Due to the 2020 quarantine, I had more time to work on my skincare routine. Slowly, I got my dehydrated, acne-prone skin under control. I also had more time to research all the new beauty technology dedicated to hyperpigmentation and old scars. That all changed when I found out I was pregnant. You hear stories about that beautiful pregnancy skin that some women experience. I am not one of those women. After cutting out all my acids and retinoids, my hormonal acne slowly came back with a vengeance. As much as I love the miracle of childbirth, my chin is currently covered in congested and stressed out pimples. I am grateful to be able to hide behind the mandatory mask requirement.
I’ve been using www.15minutebeauty.com as a guideline for all my pregnancy skincare purchases. The author is a doctor who spent the time to curate a shortlist of pregnancy skincare ingredients to avoid. She also reviews different brands to help moms navigate complex ingredient lists. Her blog has been beneficial to quickly figure out which products are acceptable during pregnancy and nursing.
Here is my first-trimester skincare routine, but please discuss which product/ingredient is acceptable during your pregnancy with your medical provider.
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Cleanser (For Day & Night)
LA ROCHE-POSAY TOLERIANE PURIFYING FOAMING FACIAL WASH is my favorite facial cleanser. I find most facial cleansers are either very stripping or do nothing at all. The Toreliane Purifying Foaming Facial Wash is perfect for combating both. This cleanser has been the only thing that will remove all my chemical, now physical sunscreen. The foaming gel foams up very quickly with just my hands. Additional ingredients include Ceramide-3 and Niacinamide, maintaining my skin barrier without stripping my oily, dehydrated skin. This single step cleanser is perfect for my no-makeup lockdown days. ☆☆☆☆☆
Day Serum
LUMENE NORDIC-C [VALO] VITAMIN C GLOW BOOTH ESSENCE was a recommendation from my local Target Beauty aisle. I was reading up on all the incredible, research-proven benefits of Vitamin C and was looking for a standalone serum to add to my skincare routine. In addition to the skin-brightening effects, my favorite feature is Vitamin C’s ability to protect the skin from environmental stressors’ visible impacts, including free radical damage. I’ve been using the Nordic-C Glow Boost Essence every day for two months now, and it has been a fantastic experience. The essence has reduced the appearance of new hyperpigmentation. The addition of two types of Hyaluronic Acid makes this a treat to apply in the morning. The citrusy fragrance eases me into my morning wake up routine. I love this product! ☆☆☆☆☆
Day Moisturizer with Sunscreen
AVEENO® ULTRA-CALMING® DAILY FACE MOISTURIZER, SPF 30 is a new addition to my routine. After trying it out for several months, I can honestly say that I’m not a fan of physical sunscreens. I’m struggling with the white cast and the long dry time. On my no-makeup days, the white cast is very unappealing on my NC20 skin. I usually wait at least 10 minutes before applying makeup over any product with sunscreen to avoid any pilling with my makeup application. This product pills and streaks no matter what I do. I will continue my search for a better daily physical sunscreen. Advertised as fragrance-free, I was surprised by the subtle scent. I don’t mind the subtle perfume of this product. It’s much better than other fragrance-free items that smell like plastic. More accurately, this product has not added fragrance as an ingredient, but a few of the ingredients will release a light scent. ☆☆☆☆
Nightly Makeup Remover
boscia MAKEUP-BREAKUP COOL CLEANSING OIL works well on days I choose to wear my tinted moisturizer. On dry skin, I gently rub in a circular motion on my face. When I cover my entire face, I add water and massage the milky cleanser for a deeper clean before I rinse the product off with cold water. It quickly removes bareMinerals’ COMPLEXION RESCUE™ TINTED MOISTURIZER – HYDRATING GEL CREAM BROAD SPECTRUM. The cleansing oil is very gentle but effective in removing makeup. Any residual makeup or impurities I may have missed, I follow up with my LA ROCHE-POSAY Toreriane Purifying Foaming Facial Wash. It has a classic light boscia fragrance, which is nice when I’m winding down for the day. ☆☆☆☆
Exfoliation
THE ORDINARY LACTIC ACID 10% + HA is my current 1x a week alpha hydroxy acid (AHA). Glycolic Acid is the ingredient I miss the most during my pregnancy, but none of the experts can agree if this ingredient ok during pregnancy/nursing. According to 15minutebeauty.com, there is evidence that about 28% of Glycolic Acid is absorbed when used topically. Erring on the side of caution, I gave all my AHA products to my husband, who looks very exfoliated right now. Your body makes lactic acid on its own. So I decided to take a gamble and try The Ordinary’s lactic acid formulation. I choose the highest strength they offered since my skin is accustomed to higher strength AHA products. There is a slight sting when I use this product once a week on my sensitive acne skin, but no peeling. I want to continue with this acid throughout my pregnancy, as my skin settles down from all my new products and hormonal changes. ☆☆☆☆
Acne Treatment
COSRX ACNE PIMPLE MASTER PATCH is one of the original pimple patches. Used for acne whiteheads, it contains 100% A.D.F Hydrocolloid dressing. Since it does to include any additional ingredients, its perfect for my pregnancy. While it doesn’t to much for prevention, its helpful for dealing with pesky eruptions. It protects my pimple and allows it to heal naturally. I wear it mostly overnight or under masks during the day. I apply it before I any serum or moisturizer to keep the skin clean and less aggravated. There are only 2 issues I have with this pimple patch. First, it is a thick patch compared to others in the market. Second, the glue used is very sticky at removal. ☆☆☆☆
Night Moisturizer
AVEENO® ULTRA-CALMING® NOURISHING NIGHT CREAM is a gentle nighttime moisturizer that hasn’t done much for me in my first trimester. It is an excellent introductory nighttime moisturizer as I navigate through all skincare ingredients during my pregnancy. My skin changed so much in the first trimester as I tried to drink more water, wear masks, and change out all my skincare products, but my skin needs more help than this product can provide on a nightly basis. This moisturizer tried very hard to keep up with all the irritation and changes. I highly recommend this product if you are looking for something simple and straightforward for your calm sensitive skin. ☆☆☆☆
As I enter my second trimester, I will be switching out a few products to help with my new cystic hormonal acne. Hopefully, I will have more positive results!
Until next time,
Diana
diana luong 