Common Skin Conditions During Pregnancy.
Pregnancy can cause a number of changes in your skin due to the shifts in your hormones. Here, we will outline the most common skin conditions that occur during pregnancy and how you can treat these skin conditions with pregnancy safe skincare (all have been approved by the skincare brands).
Rosacea
Rosacea is a chronic skin condition that normally manifests through redness, broken capillaries, sensitivity, thickened skin, and possible breakouts.
If you’re developing rosacea for the first time you should be aware of any broken capillaries and/or redness around the cheeks and nose.
Example:
When treating rosacea you will need to focus on hydrating, soothing, and sun protection.
Melasma
Melasma is a pigmented skin condition that is triggered by hormones. It is characterized by brown, blueish, or grey pigmented lesions commonly appearing on the cheeks and/or forehead.
One of the main/strongest recommendations for hyperpigmentation is hydroquinone. Unfortunately, hydroquinone is not pregnancy safe and many people try to avoid hydroquinone in general due to questions around toxicity.
Dermaquest’s SkinBrite Serum and Cream are hydroquinone alternatives. Using ingredients such as Shiitake Mushroom Extract, Chromabright, AHAs, and Bakuchiol to break down pigment clusters.
The SkinBrite Serum is recommended for oily skin types. It also contains Lactic Acid, so be sure to check with your family doctor for approval of Lactic Acid. However, the SkinBrite Cream is lactic acid free, and ideal for normal to dry skin types. It is both a treatment and cream in one.
When tackling melasma you must be aware of the sun! Sun Protection will be your #1 tool to prevent these lesions from darkening, while the SkinBrite treatments will break up and lighten the pigment. Chances are that you will have to continue with these products during and after pregnancy as melasma takes some extra work to break down.
Acne
There is no question why some women will develop acne during pregnancy. With the fluctuation of hormones it is expected that these changes will show on the skin. Below we’ve recommended a complete routine that will help target breakouts and inflammation.
Typically, when addressing acne you would use products with salicylic acid. Salicylic Acid is not recommended during pregnancy. However, what can be used is Willow Bark Extract. Salicylic acid is a synthetic ingredient made from salicin. Willow Bark Extract contains salicin which is much more gentle compared to the synthetic salicylic acid which is why it is considered a salicylic acid alternative.
Below we’ve recommended products that contain acne fighting alternatives such as willow bark extract, charcoal, kaolin clay, and niacinamide. The entire recommended list can be used as a complete routine.
You can adjust the moisturizer based on your skin type, all of our Green Envee moisturizers are pregnancy safe.
General Imbalance
A general imbalance could mean that you’re struggling with either overly dry or overly oily skin. Here, we’ve mainly focussed on hydration and antioxidants. Antioxidants are great to use while pregnant as you’re limited to the amount of actives that you can use. While the hydration will help to balance out oil production whether you are dry or oily, the antioxidants will help to fight off any stressors on the skin.
Here are our recommendations:
