Pregnancy Skin And Hormonal Breakouts
I've been very blessed with problem-free skin throughout my life, thanks to my mom and grandmother. I never had to deal with acne or intense breakouts during puberty. If I did experience any breakout, it would typically just be one big pimple that would go away relatively quickly. Over the past few years, I have tried to be more mindful of using cleaner beauty products but have never had an extensive skincare routine (sometimes, I'm lucky if I get time to wash my face in the morning). I eat all things in moderation and have never avoided any of the food groups, but rather have always focused on putting high-quality ingredients and food into my body.
With my two previous pregnancies, I never dealt with any skin breakouts or issues. If anything, my skin felt smoother and "glowier" than normal for most of those pregnancies. But, this one has been different. In the first trimester, I felt so awful and was in bed most of the time, so I wasn't really paying attention to my skin. At the beginning of the 2nd trimester, I consistently noticed significant changes in my skin. Daily I was getting clusters of breakouts on my cheeks and chin that looked like red rashes with pimples scattered in the center. Each morning I would wake up to a new bunch somewhere on my face. In addition to these breakouts, I was also getting waves of hot flashes and red, splotchy discoloration on my face, neck, and chest from time to time. Nothing in my skincare routine or diet had changed. It was all hormonal and linked to the pregnancy.
Here is what I have done the past two weeks, and I finally see a dramatic change in my skin, and the breakouts are now officially gone!
1) First thing I did was go and get a facial from Ronit of Sanctuary Spa 90041. She is thoughtful and takes a holistic approach to skincare, using super clean beauty products for her services. She will be sharing some of her knowledge with all of us in an upcoming post!
2) Next, I changed a bunch of my skincare products. Ronit turned me on to the Botnia line of clean skincare, which has well-formulated, gentle products. For the past two weeks, I have been using the following morning and night:
iS Clinical Cleansing Complex - This is a gentle gel cleanser that I have been using for years.
Botnia Hydrosol - I have been alternating between a Rose Hydrosol and Lavender Hydrosol after I cleanse. I also will spray my face throughout the day for some added hydration and a little pick- me up.
Botnia Daily Face Cream - I love this cream. It is nourishing without feeling heavy or greasy, and it is made with simple ingredients meant to soothe, heal, and hydrate skin. All the things I need!
iS Clinical Youth Complex Eye - This is the cream I have been using around my eyes for the past few years. It smooths and tightens all the areas around the eyes that need a little love.
3) No more Dairy or Caffeine - This one was tough but worth it. I was still having one cappuccino with whole milk in the morning during this pregnancy, full-fat yogurt in smoothies, and cheese whenever I felt like it. This past week, I have slowly removed both from my diet. I first switched to matcha in the morning instead of coffee, and now I am just having chai tea with oat milk to start the day. This was advice that nutritional chef, Sarah Pachelli, gave me when she saw my breakouts. Immediately she said, cut out dairy and caffeine, and it will clear up. Well, it worked. One week later, and my skin is officially clear!
4) Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate - And, like always, drink a ton of water! Get a favorite water bottle, keep it filled, and by your side. I really like this Yeti Tumbler like this with a straw for easy drinking.
I know that changing your diet is often challenging, but honestly, it's worth starting there to see if it makes a difference. Easier and more affordable than buying and testing a bunch of beauty products out!
