Skin Health in Pregnancy

Due to significant hormonal changes within your body, pregnancy has an impact on your skin. Few women are fortunate enough to enjoy the pregnancy glow from the time of conception until the baby is delivered. Pregnancy skin care requires a rigorous practice that, when followed, produces beautiful results. You can boost your skin health with Momly’s mom community-advised skincare routine plan.

Before that, check the skin issues mentioned below that bother most pregnant women during pregnancy.

Common skin issues faced by pregnant women are:

· Skin acne or pimple breakouts – Pimple breakouts are due to hormonal changes and active oil glands

· Skin pigmentation – Due to an increase in melanin, you will see your skin getting darker. The dark pigmentation will be in your nipples, genital region and tummy.

· Itchy skin or rashes – Your skin gets very dry during pregnancy, resulting in itches and rashes. If you have skin issues, it can worsen when you are expecting.

Skincare ingredients that you should avoid:

Retinoids: It is a common ingredient used in most skin care products. Though it alleviates and promises relief to skin acne, and pimples and prevents them from scarring your face, it can pose harm to your growing baby like birth defects and neural problems.

Salicylic acid: Salicylic acid is often found in skin creams. Best to avoid it when pregnant as it is unsafe for your baby. It can cause and worsen pregnancy complications.

Hydroquinone: While this ingredient is to soothe dark pigmentation and skin tags, pregnant women should avoid skin products with Hydroquinone content as it results in birth defects and chronic issues in their babies.

Tips for having good skin during pregnancy:

Exercise – Regular exercise is good for your skin health. Your skin feels nourished after good prenatal yoga and exercise. When pregnant, join a prenatal yoga or Lamaze class to know various pregnancy yoga asanas and pelvic floor exercises. With a strict workout regimen, you can prevent skin breakouts and enjoy a pregnancy glow for a long time.

Rest – As much as fitness and movement are important, you should also let your body rest. Sleep is important in repairing tissues and boosting your skin health. Your skin feels fresh, smooth, and acne-free after a good quality sleep. Do activities that calm you before bedtime to train your body and mind to sleep. Join Garbhasanskar classes to learn skills and activities to keep your mind positive and stress-free.

Healthy diet – “You are what you eat”. This is a famous saying and holds so true at all times. More importantly, what you eat matters when it comes to skin health. A balanced diet rich in pregnancy-safe foods like fruits and vegetables, lean protein, nuts and seeds, and low-fat dairy is important in your pregnancy diet to ensure you get full maternal nutrition. What you eat reflects on your skin and keeps your skin in order. Junk foods and sugar-high foods will worsen skin acne and cause more pimples to break. Speak to a dietician or a nutritionist to know what foods you can eat, and what foods you can avoid and get a personalised meal chart from the expert. Following a meal plan will help you greatly in weight management and portion control.

Reduced stress – Stress and anxiety are part of your pregnancy ride. Due to fluctuating hormones, you will be affected by a lot of stress during pregnancy. To keep stress at bay, plan your routine that comprises a healthy diet, fitness and exercise activities and positivity-boosting activities like garbhasanskar. Feel free to speak to a counsellor or a therapist in case you are not able to manage your stress.

Momly tips: What skin routine you should follow during pregnancy?

Pimple in pregnancy is common. It is due to the play of hormones. Using a gentle cleanser and keeping the skin make-up free is a sure way to avoid pimples, says Anam, Momly mom

Divya, Momly mom, agrees to it and offers tips, “Consider breathing exercises to balance your hormones, check magnesium in your diet, have a routine exercise in place, listen to your body and eat healthy citrus-rich fruits. You can also follow a simple skin routine – Take cotton, add lemon drops to it, apply it to pimples and keep it for 10-15 minutes and rinse off. Using virgin coconut oil as a moisturiser also helps. She further adds, “Your hormones will settle in your second and third trimester and the skin issues will resolve on their own”

Supriya, Momly founder, adds, “Nothing to worry. Pimples and skin discolouration are normal in pregnancy. It will fade off post-delivery”

“Try acne star gel over the affected area overnight and use a gentle cleaner like Sebamed foaming face cleanser for scars”, suggests Momly mom

Nutritionist Archana Goyal who is also a Momly mom, advises, “Pregnancy is a period where lot of changes happens throughout the nine-month journey. Eating a balanced diet, and maintaining a good water intake with a healthy skin routine will lower skin troubles in pregnancy”