations are in order as you prepare for your bundle of joy to enter this world. But as your body prepares itself for the baby, it might give rise to a number of challenges for an expecting mother. While you need to stay away from alcohol (sorry!) and avoid fruits like papaya and pineapple, you also need to bid adieu to certain skincare habits till your little one arrives. Ahead, we’ve listed down pregnancy-safe skincare dos and don’ts you need to follow to keep your skin healthy.
Do:
Use sunscreen
While sunscreen remains a vital part of skincare, it's especially important during pregnancy. Pregnancy can make your skin more sensitive to the sun and applying sunscreen suitable for your skin type will not only deal with that, but also help control melasma, dark spots and dull skin.
Stick to a basic skincare routine
Being comfortable in the products you’re using is essential, especially when your body is going through so many rapid changes. So if ever you’re in doubt or just simply overwhelmed, stick to your basic CTM routine. But just use pregnancy-safe ingredients such as glycolic acid, lactic acid, niacinamide, L ascorbic acid, azelaic acid and hyaluronic acid. For moisturising stick to naturals such as cocoa butter, shea butter, jojoba oil, avocado oil, coconut oil and rosehips oil.
Include a Vitamin C serum in your routine
Vitamin C is a great antioxidant and safe during pregnancy. It helps with tissue repair, healing and keeping your skin healthy and glowing. It reduces the appearance of hyperpigmentation and dark spots brought on by Melasma.
Don’t:
Exfoliate regularly
Exfoliating regularly will reduce the appearance of enlarged pores, fade brown spots and blemishes. It helps your moisturiser penetrate into your skin properly by getting rid of dry and dead skin cells, helping in reducing and preventing stretch marks. For best results, exfoliate your belly, chest and hips once a week and your face twice a week.
Use harsh ingredients
Usual acne-fighting and anti-ageing treatments, including ingredients such as retinol, salicylic acid, isotretinoin, benzoyl peroxide and clindamycin are excellent otherwise but should be avoided at all costs during pregnancy to prevent complications with baby later. Of course they are all only dangerous when used regularly, but better to be safe from the get-go right?
Wax
The skin becomes two to three times more sensitive during this period, making the waxing procedure a much more painful ordeal to go through and it's simply not worth it. Try switching your hair removal methods and we suggest razors as opposed to chemical hair removal creams as skin is extremely sensitive and prone to allergies and rashes during pregnancy.
Sleep on your skincare routine
It is natural to get overwhelmed easily with so many dos and don’ts in every aspect of your life right now but don’t skip your skincare routine altogether. It's essential to follow at least a basic skincare routine to prevent irreversible changes later on which could easily be avoided by simple skincare now.
Undergo chemical treatments
With the acne and melasma, you might be tempted to book an appointment with your beautician for a chemical peel. DON’T. Any beauty treatments or facials involving even the tiniest bit of anything electrical touching your skin should be avoided at all costs. Steer clear of Chemical peels, any beauty surgeries and lasers.