I recently discovered Beautycounter- they are totally safe for pregnant and nursing mothers. All ingredients go through rigorous safety testing- both skin care and cosmetics. I love the products so much that I became a consultant! Check out https://www.beautycounter.com/stephanieparker if you want more info
I am 5 weeks and have always had pretty good skin, never any problems with acne or redness. AHOY REDNESS! My face is blotchy as can be. Thinking about splurging and changing up my moisturizer. Right now I use Cetaphil cleanser for all skin types.and that seems to still be working fine.
I have had a few pimples pop up here and there, but not a lot so I'm lucky. The ones I've had have been pretty bad though. Just a few days ago, I developed a rash. It's almost like a heat rash...behind my knees, tops of thighs, where my thigh meets my hips, under my boobs, and on my sides. I spoke with the doctor and she said it wasn't anything to be concerned about, but that I could take Benadryl and use hydrocortisone cream. It's been about three days now...hoping this goes away.
My skin had 2 pimples right before/during ovulation & conception but it seems to have calmed down now. Still pretty oily, it's been consistently like that since I stopped BCP in January.
Just wanted to say thank you to this thread for bringing up Salycilic acid as a no-no. Two days before I read this I started using medicated pads to treat a corn on my toe (gross, I know). Main ingredient: 40% Salycilic acid. I had no idea and the packaging said nothing about avoiding when pregnant. My OB said it'll be okay since it was only for a little bit, but not to use from now on. She said (and I've also read) that topical use with 2% or less is okay. I've started googling everything I come in contact with or think of purchasing now.
I had bad skin issues long before I ever got pregnant and even at 32 I've been on dermatologist prescribed products for years to keep everything in check. Obviously I've had to stop all that since finding out I was pregnant but my derm did mention that if I flare up in pregnancy there are a few pregnancy safe options out there we could try, they just don't work as well as the full strength stuff. Anyways, if it is really bothering you I would recommend asking your GP or seeing a derm since there are options out that that are safer than over the counter no-nos like salicylic acid or benzyl peroxide through prescription from a medical professional. (Don't quote me but I think maybe erythromycin was one he mentioned.)
I found something that works and is safe!!! My skin has been more oily lately AND I've broken out more in acne on my face. Most of my skin care stuff for acne was salicylic acid or benzyl peroxide...so I mixed Coconut Oil and some drops of Tea Tree Oil essential oils (therapeutic grade) and it's reduced the redness and puffiness by a ton, and the pimples are much smaller now and I am getting less new ones. Even the new ones I get are much smaller than before. Also, my skin tone and oiliness is more even
Just coconut oil and tea tree oil! I put on a tiny bit, you don't need much at all, like a pea sized amount or less. You'll get a feel for it.
I started doing facials and exfoliating once a week on top of my usual acne wash. I just couldnt get my face to stop flaking and breaking out. Posh cosmetics has good facials for good prices and moisterizers. It's kept most of my dry skin at bay.
I am currently 9wks with baby#2 and my skin is just horrible. I have broken out like crazy all over my face, neck, scalp, chest and back. It is crazy painful and attempting to cover it up seems to only make it worse. With DS, my skin was incredible so this caught me off guard! I am 30 and have not had acne issues for many years...
I recently started using the Tea Tree Oil line from the Body Shop and I am seeing some improvement...I know the acne is a hormonal issue and topical treatment will not help much...but a girl has GOT to try!
Lots of skin issues here also. Oily and dry at the same time. I use a cleansing nourising mask once a week and coconutoil. When the temperature drops (to hot to go outside now) i think i'll get some natural masks by Yes to carrots and some burts bees cream
My dermatologist put me on a glycolic acid face wash (which is completely pregnancy and nursing safe) which really helps with the hormone related acne. I also use it on my chest since I seem to be having more of a problem there this time! It's called NeoStrata Foaming Glycolic Face Wash, and although it isn't a prescription, it can be difficult to find. I get mine from Amazon.
I keep having pimples pop up in different places. Face chest legs. I'll see one then maybe a few days later it's gone ants there if one somewhere else. I've been using aveeno facial soap on my face. I'm normally not super oily on my face but today as a I talking to a student I wiped my forehead with my hand and it was oil all over it like I didn't wash my face at all before going to work.
I'm breaking out bad! I am 6w 4 today.. what can I use to wash my face? Been using dove or Irish spring soap...
Don't use soap on your face! It dries out your skin, which makes it produce more oil and your pores get clogged. Plus, dry skin is wrinkly skin. I literally wash my face with oil and I avoid breakouts. Mix coconut oil with baking soda (3:1) and scrub your fave, then use a hot washcloth to rinse. Leave the residual oil on your skin as moisturizer.
I just found out we are expecting and glad to know that I have been using Younique which is a natural based cosmetic and skin care line but the main thing is they use European standards which bands over 1300 chemicals as the United States only banes 8!!! How awful is that so please READ Labels and take care of your skin Ladies !!!!
Does anyone else experience red dots,maybe blood vessels, on your breasts? I vaguely remember this from my first pregnancy but I thought it happened much further along.. I'm only around 5 weeks..I think. I am waiting for dr confirmation due to irregular cycle it has been hard for me to determine exactly how far along I am.. but they popped up last night.. these tiny bright red dots on my chest! With my first I thought they were the start of stretch marks but now I'm thinking it may be something else.. I would hope with all the stretch marks I already have, I won't be getting any new ones
I have itchy skin and bumps/ rashes. Does anyone else have this problem??
Me: 33, DH: 40 July 2016: IVF #1 (froze embryos) Aug. 2016: Hysteroscopy to remove a few polyps & Laparoscopy Oct. 2016: FET #1 BFN Nov. 2016: FET #2 BFP (ended in CP) March 2017: IVF #2 Fresh Transfer of 2 Blasts = BFP!!! (EDD: 11/27/17) Froze 5 Blasts DS born on 11/2/17!!! Back to try for Baby #2
Ugh, I didn't know benzoyl peroxide was a no-no, and I'm almost 7 weeks. Guess it's time to find something else.
Same here! I'm a little over 7 weeks and this is news to me: no benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid? Those are acne staples. I had no idea. i'm sure it's not a big deal as long as we stop now but I'm disappointed. I do have a lactic acid based product from Sunday Riley but that shit's expensive. I don't like using it every day. Oh well. Maybe we'll start clearing up later?
I am 7.5 weeks pregnant and I'm having problems with very dry skin. I didn't have many skin problems before and it's sooooo dry. I bought cetaphil on my face the last two days and it stings (just the regular non scented one). Don't know what I should do?
Safe: salicylic acid (TOPICAL) - Cat B. azeleic acid benzoyl peroxide - Cat B. erythromycin (TOPICAL) glycolic acid, AHA, BHA - Cat B. Although there are animal studies showing negative effects, the chemical was administered in much higher doses than that in human cosmetics products light therapy sunscreens, including zinc self tanners topical hair removal & bleaching agents
Pregnancy drug categories (https://chemm.nlm.nih.gov/pregnancycategories.htm) Category A - SAFE. Adequate and well-controlled studies have failed to demonstrate a risk to the fetus in the first trimester of pregnancy (and there is no evidence of risk in later trimesters).
Category B - Likely safe. Animal reproduction studies have failed to demonstrate a risk to the fetus and/or there are no adequate and well-controlled studies in pregnant women.
Category C - Needs supervision by doctor. Animal reproduction studies have shown an adverse effect on the fetus and there are no adequate and well-controlled studies in humans, but potential benefits may warrant use of the drug in pregnant women despite potential risks.
Category D - Avoid it unless it's absolutely necessary and your doctor says it's ok. There is positive evidence of human fetal risk based on adverse reaction data from investigational or marketing experience or studies in humans, but potential benefits may warrant use of the drug in pregnant women despite potential risks.
Category X - DO NOT USE. Studies in animals or humans have demonstrated fetal abnormalities and/or there is positive evidence of human fetal risk based on adverse reaction data.
I check the products I use and their ingredients on www.ewg.org/skindeep. There are so many products out there that contain unsafe ingredients, it's shocking!!! I'm a rep with Beautycounter if anyone is interested in learning about safe skin care options (we have baby products too!). Feel free to shoot me an inbox message
I received a gift set for Christmas from my sister by the brand REN which is a very clean brand and in the set was a moisturiser called the Ever Calm day moisturiser and it was a godsend! Really helped settle my super sensitive skin that had suddenly occurred once I got pregnant. I subsequently bought the full size moisturiser once I ran out and also the cleansing milk and would totally recommend. I really cut my skincare routine down to the basics and quite clean/green/organic products when I got pregnant, I do as follows if anyone is interested: I always double cleanse at night, first to take make up off with an oil cleanser (Burt’s Bee’s do a fantastic one) and second to clean the skin which is when I use the REN cleansing milk; and then a rosehip oil (I am using one by the Ordinary which is good and cheap) and then I might put a cream or something on top, it depends how my skin is feeling that day (I have been using the hydra genius by L’Oreal for the past fortnight which is more of a gel just to sort of sandwich my skin care and I think my skin looks lovely and plump and hydrated the next day so I think I will start using it more often). In the morning I wash my face with a Soap and Glory face wash that has vitamin C in it just to remove any leftover skincare from the night before and also to perk up my skin; then a rose water toning spray (I use one from Mario Badescu) ; followed by an eye cream (currently using Clinique pepstart as I got it in a gift bag but I prefer other ones for cheaper like the Garnier one with the caffeine and the little metal ball) ; next a hyaluronic acid based serum (I swear by the Vichy one) ; my REN ever calm comes next and finally an SPF 50 (La Roche Posey all the way!). And loads of lip balm all the time! My lips are so dry since I got pregnant, Vaseline to the rescue!
Currently a first time mom-to-be in my seventh week of pregnancy here! My poor chin erupted horribly very early on (apologies if this is TMI, but I had every kind of zit possible, right from tiny whiteheads to huge pus-filled boils ... yikes!) Luckily, I think I managed to beat the hormonal acne back with two things: one of them being kefir (an incredible source of beneficial bacteria, which I believe replenished my gut with the right microbes and reduced the bad bacteria on my skin) and switching to oil-based cleansers (I use a few products from R Devine skincare, mainly two different oil cleansers and a rhassoul clay mask.) The oil cleansers do contain essential oils, but only a total of 1% and is completely safe for use during pregnancy (although definitely make sure you clear any essential oil use with your physician first, just to be safe!) I hope that I continue to have good results going forward, and best of luck to all you other mommas-to-be with your method of choice!
I am 6+2 and my skin has been terribly dry since wk 4. I started using my already very gentle gel cleanser only 1x a day, otherwise I use just water and then use jojoba oil to moisturize. Jojoba oil is very similar to our skin's natural oils and it cleared me up FAST!
@finallypreggers1 Maybe try jojoba oil. Im 7.5 wks too and my face skin hasnt been dry using jojoba... but my scalp is SO DRY and SO ITCHY. I finally did a moisture treatment with some oil packet I found at whole foods and then put tea tree oil all over my scalp. It seems to be working so far.
If you are struggling with acne I highly highly recommend azeleic acid!! The brand name is Finacea. My dermatologist put me on it when I started TTC and it is AMAZING. I only use it at night, although the directions are twice per day. It has worked even better for me than the Spironolactone pills I was on before. My skin is the best it's been since I was on the combo pill like 4 or 5 years ago.
Ladies, I'm going to give you my best hands down face&skin care miracle: Norwex body cloths. Norwex makes microfiber cloths that have fibers that are 1/300th of a human hair soso th remove oil, dirt, and germs using ONLY WATER. So, no chemicals, no over drying, and safe for you and baby! ( They also make a ton of household cleaning and body products that only use water to clean, seriously check it out!) My skin has NEVER looked better, I'm acne prone even at 35 and so far, 5+ weeks into this pregnancy I've yet to see a blemish. TOTALLY worth it. I loved them so much I became a consultant, so if you have any questions, I'd be happy to answer!!!
I started breaking out badly at around seven weeks pregnant. Its so bad cystic acne and white heads. Im still trying to figure out how to get rid of them, but right now just washing twice a day with mild soap and using apple cider vinegar as a toner, with rose hip oil. I hope this helps because I dont want to use any harsh ingredients
I had perfect skin thanks to Differin gel but it’s not permitted during pregnancy and now I have horrible, painful cystic acne on my face. 😭 It’s so depressing.
I've got dryish skin and have found my skin breaking out the last few weeks. I recently read up about prickly pear oil but found many beauty brands that use it to be crazy expensive - then I found it in bulk for under 20 dollars on Amazon. Works a treat! I use a cleanser after showering and use it like a moisturiser over my whole body. Baby soft and dewy skin and far fewer breakouts.
I’m nearing 12 weeks and have Also been breaking out much more than is typical and have been trying to refine my arsenal to make sure it’s safe. My dermatologist says to keep it simple and has prescribed an azelaic acid gel and I also have been using the drunk elephant juju bar to cleanse and adult acnomel tinted gel to spot treat during the day. I also LOVE origins active charcoal mask, which works as an impressive overnight spot treatment. Will keep you posted on whether I get things under control.
I have itchy skin and bumps/ rashes. Does anyone else have this problem??
Is it possible you have eczema? I have had this pre-pregnancy but no flare ups since. This is what it sounds like to me! Not sure what to recommend, but maybe try reaching out to a dermatologist. Skip out on exfoliating when you see these breakouts/rashes.
Is it safe to use sulfer acne medication? I read to stay away from salycilic acid. Not sure about Sulfur, but Salicylic Acid is a no-go, although I see some people have mentioned it may be safe - I was told by my Esthetician that I should stay away from it. She's very knowledgeable and I've been going to her for years, so trust her word!
Re: How to deal with annoying pregnancy skin issues
if you want more info
Just coconut oil and tea tree oil! I put on a tiny bit, you don't need much at all, like a pea sized amount or less. You'll get a feel for it.
Married: 8/11/2007
DD: Born 2/3/17
BFP#2: 5/3, EDD 1/10/19
I am currently 9wks with baby#2 and my skin is just horrible. I have broken out like crazy all over my face, neck, scalp, chest and back. It is crazy painful and attempting to cover it up seems to only make it worse. With DS, my skin was incredible so this caught me off guard! I am 30 and have not had acne issues for many years...
I recently started using the Tea Tree Oil line from the Body Shop and I am seeing some improvement...I know the acne is a hormonal issue and topical treatment will not help much...but a girl has GOT to try!
Wishing you all the luck!
July 2016: IVF #1 (froze embryos)
Aug. 2016: Hysteroscopy to remove a few polyps & Laparoscopy
Oct. 2016: FET #1 BFN
Nov. 2016: FET #2 BFP (ended in CP)
March 2017: IVF #2 Fresh Transfer of 2 Blasts = BFP!!! (EDD: 11/27/17)
Froze 5 Blasts
DS born on 11/2/17!!!
Back to try for Baby #2
I bought cetaphil on my face the last two days and it stings (just the regular non scented one). Don't know what I should do?
Skincare precautions according to some scientific sources that I found. Links to the sources are at the end.
Definitely do not use: Accutane (most people know this)
Avoid: retinol products (Cat C), hydroquinine, tetracyclin (Cat D), hormonal therapy, oral erythromycin, co-trimoxazole, fluoroquinolones
Safe:
salicylic acid (TOPICAL) - Cat B.
azeleic acid
benzoyl peroxide - Cat B.
erythromycin (TOPICAL)
glycolic acid, AHA, BHA - Cat B. Although there are animal studies showing negative effects, the chemical was administered in much higher doses than that in human cosmetics products
light therapy
sunscreens, including zinc
self tanners
topical hair removal & bleaching agents
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3114665/
https://www.acog.org/Patients/FAQs/Skin-Conditions-During-Pregnancy
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40265-013-0060-0
Pregnancy drug categories (https://chemm.nlm.nih.gov/pregnancycategories.htm)
Category A - SAFE. Adequate and well-controlled studies have failed to demonstrate a risk to the fetus in the first trimester of pregnancy (and there is no evidence of risk in later trimesters).
Category B - Likely safe. Animal reproduction studies have failed to demonstrate a risk to the fetus and/or there are no adequate and well-controlled studies in pregnant women.
Category C - Needs supervision by doctor. Animal reproduction studies have shown an adverse effect on the fetus and there are no adequate and well-controlled studies in humans, but potential benefits may warrant use of the drug in pregnant women despite potential risks.
Category D - Avoid it unless it's absolutely necessary and your doctor says it's ok. There is positive evidence of human fetal risk based on adverse reaction data from investigational or marketing experience or studies in humans, but potential benefits may warrant use of the drug in pregnant women despite potential risks.
Category X - DO NOT USE. Studies in animals or humans have demonstrated fetal abnormalities and/or there is positive evidence of human fetal risk based on adverse reaction data.
I'm a rep with Beautycounter if anyone is interested in learning about safe skin care options (we have baby products too!). Feel free to shoot me an inbox message