Pregnancy Skin Care Guide

 A woman has to face many hormonal changes throughout her life, an important one being pregnancy. It is a beautiful moment as many women are fortunate to develop the so-called ‘Pregnancy glow’, but it is not the case with everyone as it comes with its own set of challenges.

Pregnancy can result in several skin changes like acne flare-ups, dry skin, hyperpigmentation, stretch marks etc., which need gentle care, and you must be extra careful while choosing the right ingredients/products that are safe for your skin as well as for your baby. With the help of products from CHOSEN®’s Stuff That Works® range and Curator’s Choice, this blog will be an excellent pregnancy guide to manage your skin woes effectively in a safe manner.

Here is a simple routine that we recommend to pamper your skin during pregnancy:

Morning Routine

• Cleanse your face gently with Sebamed/Cetaphil baby bar and pat dry with a clean towel.

• Follow through with SAFESCREEN™ Brigade Road, a mineral sunscreen formulated with non-nano Zinc Oxide, a safer option for pregnant women. Also, it is highly durable with SPF 50+, PA ++++ and water resistance for 6 hours, reducing the need for reapplication.

Evening Routine

• Thoroughly cleanse your face with Sebamed/Cetaphil baby bar to remove the sunscreen residue and pat dry with a clean towel.

• Use Light Routine® LED Mask for the stipulated time. There are specific instructions given in the manual, which will help you to work on your specific  skin concern. With its unique pigment line design, this mask is a chemical-free option to rejuvenate your skin in a safe manner.

• Once you are done with the LED protocol, you may apply a gentle moisturizer like Sebamed Care Gel/Avène Thermal Water Spray if you have dry skin. If you have oily, acne-prone skin, you can apply Re(d)covery™ serum which contains Tranexamic acid to safely manage acne and pigmentation. Tranexamic acid is a pregnancy category B drug and is not expected to cause any harm in pregnancy even in the oral form. So topical tranexamic acid may be considered safe during pregnancy. 

US-FDA Pregnancy Drug categories:

To enhance the efficacy of the above routine and to maintain glowing skin, We recommend you to eat a well-balanced diet with an adequate quantity of fruits and vegetables.

Skincare ingredients to avoid during pregnancy:

• Retinoids
• High dose salicylic acid
• Hydroquinone
• Phthalates
• Chemical UV filters
• Parabens
• Essential oils.

Pregnancy is a unique phase, where the body learns to adapt to the development of new life within. The skin changes are mostly related to the underlying hormonal changes, that reflect the stages of pregnancy, and are mostly normal. Pigmentation on the body which occurs during pregnancy usually goes away on its own. On the face, however, this pigmentation may persist as melasma in the long run. It is very important to stay out of the sun whenever possible and to use physical sun protection in addition to wearing sunscreen. Adding on a wide-brimmed hat can give you an added SPF between 3 and 7, depending on the width of the hat. Clothing can also provide you with added SPF, and this is a chemical-free route of saving your skin from the sun. In pregnancy, a holistic approach works well to keep the skin healthy and protected!