Sometimes becoming a mom is more difficult than we imagine it to be. Before you even get to the motherhood part, pregnancy offers its own host of challenges. Being a mom will come naturally, but the physical and emotional changes you experience beforehand can be surprisingly challenging!
During this nine month stretch of hormonal shifts, food cravings, and unusual body changes, a woman’s skin is bound to experience changes, too.
Whether you have that pregnancy glow where passerby’s are “oooo-ing and ahhh-ing” at your radiance or the bothersome uneven skin tone that can come with it, this article is meant to give you insight on what’s happening and to provide you with at-home ideas to help.
Pregnancy Glow
If you’ve got that glowing complexion, you’re lucky to have the lowest maintenance skin condition of them all. The only thing you need to prepare yourself for is lots of compliments!
where does the glow come from?
The pregnancy “glow” usually starts to appear in the second trimester and is caused by an increase in blood volume to all organs and the growing fetus. This volume increases the amount of blood vessels present on the face and in turn, increases oil secretion, giving the skin a dewy glow.
Our recommendation
We love recommending our Coconut Honey Mask as a weekly treatment to help maintain your beaming beauty. Honey is a natural humectant which promotes hydration. It also is high in Vitamin C and B, as well as live enzymes that will help nourish all skin types.
Feeling hungry? Spread some of it on toast. It’s so natural, you can eat it!
Temporary Color Changes in the Skin
While some women’s skin is flawless during pregnancy, others may experience uneven skin tone. So why do pigment changes accompany you during pregnancy? It’s likely that hormones are the culprit here, since estrogen, progesterone and the melanocyte-stimulating hormone (MSH) greatly increase during these months.
Nearly 50-70 percent of women struggle with uneven skin tone during pregnancy. Of this percentage, usually those with dark-skinned complexions are more prone to this condition, though lighter skin tones can have it, too.
What can you do about it?
Eat foods rich in folic acid.
Incorporate leafy greens, asparagus, broccoli, citrus, beans, peas, avocado, seeds and nuts into your pregnancy diet to promote an even skin tone. Also, don’t forget to take your prenatal vitamins daily!
Protect yourself when exposed to the sun.
UV light can escalate dark spots on the skin and make it difficult for them to fade with ease after pregnancy. We recommend using a mineral and chemical free sunscreen anytime you want to soak up some rays.
Brighten your skin’s look with vitamin C.
Creating a skin care routine can be quite tricky during pregnancy with the many toxic chemicals floating around out there. Vitamin C is deemed safe and a powerful antioxidant that can help brighten your skin’s appearance.
Feed your skin a daily dose of vitamin C, which can be found in our potent Citrus Stem Cell Serum, also featured in our collection of brightening skin care.
Oily Skin and Pregnancy
Another conflict many pregnant women face is that their skin gets oilier. This can be an inconvenience on top of everything else you’re going through, so here are some preventative steps to help calm the oiliness and clogged pores:
- Wash your face twice daily with a gentle, pH balanced cleanser. For oily skin, you’ll want to use a cleanser such as our Citrus Mint Facial Cleanser.
- Moisturize daily with a purifying facial oil. Try our Herbal Facial Oil for Oily Skin to help balance natural oils.
- Incorporate a deep cleansing mask treatment to absorb excess oil in the skin. Rhassoul, bentonite and french rose and green clays are wonderful healing clays that’ll get your skin looking fresh and purified. Mix our Purifying Mud Mask with water or apple cider vinegar to remove impurities.
- Eating a clean, organic diet will also encourage clean, unclogged skin. Cut out the refined sugars and grains (eat whole grains instead), saturated fats (found in fried foods), and too much dairy. Instead, add in skin nourishing foods such as organic greens, avocado, salmon, walnuts, fresh fruits and vegetables.
Often times, the skin troubles you experience during pregnancy will be gone once your bump becomes a baby. Even though these symptoms fade naturally, 9 months is a long time to not be feeling great about your skin.
We hope these tips help you trade your pregnancy woes for a pregnancy glow. Of course, the heartfelt rewards of motherhood will keep you glowing long after your little one arrives.
What skin changes have you experienced during pregnancy? What treatments have worked for you?
I’m having a baby! Being pregnant, as delightful and happy as it is, is still no excuse to let yourself go. A wife still has to look good for her husband, I reckon. I’ll be sure to eat foods good for my pregnancy, as well as try a few honey-based products. Be sure to watch your sugar intake though.You’ve been very helpful. Thanks for the great tips!