Skincare during pregnancy

During pregnancy, your body goes through so many changes that can affect your skin. 

When you’re thinking about skin changes during this time, it’s best to think In terms of trimesters as each trimester will alter your hormones and affect the skin differently – which can make choosing the right skincare a difficult task. 

In the first trimester, our bodies have increased progesterone which can wreak havoc with your skin. It’s also the first trimester that we need to be super careful not to use products or medications that can cross the blood-placenta barrier and cause harm to the development of your baby. 

With all this in mind, it’s best to keep your regime simple and clean. Try not to overwhelm your skin with too many products and ingredients. Avoid harsh chemicals and acids like glycolic, salicylic and products with Retinol in them for the duration of your pregnancy.

Throughout pregnancy, your skin will typically be more sensitive and may even become sensitised to products you were previously using. 

I would recommend that you cleanse, tone and moisturise daily and exfoliate your skin twice a week. Use a mild, physical exfoliator (avoid chemical exfoliants) – exfoliating will help the skin to adapt to the influx of these hormonal changes and keep those impurities and build up of dead skin cells at bay. 

Always ensure you protect your skin when in the sunshine with an SPF. Melasma is a common concern during pregnancy. Dark patches appear due to an increase of melanocytes. Wear sunscreen throughout pregnancy to protect your skin. I love the Green People range of SPF products. I used them throughout my second pregnancy and all the ingredients are natural, I love how hydrated they made my skin feel. 

Exfoliation is also key to avoid a build up of cells. 

I recommend – Green People Fruit Scrub or Pai Virtuous Circle Kukui & Jojoba beads – great for sensitive skins.

Typically during pregnancy we should choose products that keep the skin hydrated and calm. But, If you suffer with acne and pregnancy triggers it to become worse, you could try an enzymatic cleansing system, as Retinol products that you may already be using should not be used. 

I recommend Nourish London – Kale Enzymatic Exfoliator. 

Eat a healthy diet that contains plenty of good fats. Coconut, Olive oil, avocado, nuts – this will help to keep your moisture levels up, therefore keeping the skin supple and soft. This in turn, will help to prevent stretch marks.

During the third trimester, some women report feelings of restlessness, anxiety and even headaches. There are some useful pressure points that you can familiarise yourself with, to help relieve headaches, reduce anxiety and even help with relaxation.

I recently uploaded a short video on my YouTube channel to demonstrate where the significant pressure points are and how they help.  Check it out! 

The temples are a significant pressure point – spend two minutes applying pressure with the forefinger and middle finger at these areas and then use circular motions for a further two minutes. The temples are significant in helping with anxiety and headaches. 

In between the brows is another pressure point that helps to relieve tension and improve headaches. Spend 2-3 minutes pressing firmly and then 2-3 doing circular motions. 

The corners of the nose are a significant pressure point to help relieve congestion and help with sinuses and sinus headaches. 

Spend 2-3 minutes pressing firmly in to the dips at both corners of the nose with the forefinger, then circular motions for a further 2-3 minutes. 

On the hand, between the base of the thumb and the forefinger is a great pressure point to know, as it can be used anywhere at anytime. It’s known to help relieve pain and headaches. 

I recommend to use Pai Rosehip oil during pregnancy – it’s great for balancing out an uneven skin tone that usually arises during the last trimester, it’s extremely nourishing without clogging the pores and helps to improve skin elasticity .