As soon as you get pregnant your body begins to go through a lot of changes, especially your skin. Depending on how your hormones react, you may notice some great changes (hello, glow!) and some not so great ones (greasy, dry, acne-prone skin, and here’s looking at you– stretch marks). The good news? You can balance both–your hormones and stress, and these skin-related issues simply by opting for natural skincare during pregnancy.
Yes, you read that right!
Using Natural Skincare During Pregnancy Balances Hormone Levels
Natural skincare products come with a plethora of benefits for a pregnant mum.
- They are primarily made from organic ingredients that you can literally eat (in some cases)!
- Plus, it also helps that they are devoid of artificial fragrances. They are instead, made from plants, fruits, flowers, seeds, and minerals.
- They are also highly effective because there are no chemicals involved. So you only get the true goodness of the ingredients that are high in antioxidants, balance the skin, and are healing because of their natural properties.
- Most importantly, if you use natural skincare during pregnancy, chances are you can balance your hormones and reduce stress levels.
While there are only a handful of claimants of natural skincare, there are even fewer that can balance hormones and reduce stress for a pregnant mum.
But worry not, we were able to scout the natural skincare products that can do both.
1. Day cream to balance low oestrogen and testosterone levels
Dr Hauschka’s Rose Day Cream Light 30 ml | $49.00
One such product is Dr Hauschka’s Rose Day Cream Light 30 ml. Made from precious rose water, rose wax and extracts of rose, marshmallow and Anthyllis it protects, calms, and balances the skin.
This cream also adds moisture to the skin, strengthening its barriers, which is usually caused by both low oestrogen and testosterone levels. Interestingly, there are 35 roses in a tube of rose day cream, which makes it all the more worthwhile.
2. Eye cream to balance cortisol levels during pregnancy
In many cases, pregnant women may experience an increase in the production of cortisol, the stress hormones. This stress hormone is primarily responsible for causing dark circles.
To counter these dark circles, you may want to consider a calming eye cream containing calendula and Anthyllis. These ingredients are known to soothe delicate skin and moisturise and soften dry skin around the eye, thereby reducing dark circles and even calming the oft-angered hormone, cortisol.
But daytime care isn’t enough for an expecting mum. Natural skincare must continue well into your night time routine as well.
3. Night serum to calm the thyroid hormones
A night serum such as the Dr Hauschka’s Night Serum 20 ml for instance, allows the skin to breathe freely while guiding its natural renewal processes. Such serums can calm the thyroid hormones, which if left imbalanced can reduce blood circulation, leading to dryness.
These qualities of balancing hormones and reducing stress, while keeping the skin supple and soft are more important than ever, especially when you’re pregnant. This helps to not only keep your body soothed and protected naturally but also keep your baby away from potentially dangerous ingredients.
Most of whom you are probably still using.
Chemical Skincare and Cosmetics Are Extremely Dangerous For Your Unborn Child
Over the past few years, studies have proved that our skin absorbs 64 percent of the compounds placed on it. This means that the over-the-counter (OTC) skincare and cosmetic products that you apply gets easily absorbed into the skin.
While this may not be immediately harmful to you, some of the ingredients can harm your baby when absorbed by the skin.
For instance, chemical substances such as phthalates and other plasticizers, bisphenol A, Parabens, benzophenones (ultraviolet filters), Triclosan (antimicrobials), dioxane, organic solvents, pigments, formaldehyde, and heavy metals used as active ingredients to improve the efficacy of cosmetics and skincare are potentially harmful to your unborn child.
More recent popular studies, such as one carried out in Mexico also proved that exposure to chemicals such as phthalates can lead to preterm birth or even pregnancy loss.
With that said, if you are contemplating changing up your AM/PM routine, it’s time to switch to natural skincare during pregnancy.
Here are some products that we recommend you use to kickstart a safe and organic AM/PM routine.
Natural Skincare During Pregnancy: Products That Can Balance Your Hormones and Keep You Looking Fresh All-day
1. AM Routine
Formulated with Anthyllis, jojoba and almond oil the Soothing Cleansing Milk is a daily cleanser with harmonising, protective properties that help diminish the appearance of redness, which is typically caused by an imbalance of oestrogen in the body.
Another addition to your AM routine should be a natural deodorant. As you know, body odour is caused by the Apocrine glands that contain hormones called pheromones. When there is imbalance in these glands and hormones, it can lead to a foul body odour. And since most deodorants in the market are not chemical-free, a natural deodorant should be your ideal go-to, especially during pregnancy.
This antiperspirant-free is formulated with mint and sage essential oils and witch hazel extracts, two naturally effective and astringent components for odour control.
You’re also going to need a protective cream that keeps pollution away and your skin and hormones balanced through the day. Which is why we recommend adding a tinted day cream that balances the skin’s oil and moisture levels while supporting its natural moisturising functions.
Formulated with nourishing avocado and almond oils with protective rose wax, beeswax and quince seeds, it balances skin and helps prevent dryness. Both of these could be a result of your surging oestrogen hormones.
2. PM Routine
During pregnancy, your body and skin need extra TLC and a night serum does just that. We recommend trying Dr Hauschka’s oil-free night care that allows the skin to breathe freely while guiding its natural renewal processes.
Formulated with apple blossom extract, which is high in antioxidants and apple fruit hydrosol, this serum supports the skin’s natural rhythm and guides its essential nightly work. We’d say a perfect combination of everything your skin needs to revitalise and rejuvenate during the night.
Dry and chapped lips are often the result of dehydration or electrolyte imbalances. And while most OTC products may work fine, you need deeper hydration and help during pregnancy. Which is where natural lip balms such as Dr Hauschka’s lip care stick comes into play.
Unlike conventional lip care products, this formulation promotes healthy lips without causing dependency. Candellila and carnauba waxes and sweet almond and apricot kernel oils seal in moisture to soften and smooth dry lips. Antioxidant shea butter with rose petal, rose hip, Anthyllis and carrot extracts fortify, soothe and soften.
As your body begins to stretch to make space for your little bub, pregnancy is a good time to add a firming mask ritual into your PM routine. Formulated with alchemilla, borage, buckwheat and mullein combination, this mask calms the skin.
Due to surging oestrogen levels in the body, you may experience cracking of skin and acne and intense dryness, all of which can be curbed with this quick treatment. You’ll notice your skin to be noticeably recuperated and sustainably soothed.
Hopefully, these products will get you started on creating your own ‘natural skincare during pregnancy’ kit. Happy pregnancy!
Special Offer For All theAsianparent Readers. Avail NOW!
For those of you rushing to add the Dr. Hauschka pregnancy skincare products into your cart, there is a special offer. You can now use an e-voucher code ‘AP5off’ and get $5 off on minimum $50 online purchases (all except promotion products). The offer is valid till June, 30, 2021.
Visit the PamperInc website to check out the products and try out the code.
You can also visit any of their two stores to check out the products:
1. #01-03,The Star Vista Mall,1 Vista Exchange Green S138617
2. 80 Marine Parade Road #B-74 Parkway Parade S449269