Should you change your skincare routine during pregnancy?
Pregnancy is a time of change, both for your body and your lifestyle. You may not have considered changing your skincare routine during pregnancy, but it's incredibly important. While it's well known that you won't be able to have your favourite wine for nine months, many people don't realise that your skin has new and different needs too. Your body can absorb whatever you put on your skin, so it's important that your lotions and potions are pregnancy-safe.
To iron out some of the confusion, we asked the experts. Antonia Knox from Aurelia has worked on the brand's formulations for nearly 10 years, acquiring a wealth of knowledge in science-led skincare. We asked her some of your most frequently asked questions so you can better understand what your body needs during the big stretch.
How can skin change during pregnancy?
During the first trimester, your hormones will be running riot, causing extreme and unexpected changes in the skin. The stress of fluctuating hormones can cause inflammation at a deeper level, resulting in a weakened skin barrier. The barrier is vital for the skin’s protection, so when this is compromised, you will be more prone to sensitivity and other concerns such as acne, dehydration, flakiness and rosacea to name but a few.
During this time, I’d recommend taking your skincare back to basics and focusing on skin health. This is where Aurelia's probiotic technology comes in; it repairs inflammation and damage at a cellular level. This helps the skin to repair itself naturally, rebalancing from within.
Baby shower gift ideas: what to buy a mummy-to-be
Find the perfect baby shower gift for a mummy-to-be with our edit of the best gifts for mother and baby. With relaxing pamper products to maternity kits, you are sure to find the perfect present.
What might my skin need more of now that I’m pregnant?
Your skin can become very dry during pregnancy and will benefit from extra moisture. Make sure your cleanser is hydrating, as you can use it morning and night to effortlessly add extra nourishment into your daily routine. Rather than a gel or foam consistency, try a creamy cleanser. We recommend Aurelia’s Miracle Cleanser, you can even leave it on for five minutes to really treat the skin.
The same is true for body care. During the second trimester, skin can become itchy as the baby begins to grow faster and the skin starts to stretch. Keeping your skin ultra moisturised at this time will also help to avoid stretch marks. I recommend the Aurelia Firm & Revitalise Dry Body Oil to keep skin supple and soft. As tempting as it may be just to rub into your bump, don’t forget to focus on areas such as breasts, hips, bum and thighs too.
Which products do you need in your skincare routine during pregnancy?
I would highly recommend going for products that contain probiotics during pregnancy. To put it simply, probiotic skincare keeps your skin barrier happy and will increase hydration, radiance and improve general skin health.
This will help with anything from dryness to concerns such as acne, rosacea, that may have appeared during your pregnancy. Targeting these concerns at a deeper level with probiotics gives skin the best chance to repair itself and look its best!
I absolutely recommend our Probiotic Concentrate to everyone as it delivers our unique probiotic ingredients to the skin in their purest form. It can also be mixed with any products from your existing regime, making it super versatile.
Shop our full selection of pregnancy-safe skincare, here at LOOKFANTASTIC.
Our team of beauty experts cover everything from makeup to skincare, picking out the most effective products from the best brands and latest trends. Stay up to date on everything beauty with the LOOKFANTASTIC blog, and find all your essentials in one place.