It’s no surprise that a lot of things change when you become pregnant. Aside from the obvious changes it stands to logic that as the rest of your body goes through its own transition, why wouldn’t your skin too? When you’re pregnant the way your skin behaves can radically change. During pregnancy, blood hormones change with an increase in oestrogen and the melanocyte stimulating hormone (MSH).

These hormones can significantly change the way our skin appears and behaves. In some cases, the pregnancy ‘glow’ is unexpectedly replaced by the skin becoming more sensitive and some mums to be might even experience period of acne, increased redness, or pigmentation. If you’re currently suffering and not sure what to turn to, it’s not all negative most of these changes are completely natural and most revert to your own ‘normal’ after your baby is born.

If you’re armed with the right pregnancy skincare regime you can tackle these symptoms head on, however, looking after your skin during pregnancy also raises concerns over the type of products that can safely be used. The key is to invest in something that is safe and effective yet suitable for even the most sensitive skin. Enter Heath Skin…

Ingredients best to avoid.

Along with a list of what you can and can’t eat there is also a list of skincare ingredients that are best to swiftly remove from your skincare routine once you see those two blue lines. Our best advice is to simplify your skincare routine immediately and remove anything too harsh or abrasive as some mum to be’s skin is much more sensitive. A really edited routine of simply a good cleanser, toner, serum, moisturiser, and SPF is more than adequate.

Vitamin A / Retinol: Some studies have linked retinol-based products to birth and child defects, so it advised that they are best avoided in pregnancy and during breastfeeding. On top of this, retinols increase cell turnover and make the skin much more prone to irritation, sun damage and developing pigmentation. Not what we want.

AHA’s / BHA’s: Once again this is similar to the advice above, removing these ingredients from your skincare routine can help to minimise the effects of radically changing hormones has on the skin. Minimising any use of these products can help to reduce inflammation (very closely related to melasma or also known as the ‘mask of pregnancy’), hormonal acne, rosacea, and increased sensitivity in pregnancy.

What do we replace it with?

You’d be forgiven for looking at this list and thinking well what can I use to help me manage these symptoms. Heath Skin has been developed to be just as effective on skin that is extremely sensitive. Developed in association with dermatologist and cosmetics scientists, Heath Cosmeceuticals are clinically tested with proven results so you can feel safe in the knowledge that you and your baby are protected. We use plant-based botanicals such as algae peptides, argireline, aloe vera, burdock root extract, and vitamin C to allow beautiful, healthy skin to flourish pre- and post-baby!

For a list of our products that are safe and effective for use in pregnancy check out our specially curated product selection under our dedicated skin concern page