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You may already have a cabinet full of products you swear by to keep your skin beautiful and glowing, but once you conceive, your skin can change dramatically. Increased hormone levels disrupt your skin’s delicate balance, speed up dehydration, make your skin more sensitive, and decrease your skin’s ability to resist dirt, wind, and UV rays. Your old reliable routine isn’t so reliable anymore. What’s more, you need a skin care routine that is safe for both you and your baby. Here are our recommendations for the perfect pregnancy-safe skin care routine.

safe skin care routine during pregnancy

1. Moisturize In The Morning

Nothing feels as good as a rich moisturizer after a shower. Even when you’re not pregnant, that’s enough of a reason to moisturize.

Keeping your skin moisturized while pregnant can be tricky, but it’s even more important. On top of all the hormones that can agitate your skin, parts of your body are growing, expanding, and stretching. This can lead to tight, itchy skin that can make your pregnancy more frustrating than it needs to be.

We suggest applying a pregnancy-safe skin care product like Mustela’s Soothing Moisturizing Balm in the morning and at night to keep you skin soft and supple. Pregnancy-safe moisturizers are specifically formulated with natural ingredients like avocado peptides and ceramides to keep your skin hydrated and healthy. Additionally, pregnancy-safe moisturizers are hypoallergenic, compatible with breastfeeding, and safe for mom and baby.

2. Make Hydration A Part Of Your Pregnancy-Safe Skin Care Regime

Though they sound similar, moisturizing and hydrating are two different things when it comes to skin care. The main responsibility of a moisturizer is to set a barrier between the air and your skin to keep water from evaporating. Hydrators, on the other hand, are formulated to actually increase the water content of your skin. Ideally, you would want to apply a hydrator first to put moisture into your skin, followed by a moisturizer to seal the hydration throughout the day. Used together, they form the foundation of any good pregnancy-safe skin care routine.

We like to keep our skin hydrated and moisturized with Mustela’s Ultimate Hydration Bundle. The cream, oil, and balm feel great going on, are non-greasy, and fast absorbing.

3. Exfoliate Once A Week Before Bed

pregnancy safe skin care

Exfoliating is important for your skin whether you’re pregnant or not. It removes the microscopic dead cells that can clog your pores. With those dead cells gone, and the new, fresh skin uncovered, your moisturizer and hydrator can penetrate deeper to where they are most effective.

One of our favorite exfoliants is baking soda. It’s all-natural, affordable, won’t harm your baby, is gentle on your skin, and can be used on any part of your body. Here’s a great recipe for using baking soda as an exfoliant.

Ingredients:

  • Baking soda
  • Water
  • Vitamin E oil (optional)

Instructions:

  1. Add 1 tablespoon baking soda to a small glass bowl.
  2. Mix in a few drops of water (it doesn’t take much).
  3. Add a drop or two of Vitamin E oil (optional).
  4. Mix well.
  5. If the mixture is too thick, continue adding drops of water until you’ve created a paste.

Before applying the baking soda paste, splash some lukewarm water on your face to prepare the skin. Then, apply the baking soda by rubbing in small circular motions. Continue to massage the baking soda into your skin for 3 minutes. Finally, rinse your face with lukewarm water until all the baking soda is removed and pat dry with a clean, soft towel. We suggest exfoliating twice per week.

4. Treat And Prevent Stretch Marks

For expectant and postpartum moms, treating and preventing stretch marks is an important part of a pregnancy-safe skin care routine. Products like Mustela’s Stretch Marks Prevention Cream, Stretch Marks Prevention Oil, and Stretch Marks Recovery Serum work to keep skin soft and supple. This helps minimize the scarring and fine lines that may form as your skin stretches to make room for your baby. We recommend massaging a stretch mark treatment into vulnerable areas like your stomach and hips every morning and evening for at least 2 months postpartum.

5. Firm And Tone The Chest And Neck

As you gain weight during your pregnancy, other parts of your skin will need attention too. Don’t forget your chest and neck when embarking on your pregnancy-safe skin care routine. We like Mustela’s Body Firming Gel and Bust Firming Serum for firming and toning the décolletage.

Both of these products are 100% baby-safe. They are even fine to use when breastfeeding. Gently massage a firming gel or serum into your neck, upper chest, and bust every morning and evening for at least one month. Including these essentials will keep your skin soft, supple, healthy, and radiant throughout your pregnancy and postpartum.