Pregnancy and Skincare: A Glow-To Guide
The COVID-19 pandemic may have brought about the next baby boom. If you are pregnant (or planning to become pregnant) and wondering how that might affect your current routine, we have answers for you.
Everyone knows having children comes with sacrifices, but your skin goals don’t have to be one of them! There are so many safe options out there for pregnant and breastfeeding women. And, in general, so little of your products absorb past the surface layers of the skin – it’s actually hard to even formulate products to penetrate the skin (after all, the skin is engineered to act as a barrier to keep foreign substances and objects out!). More and more frequently, we're hearing our clients' doctors raise very few red flags when it comes to skincare ingredients and have varying advice about skincare during pregnancy. It's similar to pregnancy-related diet restrictions; the advice may vary.
Like your doctor, we are not one size fits all, and that’s what we provide for our expecting moms. We cater to your comfort level. All of our treatments are 100% pregnancy safe (minus some deep peels, high frequency, and microcurrent), but please give us a heads up – even if you are early along. And, as far as home care goes, we err on the side of caution, but don’t be surprised if your doctor approves active ingredients like benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid, and vitamin A in small doses. On the other hand, if you are an extra cautious mama, we got you covered! We carry plenty of skincare that is 100% free of fillers, parabens, fragrance, sulfates, and dyes. Most importantly, when dealing with hormonal skin, don’t shy away from treating it. We know there can be a lot of stressors when it comes to being pregnant, so don’t let your skincare be of them!
If you are looking for a general guideline and haven’t spoken to your doctor yet, shelf all products with the following: concentrated retinol/vitamin A, salicylic acid, hydroquinone, and benzoyl peroxide, as well as any at-home microcurrent tools for now. You may see trace amounts of retinyl palmitate in some of your products. Even though that is technically a vitamin A derivative, it is a very weak version that’s not used as an active ingredient or in high doses in our products.
Just a warning, though, that hormones may cause flare-ups for both acne and hyperpigmentation, so you may need to amp up your regimen a bit – especially during the first trimester. For both of those skin conditions, our number one favorite ingredient is mandelic acid. Mandelic acid is gentle, exfoliating, brightening, anti-bacterial, and it inhibits the production of melanin (which can trigger melasma in pregnant women). Most importantly, mandelic acid has been deemed 100% pregnancy safe! It is also non-irritating, so if you are wanting to take control of your skin during pregnancy, using a full mandelic acid regimen is the go-to for expecting mothers.
If you are not quite ready to come into the studio or morning sickness has got you stuck in bed, book a virtual consultation to find out how to tweak your current regimen and what changes you might expect while pregnant.