What You Need To Know About Skincare And Your Pregnancy

January 19, 2021 Pila Xian

Heaven on Earth day spa is seeing the Corona-boom. Last week I Googled that the Corona baby boom everyone was joking about in March never materialized. Based on my unscientific findings, I disagree. I am definitely seeing a lot more mama’s-to-be in the spa wondering what to do about their skincare during pregnancy.

Watching my girlfriends go through their pregnancy I see the “glow” and challenges of being pregnant:

• Emotions all over the place – thanks hormones
• A body that isn’t yours anymore
• Skin is unpredictable – hormones, again
• Tired in a way you didn’t know was possible
• Excited and terrified at the same time

I’ve gathered a list of do’s and don’ts, so you’ll be confident and trust you have everything you need to know about skincare and your pregnancy.

The Number One Thing To Know

Vitamin-A stays on the shelf. Sorry Retinol lovers. To play it safe for the baby, retinol and all of its derivatives are most definitely a no-no while you’re pregnant or breast feeding. Keep a look out for these brands or ingredients and know to not use them while you are pregnant:

• Tretinoin
• Retin-A
• Renova
• Tazarotene
• Tazorac
• Isotretinoin (aka Accutane)
• Adapalene
• Retinal
• Retinaldehyde

Pila’s Tip: You didn’t think I wasn’t going to give you an alternative to use, did you? What kind of girl do you think I am? Skin Script Beta-Carotene Papain Renewal Serum to the rescue. This serum uses a natural form of Vitamin A (Beta Carotene) to gently and continually exfoliate their skin all night long. The Beta Carotene and Papain (a papaya enzyme) work together to boost cellular renewal and at the same time stimulate college production to lessen wrinkle depth. Double win!

Check Your Salicylic Acid %

Estheticians use salicylic acid to treat acne because it’s anti-inflammatory, is excellent for oily skin and breakouts. Salicylic Acid is also wonderful for its anti-aging capabilities. Since it’s exfoliating, it’s also lessening those lines, wrinkles and retexturizing the skin.

Pila’s Tip: To keep it safe, look for percentages that are at 2% or lower.

Which Leads Me To Hydroquinone

This is a biggie that you need to know about skincare and your pregnancy. Hydroquinone was prescribed by your doctor to lighten skin pigmentation. There’s no scientific proof (because generally speaking, studies don’t include pregnant women because no one wants the liability) the body does absorb a shockingly high amount of hydroquinone. It’s standard practice to stop using it when pregnant or breastfeeding

Wear A Physical Sunscreen And A Floppy Hat

The main difference between a physical sunscreen and a chemical sunscreen is that physical sunscreens bounce UV rays off the skin and chemical sunscreens absorb and neutralize the UV rays. Pregnancy’s hormonal fluctuations can cause melasma (aka “pregnancy mask” a darkening of the face typically around the eyes, cheeks and mouth) so wearing a physical sunscreen like Brush on Block every day will not only protect your skin from aging but also help with melasma and sunspots. I say to enjoy a little pregnancy flamboyancy and add a hat for more protection.

Building internal heat can trigger melasma too. If you’re prone to Melasma and you love the HIIT workouts, just know you’re antagonizing the melasma.

Pila’s Tip: Buy a skincare refrigerator and keep your gels and masks in it to use after an internal heat building workout.

The One Professional Treatment You Can Do At-Home

Your body is using all of its energy to grow baby which means that many professional treatments (chemical peels, LED light therapy) are off limits. Here’s some good news. You can microneedle in the spa, or at home. Microneedling is an easy way to help with fine lines, light acne, skin texture and firm it. Here is more information about about microneedling.

Pila’s Tip: Let’s roll together! I’ll send you access to a video so we can roll side-by-side once you purchase my at-home microneedling kit.

So there you have it, a complete roundup of everything you need to know about skincare and during pregnancy.

I wish you and baby all the best. In Chinese Lunar Year, this is the year of the Ox. Barack Obama, Princess Diana, Malala Yousafazai and Kyle Jenner are just few who are also oxen.

If you have a specific question about skincare during pregnancy or other skin care topics, email me at heavenonearthaspen@gmail.com.

* You should always have a conversation with your doctor to discuss what’s best for you and baby.