How to Survive Pregnancy Acne

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Pregnancy acne is the worst. And because you’re carrying a baby, you have to be extra cautious about what methods you use to treat it. Here’s how to do it safely.

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So much changes from the moment you find out that you are expecting to the moment when you first hold that sweet little baby in your arms. It’s your job to protect them from everything harmful – and this starts whenever they are growing inside your womb. We almost have to approach everything different at that point. We change what we eat, what we drink, and most definitely – the chemicals we surround ourselves with.

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Whenever you’re pregnant, you have to be extra concerned about reading product labels and making sure that you are choosing the gentlest products to use on your skin. We all focus so much on making sure that we are ingesting the healthiest things, but we too often forget that our skin is our largest organ and 80% of everything applied to it immediately goes into our blood stream. And whenever you are pregnant, that’s shared with your growing baby.

But pregnancy acne, is a whole different beast. It’s tough because you know that you have to treat your skin with extra care during this time in your life, but you also just want to get rid of those freaking breakouts once and for all. Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered.

What causes pregnancy acne?

In order to treat it, you should first know what causes it. And also, that pregnancy acne is very common and you are most definitely not alone in this struggle. What to Expect says, “Two things conspire to cause breakouts, which tend to hit sometime around week 6 of pregnancy: hormone surges, of course (in this case, progesterone, which causes your glands to increase acne-causing secretions of oil, called sebum) can clog up pores and cause bacteria to build up, leading to breakouts. And your body is also retaining more fluids, which contain toxins that can lead to zits.”

Welp, that makes total sense.

How to Treat Pregnancy Acne

Eating right and staying hydrated are obviously your first step in making sure that your skin stays healthy. Beyond that, the key word when treating pregnancy acne really is gentile. Veer away from picking at your skin or trying to scrub pregnancy acne away. I also don’t recommend using any types of treatments during pregnancy, unless you clear it with your doctor first.

Cleanse Gentile. I know that whenever we feel or see pimples starting to emerge, we instantly want to cleanse over and over in an attempt to wash it away. Don’t do that! Over-washing is only going to irritate your already sensitive pregnancy skin. Instead, opt for a cleansing oil instead (you can ready more about the wonders of cleansing oil here).

Try: Countertime Lipid Defense Cleansing Oil

This lightweight cleansing oil gently yet effectively removes makeup and impurities without stripping essential lipids from the skin – which is exactly what you need during pregnancy. And as an added bonus, the Bakuchiol in the cleansing oil greatly helps prevent against dry skin acne (which occurs most of the time during pregnancy) and prevents against anti-aging with plant based products.

Moisturize Gentle. Using a moisturizer both morning and night is just as important to help with pregnancy acne as it is any other time in your life. Skin that is overly oily is most likely over-producing oil because whatever your using to cleanse is stripping your skin of its natural oils.

Try: Countermatch Adaptive Moisture Lotion

This lightweight lotion adapts to the skin throughout the day* to keep up with modern life. Not only does it provide up to 24-hours of hydration—it offers the essential building blocks of hydration, nutrition, and oxygenation to keep skin soft, smooth, and glowing.

Protect your skin from the sun. Not only is your skin more sensitive to the sun during pregnancy, but a lot of the lotions and cleansers you use for acne, especially during pregnancy, make your skin more susceptible to sun burns and sun damage.

Try: Dew Skin Tinter Moisturizer with SPF or Countersun Mineral Sunscreen Lotion SPF 30

Applied daily, both of these products will greatly aid in protecting your skin against any harmful damage from the sun’s rays.

LOOKING MORE MORE BEAUTY TALK? I’VE GOT YOU COVERED!

Do you have any tride and true remedies for managing pregnancy acne? I also think that educating yourself about your skincare is so important all the time, but especially important during pregnancy. Let yourself become familiar with beauty product and skincare labels so that you can make the best choices for yourself. I will always, always recommend a clean beauty routine because it will definitely play a major role in giving you the most control over what’s being absorbed into your blood stream through your skin.

If you have any questions, I’m always happy to help you come up with the best clean skincare routine to control your pregnancy acne. Shop with me here or email me allison@projectmotherhoodnyc.com

XOXO,

Allison