CONTENTS:
- Pregnancy: Choosing the Right Skincare and Beauty Routines
- Taking Care of Your Breasts and Breastfeeding Your Baby
- Pregnancy and Postpartum Treatments to Gift Yourself or Receive in a Spa
Whether you are pregnant or breastfeeding, now is the perfect time to take care of your skin. Hormonal changes can make your skin dry, oily, or prone to acne. Pregnancy masks may appear on your face, while tightness, itching, eczema, and stretch marks may develop or worsen on your body. Adopt a slow beauty routine with natural products and explore treatments compatible with pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Pregnancy: Choosing the Right Skincare and Beauty Routines
Your skin undergoes numerous changes throughout pregnancy, from blemishes to hyperpigmentation. Adjust your routine with targeted pregnancy care products and cosmetics to maintain healthy and radiant skin.
5 Commandments for Taking Care of Your Skin While Expecting
Hydrate, hydrate, and hydrate again
Prevent dryness with ultra-gentle, soap-free cleansers or superfatted soap. Daily application of a moisturizing cream on your face, body, and breasts makes a difference. Rotate mineral waters to get diverse minerals and trace elements, and aim for about 50 ounces of water per day.
Prioritize Natural Products and Pregnancy-Safe Cosmetics
Switch to organic, safe products: deodorants without aluminum salts, organic nail polish, pure plant oils, shea butter, and hydrosols. Rosewater hydrosol can also restore hormonal balance and promote serenity postpartum.
Avoid Harmful Ingredients
Pregnancy and breastfeeding require caution. Avoid:
- Endocrine disruptors: phthalates, parabens, triclosan, BHA, BHT
- Mineral oils: petrolatum, ceresine wax, vaseline
- Alcohols: denatured alcohol in perfumes or hair dyes
- Formaldehyde: in makeup and hair products
- Sodium laureth/lauryl sulfate: in foaming cleansers and toothpaste
Most essential oils are also contraindicated during pregnancy and for young children.
Protect Your Skin from the Sun
Wear wide-brimmed hats and use SPF 50+ sunscreen with UVA/UVB protection. Prefer mineral filters or child-safe sunscreens and stay in shade when possible.
Products for Your Mommy-to-Be Beauty Kit
Gentle Intimate Cleanser
Pregnancy can alter vaginal flora. Gentle cleansers like L’Intime by Omum, Joone’s “Le Gel Intime Parfait”, or Saforelle help soothe and rebalance the intimate area.
Moisturizing Creams and Oils
Use plant oils like carrot, avocado, sweet almond, rosehip, daisy, wheat germ, or prickly pear for regenerative and nourishing properties. Clarins Tonic Body Oil or Joone’s “Huile Vergetures Parfaites” help prevent stretch marks with natural ingredients and subtle fragrance.
Skincare for Oily Skin
Hydrosols like nettle, rosemary verbenone, and linalool thyme help control sebum. Apply with a cotton pad, chilled in the fridge for extra refreshment.
Skincare for Dry Skin
Cornflower hydrosol suits sensitive skin, Roman chamomile for irritated skin. Apply morning and evening on clean skin with a pad or mist. Available at Aroma-Zone, La Compagnie des Sens, or Bioflore.
Pregnancy-Safe Sunscreen
Use safe and effective sunscreens like Bioderma Photoderm Lait Ultra SPF 50+, Patyka SPF 50+ Face, or Laboratoire de Biarritz Alga Maris SPF 50.
Taking Care of Your Breasts and Breastfeeding Your Baby
Breastfeeding may cause nipple pain or cracks. Simple routines and natural, fragrance-free products help prevent discomfort.
Wash breasts daily with plain water, avoid soap between feedings, and air dry.
Solutions for Breast Discomfort or Pain
- Pure lanolin cream: HPA® Lanolin, Lansiloh®, NUK Care
- Natural oils: sweet almond, argan, or Néobulle nipple protection oil
- Cold compresses, drops of expressed breast milk, or hand-expressed milk for healing
Most breastfeeding pain can be alleviated by adjusting your baby’s position. A lactation consultant or midwife can help.
Pregnancy and Postpartum Treatments to Gift Yourself or Receive in a Spa
Pregnancy and postpartum require self-care. At home, enjoy warm baths and gentle self-massages on chest, belly, legs, or feet. Weleda, Mustela, and Clarins offer safe oils.
At a spa, choose facial treatments, draining massages for heavy legs, or safe hair removal. Always mention your pregnancy to avoid inappropriate products or pressures.
Pregnancy brings intense hormonal and physical changes. Using suitable products, wellness moments, and prioritizing your needs is key for a serene experience.
Cosmetic Products to Use During Pregnancy
Stick to natural, organic-certified care and cosmetics without endocrine disruptors or harmful chemicals. Plant oils, hydrosols, and soap-free cleansers are ideal.
Facial Care Routine for Pregnant Women
Moisturize daily with cream or plant oil. Apply pregnancy-safe SPF 50+ sunscreen in summer.
Caring for Breasts While Breastfeeding
Use nourishing plant oils such as avocado, wheat germ, coconut, or borage. Wear a supportive bra and finish showers with a cool-water spray to help firm breasts.
