Skincare and Makeup for Pregnancy and Breastfeeding

- Meaghan Penrod

Skincare and Makeup Products for Pregnancy and Breastfeeding

I’ve had a history of skin issues, so I was no stranger to the dermatologist. She had put me on retinol for acne at one point and I remember her telling me that if I ever got pregnant, I needed to stop using it immediately. But as far as what else was safe or not safe for pregnancy, I wasn’t really sure! So when we decided to start trying, I started doing my research.

There are tons of articles out there, but I’ll sum up the highlights that I found most important for what to avoid:

  • Avoid any forms of Retin-A, retinol, and retinyl palmitate
  • Avoid salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide
  • Avoid chemical sunscreens which use Oxybenzone, Avobenzone, Octinoxate, Homosalate, Octisalate , it Octocryleneand and use mineral sunscreen instead (zinc oxide or titanium oxide)
  • Avoid aluminum powder mostly found in deodorant
  • Avoid parabens
  • Avoid nail polish with Dibutyl phthalate (DBP), Formaldehyde, Toluene

And then really the main pregnancy skincare concerns to think about are:

  1. Acne (not everyone experiences it but many do!)
  2. Hyperpigmentation or brown spots on the skin from extra hormones during pregnancy, sometimes called pregnancy mask! This is made worse by sun exposure, so SPF is super important!
  3. Skin being more dry or more oily than normal due to excess hormones. Mine went through both!

So, in order to address those skin issues, here was my daily skin care routine!

Mornings:

Evenings:

  • I remove my makeup with a reusable makeup removing cloth. I got mine from TJ Maxx and I’m not sure what brand it is. But this one is similar!
  • When I’m in a phase where my skin is breaking out, I’ll use Avani Dead Sea Soap to cleanse my skin. If you’re not breaking out, it might be a little drying but I have sensitive skin and it doesn’t bother me at all! It’s absolutely awesome and I highly recommend it. If my skin is normal, I use the cleanser mentioned above.
  • Then I apply The Ordinary Azelaic Acid to the areas of my face that are more prone to breakouts. I didn’t start using this regularly until later on and I wish I started sooner because it does WONDERS for breakouts.
  • Next I apply Derma E Vitamin C serum to prevent hyperpigmentation. It also contains hyaluronic acid so it helps your skin stay hydrated too!
  • Then I finish by slathering Rose Hip Oil on top! I’ve used this oil for years now and it’s the BOMB. So good for irritation, wrinkles, hydration, etc.

And then for my belly, I used this Organic Shea Butter morning and night! I’ve heard that whether you get stretch marks is largely genetic but I figured it couldn’t hurt. I also made sure to include collagen peptides in my smoothie or coffee every day, because that is supposed to support skin health as well. My mom and sister both got stretch marks but I actually didn’t get any on my stomach! Just a few small ones on my hips. Was it this shea butter and collagen? I don’t know…but it’s worth a try!

In the shower, I used Brandless products as well!

Overall my skin was actually really nice during pregnancy! I’m not sure if it was luck or just the combination of products I used.

For makeup, I really had to do an overhaul because the brand I was using puts a form of retinol in all it’s products for anti-aging! So here’s what I ended up using: