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With all the exciting changes you will experience during pregnancy, your skin should be the least of your worries. Your skin, unfortunately, goes through major changes as your pregnancy progresses; after all, it is the largest organ of your body. It is very complex and varies widely across the human population. With pregnancy adding hormones to the mix, that creates even more variation. Through diligent research and personal trials, I found three fantastic lines that were able to tackle my most annoying skin woes: breakouts, stretch marks, and itchiness/dryness.
Please keep in mind, your skin will change all throughout your pregnancy, so you may notice variations in your problems from week-to-week, and sometimes even on a daily basis. Be patient with your skin. Remember, you are growing a miracle inside that gorgeous body of yours.
Break-outs
This is one of the first issues I dealt with during my pregnancy. Now while I wouldn't necessarily call my break-outs "acne," it sure did start to feel that way on top of everything else I was experiencing. Thanks to hormones, I started breaking out half-way through my first trimester. On top of having these irritating pimples on my face, I started breaking out on my back and chest too! As someone who rarely had skin issues in this past, this was quite a shock and surprise to me. Even more of a shock were all the warnings I read about the use of certain skin care products while pregnant. Without going into too much detail - and to leave the actual medical advice to your OB/GYN - you, as a pregnant woman, need to be cognizant of the types of chemicals that have been shown to cause harmful defects in the growing fetus. These include, but are not limited to: benzoyl peroxide, vitamin A, oxybenzone and octylmethoxycinnamate (found in sunscreens), parabens, sulfates, and phthalates.
Personally, I wanted to avoid using medications or products with harsh chemicals during my pregnancy. After lots of research, and some sampling here and there, I found that a combination of two skincare lines really helped tame my break-outs. First, I started using the Simple skincare line which can be found in any grocery or drug store. Simple is known for providing hypoallergenic, non-irritating products at a fantastic price. I already used their facial cleanser but noticed that it was not as effective as before I got pregnant.
After I began researching some products for my business, I ran across Novena Maternal Skin Care out of Florida. Their skin line is a little bit pricier than your average drug store products, but they are well worth it. Novena's products are organic, paraben-free, and free of harsh chemicals. They also claim their products are not watered-down and that is, by far, my favorite thing about this line. You do not have to use a lot to get the results you want, so their products last a while, which in-turn, makes it worth your money.Their Organic Fruit Facial Cleanser is the best, and again, you don't have to use a lot at a time to get results. I paired this with my Simple daily moisturizer and I have had clear, beautiful skin - with the occasional blemish - the rest of my pregnancy. Even with the occasional blemish, I was able to tackle it quickly using Novena's Organic Citrus Acne Spot Gel.
Unfortunately, Simple does not offer their products to be sold by a third-party, like myself, but you can always head down to your local Walgreens or CVS and pick up any of their products. Hint for those that live in Texas - HEB always has coupons for Simple products for $2.00 off so keep an eye out for those! I do, however, offer four Novena Maternal Skincare products on my site and they can be found here. I highly recommend these products for the prevention and care of blemishes during your pregnancy!
Stretch Marks
After I found out I was pregnant, I started using cocoa butter immediately - praying it would prevent stretch marks - but could not stand the smell of it, so I just had to find another solution. That was when I first came across the Bella B Bodycare skincare line. They are based out of California and they pride themselves for formulating products that are organic and free of harsh chemicals. They are well-known for their Tummy Honey Butter stick (and cream) to moisturize skin and prevent stretch marks. I was very impressed with their products after ordering some trial-sized items online. The lotions never felt oily or greasy after application as they absorbed quickly into my skin. For me, I also like that they aren't scented so I could use their products with my normal perfume and body spritzes.
I'll admit, I did have some stretch marks sneak on through, starting mid-way through my pregnancy. I feel, however, they are very limited compared to other horror stories I have heard. Again, every body and every pregnancy is different, but my research (and trials) found that keeping your skin supple and moisturized is the best way to reduce the appearance of stretch marks. After they started to appear, I immediately started using Bella B's Stretchmark Fading Cream and boy, what a difference it makes. I highly recommend this and all of Bella B's products to use throughout the duration of your pregnancy.
Itchiness/Dryness
This unflattering issue started about half-way through my pregnancy. At first, I just felt dry everywhere, and no matter what kind of lotion I used, I could never find one that made my skin feel comfortable. I found myself just sitting there scratching my belly, which was very unlady-like. I sort of just dealt with it at first and doubled-up on lotion when ever I could, but then I would feel greasy and sticky later. After I discovered Bella B Bodycare I started using their Silk & Honey Moisturizing Body Lotion and it really calmed my skin without making it feel greasy. As my belly grew, the itchiness got a little worse, but I just applied this awesome lotion twice a day, and it really made a difference.
Another area of itchiness... my breasts. Now talk about unflattering! No worries though because Novena's Organic Stretchmark Breast Cream is a fantastic moisturizer for my skin and, so far, has prevented any stretch marks from popping up.
Currently, I offer 15 Bella B Bodycare products on my site including pre-natal, post-natal and baby products. I highly recommend these for use throughout your pregnancy and on your little one.
Please take the time to browse the site, and if you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact me!
Still glowing,
Carley R. Hall
