Growing a new human inside your body is legitimately amazing, but with all those hormones flying around comes a whole new slew of beauty concerns. Pregnancy is usually associated with thicker hair and glowing skin. Thanks to these hormones flooding your body. However, these same hormones may also lead to a long battle with skin and hair woes down the line. Pregnancy skin changes can run the gamut from excessive dryness and melasma to yes, fabled glow. The hormonal storm can cause an array of beauty complaints taking a toll on your pregnancy skincare and haircare routine.
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That said, when you are expecting, it’s even more important to be conscious of what you put in and on your body. Why? Well, your baby is like a sponge for all the things you put on and inside your body, which is why it’s incredibly important to know what skincare and haircare products are safe to use when you are pregnant. So, before you proceed with your normal beauty routine or start treating these skin-related pregnancy side-effects, we’re listing down the best skin care and hair care routine and products you can try to treat any issues that crop up.
Skin Care And Hair Care Ingredients To Avoid During Pregnancy
Pregnancy is not the right time to start a brand-new ingredient or treatment plan. It’s best to focus on moisturising, coddling, and hydrating the skin. So those pesky freckles that you’ve been wanting to tackle, leave it for after you are done with breastfeeding.
Plus, a lot of pregnancy hormones play an essential role in driving changes in the hair texture and growth of mother-to-be. Even though the hair development and the texture appear to be sound during the pregnancy, it is after labour that women can find issues with dryness, stress-induced hair loss, and changing textures, and strengths. So, here are some key ingredients to avoid during pregnancy.
- Retinoids: Retinoids and retinol are vitamin A derivatives that are not advised during pregnancy. Look for retinyl- on the ingredient list, and avoid.
- Salicylic Acid: Low dosage of salicylic acid during pregnancy is allowed. However, lactic acid is a safer alternative if needed.
- Oxybenzone: It is best to avoid oxybenzone as it is a known endocrine disrupter. Use physical sunscreens instead, like titanium dioxide and zinc.
- Hydroquinone: The skin ingredient is known to lighten pigmentation and acne scars. However, it’s use in pregnant women is controversial.
- Essential Oils: While many essential oils are safe and beneficial to use when pregnant, some are best avoided. Safe ones are ylang-ylang, lavender, jasmine, mandarin, rose, grapefruit, chamomile, and geranium.
- Artificial Hair Dyes: It is advisable to keep away from artificial hair colours as some of them may contain harmful chemicals or have strong aromas, which may cause contact irritant dermatitis at times. Just in case you’re worried about grey hair, opt for henna which is natural and harmless, compared to chemical-laden formulations.
- Parabens, fragrances, and preservatives: While shampoos and conditioners can seem pretty innocuous, they are mostly chock-full with parabens, fragrances, and preservatives. This mixes up with the steam in the shower and is often inhaled, and is applied on the scalp. So it’s best to avoid these ingredients, skip harsh cleansers and essential oils as well.
A Step-By-Step Pregnancy Skin Care Routine
In addition to choosing skincare products that are safe for your developing baby, you should also change your skincare routine to help with the common skin issues that are related to pregnancy. Below, find the complete guide to building a pregnancy-safe skincare routine.
Step 1: Cleanse
Start with a cleansing gel, if your skin feels too tight and taut, you can switch to a natural face wash like this one. Infused with vitamin C, it will not only cleanse your skin but will also soften and replenish it.
Step 2: Apply This Vitamin C-Infused Toner
We suggest trying a natural daily face toner. Toner helps to seal in the moisture and sets the rest of the skincare products up for success. This toner by Moms co. removes excess oil, tightens pores, evens out the skin tone and balances skin’s pH level. It’ll leave you with the dewiest skin at the first step post-cleansing. The product is formulated with the safest forms of Vitamin C, Niacinamide, Green Tea Extract and 5 plant AHA’s and is a pregnancy-safe formula. The skin-loving ingredients contain plant chemicals that help reverse sun damage to your skin and may help in minimizing pigmentation as well.
Step 3: Apply A Vitamin C Serum
You can use a lightweight natural serum and indulge in the process of jade rolling. It is safe, enjoyable and helps give your face a great lymphatic massage, which will aid in reducing puffiness, which is especially important as your pregnancy progresses.
Step 4: Layer It With A Lightweight Moisturiser
If you have dry skin, opt for moisturisers with heavy-duty hydrators such as hyaluronic acid to give your skin a hefty dose of moisture. If you’re dealing with pigmentation, look for vitamin C-based face creams like the one here.
Step 5: Apply An Under-Eye Cream, Followed By A Natural Sunscreen
Physical sunscreen like this one works great if you’re expecting.
How To Build A Body Care Routine
From stretch marks and body acne to itchiness and rashes, your skin will go through many changes during pregnancy. It’s crucial to take care of your body with nourishing products that keep it smooth and supple. Keep scrolling to know the best pregnancy safe skincare routine and shop the products along the way.
Step 1: Add A Body Butter To Your Body Care Routine
Stretching and growing bellies often rob the skin of its natural moisture leading to dryness, itching and stretch marks. This Natural Body Butter is a rich combination of cocoa and shea butter with moisturizing oils that increase your skin’s natural elasticity, providing comfort to your stretching belly, hips and breasts.
Step 2: Layer It With Stretch Oil To Reduce The Appearance Of Stretch Marks
This Natural Stretch Mark Bundle with the Natural Body Butter and Natural Stretch Oil work together to soothe and moisturise itchy and dry skin, build collagen and heal wounds and scars. The products are dermatologically tested and safe to use during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Step 3: Apply A Nipple Cream To Sooth Sore, Cracked Nipple
This Natural Nipple Butter is a combination of oils and waxes that help soothe sore and cracked nipples. Made with completely safe and natural ingredients, you’ll never need to worry about washing before breastfeeding your baby.
Pro Tip If You’ve Dry Skin
Always opt for non-comedogenic moisturising creams that won’t clog pores. Skincare isn’t one-size-fits-all so you might have to experiment a bit to find some that suit you. Look for uber-nourishing products that contain butters, hyaluronic acid, plant-based oils, or natural skin-calming ingredients.
Pro Tip If You’ve Acne-Prone Skin
A low dosage of glycolic acid, lactic, or azelaic acid is deemed to be safe. However, it’s best to consult your dermat. Vitamin C serums can be used to soothe and brighten the area.
Step-By-Step Pregnancy Hair Care Routine Guide
While pregnancy is one of the best phases for your tresses, it’s post-pregnancy that the issues arise. So while you are still carrying your baby, you can go easy with haircare. Follow this 3-step hair care routine during pregnancy as well as after birth.
Step 1: Give Your Scalp A Nourishing Massage
This one’s a great scalp treatment that uses a targeted blend of vitamins, extracts, and natural oils. The ingredients not only soothe and moisturise the scalp but also help strengthen the roots, add shine, and promote the growth of hair. If you’re on a quest to get Rapunzel-esque tresses, this is the product to call on. The best bits? It’s made of all-natural ingredients and is totally safe for those who are expecting.
Step 2: Follow It With This Protein-Infused Natural Shampoo
This hair-saving formula infuses protein back into the hair, helping to repair past damage while adding protection for the future. You can expect to see less frizz and smoother hair the first time you use this shampoo. This shampoo replenishes lost proteins, which helps strengthen your strands and protect the hair against frizz-causing humidity.
Step 3: Apply This Hair Spa Cream To Get Luscious Locks
The protein-infused conditioner is formulated with hydrolyzed silk protein, hydrolyzed wheat protein, murumuru butter, and argan oil that help strengthen the roots while adding shine. These good-for-hair ingredients help in accelerating keratin production to promote the growth of healthy hair.
Step 4: Serum To Add That Pro-Level Shine
Finally, apply a few drops of serum through the length of your strands to give your hair a mirror-like shine.
Follow this pregnancy safe skin care and hair care routine to pave the way to glowing skin and glossy locks!
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