Should You Switch Up Your Skincare During Pregnancy?
Do you know which skincare ingredients are fair game when you’re pregnant, and which most certainly aren’t? Not a problem, we’re here to make things a whole lot simpler…
Pregnancy brings incredible changes to your skin, including that infamous ‘pregnancy glow’ which often has the complexion looking the best it’s been in a long time. But it’s not all rainbows and butterflies. During pregnancy, you can also experience unexpected breakouts, extra sensitivities and dark spots that most certainly weren’t there before.
Is it wise, therefore, to overhaul your entire skincare routine during these transformative months? Or is it more prudent to simply be conscious of the changes happening to your skin so you can make informed decisions on what to use, what to avoid and how to maximize that glow?
We believe the latter. Here’s how…
What Happens To Your Skin During Pregnancy?
In a word, hormones. As your body goes through the important process of supporting a growing fetus and preparing for childbirth, your hormones go through significant changes. Of course, these fluctuations are crucial for the health of both yourself and your unborn baby, but their effects on the body can be huge. Tender breasts, mood swings, aches and pains are some of the obvious noticeable impacts. And then there are the visible changes to your skin. These include things like stretch marks, spider veins and skin tags which can appear anywhere on the body.
When it comes to the face, the most common skin changes are:
Melasma
Often called the ‘mask of pregnancy’ melasma is a type of hyperpigmentation that causes dark patches on the face. Studies show that melasma affects around 90 percent of pregnant women making it one of the most common skin concern during this time.
Acne Breakouts
Hormone fluctuations can stimulate the sebaceous glands to produce more sebum and overload your skin with oil that it really doesn’t need. The result? Clogged pores and pesky breakouts.
Irritation
According to the American Pregnancy Association your body produces 50 percent more blood when you’re pregnant. This can be a great thing, often giving you fabulously glowing skin. However, this increase of blood flow, when combined with crazy hormones, can also increase skin sensitivities, making some skin types reactive and prone to itching, redness, dryness and flaking.
The Two Skincare Ingredients To Avoid During Pregnancy
According to popular belief you should steer clear of many active skincare ingredients when pregnant, including things like vitamin C, alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) and benzoyl peroxide. And sure, these are all potent topicals that can cause irritation when used without due care. However, according to research, with the exception of two, most skincare ingredients act locally and therefore cause minimal risk to an unborn child.
The two no-nos to really be aware of? Hydroquinone and retinoids.
Hydroquinone is a topical ingredient that’s extremely effective for lightening the skin and fading dark patches. This makes it very tempting for pregnant skin which can often being plagued with melasma. However, it’s estimated that somewhere between 35 and 45 percent of hydroquinone is absorbed into the bloody stream. Some research shows no links to adverse effects for an unborn child, but this absorption is a major red flag. Our advice? Don’t go there.
Better choices are to minimize sun exposure to avoid exacerbating dark spots, wear a broad-spectrum mineral-based sunscreen like SPF 30 Mineral Sunscreen Facial Serum daily, and try safer skin-brightening ingredients like vitamin C, niacinamide and exfoliating acids in small doses.
Retinoids are the holy grail for healthy skin, working hard to help minimize the visible signs of aging and simultaneously decrease the severity and frequency of acne breakouts by accelerating cell turnover and boosting collagen production. They’re very potent beasts, however, and should always be treated with respect. Especially when pregnant. Oral retinoids, in particular have been shown to cause birth defects so these should be avoided at all costs.
And topical retinoids? While these are widely believed to be fairly low in risk, they’re best kept at arm's length to be on the safe side. This includes everything from tretinoin (a prescription retinoid) to milder retinol.
Instead, try bakuchiol which is nature’s gentle alternative to retinol and generally considered safe for use during pregnancy.
How To Build The Best Pregnancy Skincare Routine
The key to managing changes in your skin during pregnancy lies in using gentle, pregnancy-safe products. While widely deemed safe, there are questions around ingredients like benzoyl peroxide, high concentrations of salicylic acid, certain essential oils, phthalates and parabens so you might want to give those a wide berth. Other than that, being sensible with your skin, listening to its needs and treating it with tender loving care is the best way to encourage healthy, glowing skin during this time.
Here are five quick tips to help you along the way.
1. Avoid Over-Cleansing
Cleansing is vital to balance sebum and remove potentially pore-clogging debris from the surface of your skin. Just don’t go mad with stripping formulations that can screw up the skin’s important barrier function and exacerbate irritation. Stick with gentle, balanced cleansers and use lukewarm, rather than hot water to rinse the skin.
2. Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate
Apply a hydrating Hyaluronic Acid or Niacinamide Facial Serum after you cleanse and before moisturizing to boost moisture, help reduce inflammation and improve both the tone and texture of your skin. These ingredients are both safe and extremely beneficial for most skin types during pregnancy.
3. Patch Test Everything
Even ‘safe’ ingredients have the potential to irritate the skin, especially when it’s more sensitive during the hormone frenzy that comes with pregnancy. To avoid any mishaps and unwanted inflammation, always patch test your products before using them on a daily basis. Not sure what that means? We can help with that, right here.
4. Embrace Mineral Sunscreen
Although limited, certain research points to chemical sunscreens having the potential to have harmful effects on the human body so, to be safe, we recommend sticking with mineral formulations only. Mineral sunscreens like our SPF 30 Mineral Sunscreen with Vitamin C use the FDA-recommended zinc oxide to protect the skin.
5. Give Botox & Laser Treatments A Rest
Gentle facials that incorporate pregnancy-safe ingredients can be a great way to boost the look and feel of your skin. Always consult with your facial or aesthetician first, however, and know that many dermatological treatments like chemical peels, laser treatments and injectables should be paused until after your baby has been born. The FDA classifies Botox, for example, as a category C pregnancy drug which means there’s insufficient evidence to determine its safety.
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![Effortless Ways To Look After Your Skin While Flying]()
Let’s take a look at how to nail in-flight skincare, shall we? Because who wants to turn up to their destination with dry, dull skin? Answer: nobody.
Raise your hands if you dread that post-flight mirror check when, even though you’ve had a decent nap and drank your body weight in water, your skin looks dry, dull and as if you’ve not slept in 10 days?
We hear you.
Airplane skin is very real. How so? One of the reasons is that, while regular air has all manner of pros and cons of its own, airplane cabins use pressurized, recycled air. This recycled air is not only filled with who-knows-what, but it also has a very low humidity and, as you know, skin loves moistures which low humidity seriously lacks. This means that flying can cause all sorts of problems for the skin – even to the most resilient complexions. As skin saboteurs go, it’s right up there.
How best can you get ahead of this skincare nightmare? By arming yourself with our ultimate in-flight skincare survival guide. Let’s do this…
4 Reasons Why Flying Messes With Your Skin
1. Humidity Levels Don’t Quite Cut It
Airplane cabins are expertly pressurized to protect you from the low air pressure at high altitude. Pressurized cabins are crucial for maintaining balanced oxygen levels, allowing you to a) breathe and b) not get altitude sickness. It’s important stuff and, in the grand scheme of things, being alive is far more important than having to deal with slightly cruddy skin. But still, the frustrating part is that pressurized air only contains around 10-20 percent humidity which is lower than most deserts. Your skin is not down with that, preferring a more moist 50-60 percent to keep it soft, radiant and hydrated.
2. Where Did All The Nutrients Go?
Low air pressure also slows down lymphatic drainage and reduces the levels of oxygen in your blood. This temporarily ‘starves’ it of all the essential nutrients it loves in order to remain glowing and healthy-looking.
3. UV Radiation Reaches New Heights
High altitudes = increased levels of UV radiation. We’ll just leave that one there.
4. Did Someone Say Circadian Rhythm?
As you’re probably aware, your body has a smart, 24-hour internal clock that helps to regulate its various functions and processes. This is primarily controlled by light and darkness and it allows you to operate on a daily basis, sending your body to sleep at night and keeping you functioning optimally during the day.
You can imagine what happens to this circadian rhythm when you throw a red-eye, long-haul flight or cross into a different time zone into the mix? It gets thrown right out of whack, making it harder for you to fall asleep at bedtime. And never underestimate what inadequate sleep can do to the state of your skin. Cue dryness, irritation, dehydration, even breakouts.
Your Pre-Flight Game Plan
1. Hydrate Yourself From The Inside Out
Set yourself up for skin success by skipping alcohol and caffeine a good 24 hours before take-off. These are super dehydrating and your skin has enough dehydrating triggers to come when the humidity levels hit rock bottom during your flight. Instead, drink plenty of water and herbal teas, and boost your diet with water-rich food like cucumber and watermelon.
2. Protect & Hydrate From The Outside In
On the day of your fight, make sure to cleanse thoroughly and layer on the hydration. We like to apply serum straight after cleansing to start the ball rolling, and our new SPF 30 Mineral Sunscreen Facial Serum is the perfect product for the job. Not only does it contain prickly pear and sunflower extracts to help the skin retain water and protect it from free radical damage, but SPF 30 is vital for shielding your skin from the intense UV radiation you'll experience closer to the ozone layer. Trust us, if you’re going to be sat next to the window, sunscreen is non-negotiable.
3. Go Heavy On Moisture, Light On Makeup
Lock in all that hydration with a rich, but non pore-clogging moisturizer that can be reapplied as needed. Reapplication is highly recommended for long-haul flights so, if you can bear it, skip makeup completely to allow you to reapply without worrying about annoying foundation getting in your way.
PRO-TIP: Avoid trying new skincare for a week or so before flying. This will help avoid irritation which can be exacerbated by dry airplane cabins.
Your In-Flight Skincare Strategy
1. Don’t Cleanse During Your Flight
This is messy and too tricky in those cramped bathrooms which, tbh, are probably not the cleanest after being used by numerous other people. If you do feel the need to freshen up, apply some travel-sized micellar water over your face and neck.
2. Pop A Sheet Mask In Your Carry-On
Hydrating sheet masks are flight skincare gold. Sure, you might get a little side-eye from other passengers as you sit back and relax for 10-15 minutes looking like something from a horror movie, but the benefits will be so worth it in the end.
3. Reapply Moisture
After your sheet mask has done its job, it’s wise to lock moisture back into your skin. Make sure to clean your hands first with a gentle sanitizer, then reapply your favorite, non-comedogenic lotion and follow with sunscreen. This time, SPF 30 Mineral Sunscreen with Vitamin C is going to be your BFF. It’s loaded with antioxidants, works immediately and is the perfect size for your carry-on.
PRO-TIP: Long-haul flights call really screw up your circadian rhythm, so take an eye mask and ear plugs to help you sleep at weird times.
Your Post-Flight Recovery Program
1. Resist The Urge To Cleanse Like Mad
It’s tempting to want to do away with all that in-flight grime after landing, but harsh cleansers that are overloaded with drying ingredients like strong surfactants and unnecessary preservatives will compromise skin that’s already feeling a little delicate. Of course, feel free to cleanse your skin once you arrive at your destination but go gently with a plant-based, kind-to-skin formula like Vitamin C Brightening Cleanser.
2. Exfoliate While You’re At It
A little gentle exfoliation is great for clearing out post-flight pores, improving circulation and waking up sluggish skin. Plus, the simple act of physical exfoliation is enough to make you feel immediately better. We’re all about Vitamin C Gentle Face Scrub which hits that sweet spot of being just grainy enough to feel like it’s doing a good job, without feeling like it’s removing an entire layer of your skin! Smooth it over damp, clean skin on arrival, gently working it all over your face and neck, then rinsing well with lukewarm water.
3. Hit The Moisture Reset Button
Post-flight is the time to repair and restore your skin so continue to layer on hydrating serums and moisturizer, morning and night. A rich night cream is going to be particularly beneficial for your first night back on solid ground as your skin does its best repair work while you’re asleep. Try Vitamin C Deep Hydration Night Cream.
PRO-TIP: Try a two-minute massage as you cleanse to wake up post-flight, sluggish skin. Simply work your hands over your face in circular motions to boost blood flow and restore your glow.
Effortless Ways To Look After Your Skin While Flying
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