Pregnancy is doubtless one of the biggest physical changes possible. While we’re all very aware of pregnancy's impact on our body, the effect on our skin isn't always at the forefront of our minds.
But, as with any hormonal and physical shift, the skin changes too.
We tapped our founder, consultant dermatologist Dr Alexis, to deliver her expert guide to glowing skin in pregnancy and beyond. Here we cover skin changes during pregnancy and pregnancy-safe skincare, along with what to avoid and common pregnancy and postpartum skin concerns.
Skin Changes During Pregnancy
While commonly known that pregnancy can cause stretch marks, the changes your skin undergoes are actually far more varied.
Dr Alexis explains, “As our hormones shift, the condition of the skin changes, often leading to hyperpigmentation (affecting 50-70% of pregnant women), an increase in acne as sebum levels rise, itching skin, benign growths like skin tags, and of course stretch marks."
Skincare During Pregnancy
As your skin faces these changes, it’s important to adjust your skincare accordingly.
The below ingredients are safe to use during pregnancy, and will help support your skin barrier.
Nourish: Ceramides, glycerin, hyaluronic acid and colloidal oat will all support in soothing and softening the skin.
Brighten and Smooth: Antioxidant vitamin C is a super skin-brightener, whilst azealic acid can treat acne and hyperpigmentation.
Support: Niacinamide is vital to maintaining and repairing the skin barrier, while peptides help to improve skin health overall, penetrating the dermis to boost moisture, smooth fine lines and support healthy cell function.
How To Know If Skincare Is Safe For Pregnancy
To ensure you are treating your pre-partum skin with care, make sure to consider the below:
Consult With An Expert: Speak to your doctor or dermatologist on how best to care for your skin.
Reach Out & Research: Many brands will note if they are pregnancy-safe - or reach out to their customer care to check in.
Be Aware Of What To Avoid: There are a number of ingredients that are important to stop using during pregnancy. We’ve listed the most common below:
- Topical Retinoids: Oral vitamin A medications need to be stopped before pregnancy as they can pose a risk to your baby. The risk of topical retinoids is less clear-cut, but it is safer to avoid them as a precaution.
- Salicylic Acid: Switch salicylic acid out for pregnancy-safe AHAs such as lactic acid.
- Hydroquinone: While an effective brightening agent, hydroquinone absorbs through the skin, so seek out safer alternatives such a kojic acid.
- Essential Oils: Since the effect of essential oils has not been adequately tested, it is sensible to limit their use - particularly tea tree oil and rosemary oil, which have been linked to skin reactions and premature contractions.
Postpartum Skincare
When it comes to postpartum skincare, the good news is that you don’t need to overhaul your body care ritual while also working out how to care for a newborn.
“As your hormone levels and body will continue to adjust for months post-birth, we would recommend sticking to the same routine you followed during pregnancy, using pregnancy-safe, nourishing, skin-barrier supporting body care to give your skin and body a chance to rebalance naturally, at least for the first three months.
Ensure gentle cleansing and moisturising each day, with exfoliation twice a week (and a mindful gua sha massage when you can manage it) to keep your post-bump skin glowing,” notes Dr Alexis.
Pregnancy Skincare Tips
So, what should be in your pregnancy body care routine?
“Joonbyrd products are safe for use during pregnancy, breastfeeding and beyond (and deliver proven results while your body is working overtime), but I have rounded up a few of my top picks, broken down by pre-and-postpartum skin concern.”
Postpartum Skin: Powered by peptides, our best-selling DAYDREAMER Firming Body Serum visibly tightens and tones the skin, improves the appearance of crepey skin, cellulite and stretch marks, delivering a dose of collagen and elastin boosting ingredients directly to where they're needed most.
Stretch Marks: Topical creams have limited efficacy when it comes to preventing stretch marks, but they can improve their appearance. Again, our DAYDREAMER Firming Body Serum is designed to tackle stretch marks, and perfect for use on growing bumps and beyond.
Dry & Itchy Skin During Pregnancy: Hyaluronic acid and inulin-rich LITTLE LOVE Body Lotion serves up hydration for up to 48 hours, whilst our triple ceramide blend-imbued WONDER·LAND Fortifying Hand Lotion is ideal when your hands need a hydration hit.
