Pregnancy-safe skin care is a hot topic these days, especially around our Denver office where a few of our employees practice their own pregnancy-safe skin care advice (our Facial Aesthetics fam is growing with the cutest little humans!). Worth noting: all of these pregnant women around the office haven’t lost their glow…not even for a minute. Not even in the dry Colorado climate we live in.

So, what’s the secret? 

Today in The Beauty Room we’ll go over what you can + can’t do for your skin when you’re pregnant. Let’s begin…

First off, congratulations (we forgot that at the beginning!).

Creating life is one of life’s most beautiful miracles, and while it certainly brings on some changes and challenges when it comes to your skin, doing the right things for both you and your baby is so important. 

What’s that popular pregnancy myth, again? 

Girls steal your beauty.

Yea, we’re pretty sure gender doesn’t matter, the truth about pregnancy is that 90% of women develop skin changes of some kind including physiological or hormonal changes, worsening of pre-pregnancy skin conditions, and the appearance of new skin defects or skin conditions. 

An article in The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology states skin pigmentation is the most common problem during pregnancy. Close seconds are vascular changes, stretch marks, and acne. 

What causes skin problems in pregnant women?

Skin changes are mostly caused by an elevation of hormones (estrogen, progesterone, prolactic, HCG), an alteration in metabolism and adaptive immunity (our body’s built-up immunities).

Due to these changes, pregnant women may experience changes to their: pigmentation, hair, nails, glands, connective tissues, and blood vessels.

More than ever, women are becoming more aware and knowledgeable about product and treatment safety profiles to ensure they are doing what is best, not only for themselves but for their baby. It’s important to note that skin care among pregnant women is still a very understudied area, which makes sense right? There aren’t many women willing to have their babies be the guinea pigs when it comes to the effects of skin care on a fetus. But never the less, through both research and clinical trials, there are specific rules we follow and certain cautions we take when promoting safe skin care to our patients who are expecting. Interestingly it’s not just products with botanical ingredients that are safest for pregnant women. In fact, some of those products come with caution.

Here are a few ways you can care for your skin while pregnant:

Update your at-home routine with pregnancy-safe products.

Perhaps this is the most important of them all, so we’re going to lead with it. 

Skip the use of products with:

• • Vitamin A derivatives like Retin-A and retinol
  • Salicylic acid
  • Essential oils
  • Hydroquinone (other skin-bleaching agents)
  • Aluminum chloride 
  • Formaldehyde
  • Phthalates
  • Accutane
  • Chemical Sunscreens (look for products with active ingredients that are only: zinc oxide or titanium dioxide) 

*Before you discontinue use of any prescribed medications for your skin condition, make sure you discuss your pregnancy or plans to become pregnant with your health care professional, so they can recommend the best course of action for you and your baby moving forward.

Look for products with:

• • Gentle, fragrance-free properties
  • Antioxidants: vitamin C, E, K, green tea, etc.
  • Peptides
  • Hyaluronic acid 
  • Glycolic acid
  • Mineral Sunscreens

We offer pregnancy safe skin care products by beautifully crafted brands like: iS Clinical, Eminence Organics, Epicutis and EltaMD…but not all products that those brands offer will be safe for pregnancy which is why it’s important to visit your aesthetician to discuss your new routine upon finding out the exciting news. 

Schedule an appointment with your skin care professional

Just because you become pregnant doesn’t mean you have to stop seeing your favorite skin care gurus. You may have to take a hiatus from your favorite treatments like lasers, peels, and injectables (Botox/Filler), but there are some treatments that are entirely worth a visit to keep your skin healthy and vibrant all pregnancy long – and of course, there will always be your at-home routine that you may want to tweak with your skin care professional to ensure you’re using safe pregnancy products. We always tell our sweet soon-to-be-mamas: “don’t be a stranger” and we mean it. We love being part of the process! 

Schedule regular maintenance treatments: 

Keeping your skin healthy is the perfect self-care treat throughout pregnancy, after all, you deserve it! Depending on the plan set forth by your aesthetician and your specific skin care needs, treatments like the ones below can be scheduled every 4-6 weeks to keep your skin supple, healthy and glowing all pregnancy long:

• • Organic Facials
  • Dermaplane

• • Microdermabrasion

• • DiamondGlow

The worst thing you can do for your skin during pregnancy is to neglect it.

Schedule a consultation with one of our expert aestheticians to learn more about how you can care for your skin while pregnant.