My Skin Care Regimen: First, Second & Third Trimester

Today’s post is all about my favourite go-to skin care products that I’ve been using throughout my entire pregnancy.

When I first learned I was pregnant, the last thing I thought of was that my skin would go through so many different changes but with hormones and of course, changing seasons, I did notice a few changes over the months that needed some tending too. Not only did I treat what I was immediately feeling, but began using products that helped with preventative maintenance (for example, varicose veins, dry skin, stretch marks, etc.).

Now, every woman is different and I also learned that quickly. Many were telling me how my skin was going to look and how I was going to feel by my third trimester and let me tell you, about 90% of what all women were telling me hasn’t happened so try to take what anyone says with a grain of salt and keep in mind that it may not always be your experience. However, there are some things that are quite common that happen during pregnancy and I wanted to protect my skin as much as I possibly could.

Here are a few skin care products I found were / are very helpful from the first trimester to the final days of my pregnancy.

Face

Lips – Sugar Advanced Therapy Lip Treatment

My lips became very dry by my third trimester and I felt that my Blistex lip balm was no longer working. I picked up the Sugar Advanced Therapy Lip Treatment (a bit pricey – around $32) and noticed it kept my lips moist for longer and also made them smoother. It doesn’t make the dryness go away, but I do feel I need to apply less often than other lip balms.

 

Face & Neck – Keihl’s Facial Cream

With the combination of the changing weather and my skin feeling dry, I found that my skin was peeling under my foundation. Keihl’s Facial Cream locked in moisture all-day – as long as I applied it morning and night.

 

Face – Avene Thermal Spring Water

In my first to second trimester, I would get nauseous and I felt that spraying something cool and refreshing on my face helped significantly. I noticed the spray really helped bring the redness of my skin down and gave a refreshing feeling. It works with or without makeup and instead of dabbing your face with cold water, this was a less messy alternative.

Body

Tummy – Jouviance Coconut Melting Balm / Bio Oil

Since the beginning, I was always paranoid about stretch marks. I learned quickly there are no special products out there that will prevent it but there are products that will stop the severity of it. Depending on how fast your belly grows, stretch marks can occur quickly especially when the skin is not hydrated. The coconut melting balm worked wonders for my growing bump, it was not greasy at all and did not rub off on my clothes. It immediately took to my skin and provided all-day moisture. I would honestly purchase this balm for everyday use even after the baby is born – it works that well.

When I felt that my skin was very tight, I added the Bio Oil on top of the melting balm application. Call me paranoid, I felt that the two together kept the skin moist longer and for those days where you can’t be bothered to moisturize, you had at least two days where your tummy still felt soft and moisturized.

 

Legs & Body – Dry Brush / Palmer’s Coconut Oil Lotion /  Dr. Hauschka Sandalwood Lavender Cream

For my legs, I always struggled with varicose veins and poor circulation. Being pregnant also did not help with the situation one bit so to reduce the severity of the varicose veins appearing, I began to dry brush by my second trimester. The dry brush gets the circulation in your legs flowing and also helps with swelling in the ankles.

Just begin to work your way up from your toes to your upper thighs before you shower (they tell you to do your entire body but it was just my legs I was concerned about). It does take a few tries to get used to the dry itchy feeling but it does work wonders for your skin, leaving it smooth and helps with the blood flow.

For hydration, the Palmer’s Coconut Oil Lotion kept my skin moisturized the entire day and night, I switched to the Sandalwood Lavender Cream which was soothing and relaxing. I also noticed my cuticles and skin around my nails were very dry as well, so the cream did help significantly.