Now that I am well into my third trimester and have perfected my "pregnancy skincare routine", I thought I would share it with y'all.
Before I begin, I do want to share a few things.
First of all, I am not a doctor so definitely check all products you are not sure about with your doctor.
I ran all these by my doctors and they were totally ok with it. (Some doctors are more lax than others so keep that in mind as well.)
The second thing I wanted to share is a website that I found useful to figure out what is and is not safe in skincare during pregnancy.
15 Minute Beauty (She also covers what's safe for breastfeeding and what shouldn't be used while pregnant of breastfeeding.)
She has ALLLLL the popular skincare brands and breaks it down by product what's safe pregnancy, breastfeeding and what you should avoid while pregnant & breastfeeding.
I use
this page which has each skincare/makeup brand broken out in alphabetical order.
I will say there were 2 of my products on her list that she said aren't safe during pregnancy, but after talking with my doctor, she said they were fine.
**A big one she says to stay away from is a lot of sunscreens. Living in Florida that is just not possible. This is something you should discuss personally with your doctor though IMO.**
My morning routine pretty much stayed the same as before. I recently switched up my sugar scrub though and OMG!! What a game changer.
This has been my ride or die cleanser for YEARS! I literally cannot switch to anything else.
This is the new scrub I've been using and I LOVE it. Prior to this one I was using
Tula Sugar Scrub. I also like that one a lot as well.
*I only do this step on Monday, Wednesday & Friday. My facialist told me I don't need to do this every day. It would be way to harsh on my skin.
I love a good vitamin C serum. If you do not currently use one, you should definitely add one to your routine. I've tried a few different ones and always end up going back to this one.
You always need a hyaluronic acid serum in your routine. I feel like pregnancy can really change your skin. If you're feeling extra dry, then this is for you! I just started using
this one and I really like it. It's also super affordable. I also use
this one &
this one. They all work great!
I love how lightweight this moisturizer feels. It's also a huge plus that it has SPF 40. Definitely need the SPF every day living in Florida.
This is great for helping to make me look like I got a good night's sleep, which is not always the case when you're growing a tiny human. I also really love the cooling effect it has.
This is really an all day thing. haha I started using their daytime lip balm, but it just doesn't compare to this. It's the only thing that makes my lips stay hydrated. I have like 5 tubs of this at all times.
My evening routine did change a little. The main thing I had to steer clear of here was retinol and acids.
My facialist gave me some other products to replace those for the time being. You should also talk to your doctor (OB or derm) about some things to replace these items with. My OB was also able to suggest some acids that are pregnancy safe.
Step 1: Clinique Cleansing Balm to help get all the dirt and grim off my face from the day. This also helps to easily remove all my makeup. I recently bought this
cleansing balm to try out and I can't wait to break it open.
Step 2: Cleanse with my
Tula cleanser. I told y'all this is my ride of die.
Step 3: Skin Script Renewal Serum this kind of takes the place of my glycolic acid and retinol I used pre-pregnancy. My facialist recommended this as soon as I told her I was pregnant.
*I only use this on Monday, Wednesday, & Friday. That's all I really need.
Step 4: Hyaluronic Acid I told y'all I love hyaluronic acid. I feel like it really does help your moisturizer absorb in.
Step 5: Shiseido Eye Cream I'm honestly a HUGE skeptic when it comes to eye creams. I feel like they all promise a lot of things and most don't deliver. I bought this during the Ulta Beauty Love your Skin Event just to try it out and I am so freaking glad I did. I've used a lot of eye creams just because and this is one of the first I've actually seen a difference. I feel like it's helped the texture I have under my eyes and made my dark circles a little less noticeable. I also think it's helped with my crows feet a little. Absolutely LOVEEEEEE this product.
Step 6: Moisturize with
Tula Day and Night Cream This had been my nighttime moisturizer for years. It's thick, but not too thick. I feel like it really absorbs in and doesn't just sit on your skin. I also used to use it in the morning, but I like that the Supergoop has SPF in it. One less step.
Step 7: Herbivore Phoenix Oil I go back and forth on using this and not. Every time I start using it after not using it for a while I question why I ever stopped in the first place. (Honestly, it's the cost. It's probably the most expensive product in my skincare routine.) This stuff is amazing and makes your skin literally GLOW! I started using it because it's pregnancy safe and helps with anti-aging. Not being able to use retinol I definitely felt like I needed to add this back. I'm vowing this time that I will not stop using it because I seriously notice such a difference when I use it.
Tanning is one of those things I feel like some people are fine with during pregnancy and some steer clear. I felt ok continuing to use self tanner based on talking with my doctor and all the research I did. I personally would steer clear of spray tans however, because you can inhale some of the spray and the research on that is a little iffy.
I will say I have tried to keep the self tanning limited to special occasions or if I was just feeling EXTREMELY pale!
I bought this at the beginning of pregnancy because it seemed a little cleaner ingredient wise. I didn't love it for a few reasons. 1. You can't really see where you're applying. 2. It didn't give me enough color. I still have it and use it from time to time. Those are just 2 complaints I have.
This has been the self tanner I've used forever. It's definitely my favorite and still love it during pregnancy.
Love this mitt and have used it forever!
This is a gradual self tanning lotion. I feel like this is great because my skin has felt so dry during pregnancy. I will say the scent of this usually doesn't bother me, but it has definitely gotten to me a little more since being pregnant.
I use this more on my chest than my face. I honestly don't tan my face that often. I always feel like it looks so unnatural. This is another gradual tanner that you mix with your moisturizer. I use this more on my chest because my skin is super sensitive there and even more so since being pregnant.
I feel like a big thing all women start to worry/think about when they are pregnant is stretch marks.
I honestly didn't really start thinking about them until the second trimester. While there's no real way to prevent them (it's all about genetics), you can keep your skin super hydrated and moisturized which should help a little.
I started using this because it was cheap and so many people swear by it. Definitely a great way to keep your skin super hydrated.
Being a blogger I obviously had to try more than one thing for stretch marks. I started seeing this oil everywhere and thought I would give it a try. It uses grape-seed oil, which in one article I read a dermatologist said using grape-seed oil is one of the best to help prevent stretch marks if you can really truly prevent them at all. (Again, genetics plays a huge part.)
This oil is a bit expensive, but the bottle is huge and could probably last you your entire pregnancy. I like that it dries fast so you can use it in the morning and not have to worry about feeling oily all day or it getting on your clothes.
Another cream I saw in a lot of articles and blogs so I thought I would give it a shot. I currently use this in tandem with the
Hatch Oil and no stretch marks yet. (Knock on wood.)
I'll have to update y'all after birth to let you know if they truly worked.
Hopefully you have found this helpful if you're expecting and wondering what skincare products you can still use. I know I really used blogs as resources on what to use and not use. As I stated in the beginning, you really should talk to your doctor and get info straight from them. They are truly the experts.
