A few of you have asked me to share how my beauty regime has changed since becoming pregnant–so from skincare to hair dye–here you go! The short answer is: not much, besides cutting out all retinal creams and using an evening body oil on my belly. And for the longer answer… continue on.
During my first trimester I stopped using my retinal creams and glycolic face wash. I basically cut my skincare routine down to just two simple steps: wash with an oil based cleanser (I love this one and this one for the PM, and this one for the AM) and moisturize with an oil. My esthetician stopped any chemical peels / deeper treatments that we had been doing, and I swapped lotions and products in favor of body and face oils. My doctor warned against dyeing my hair during the first trimester so I refrained for as long as I could… until I hit around week 12. I had also given up all perfumes until now and this whole going au-natural thing was starting to take a toll on me. Feeling rather blah (and in dire need of hiding my roots / grays), I called up my hairstylist and we decided we’d just touch things up. It’s all personal preference but once I started dyeing my hair again, and spritzing on a little perfume I felt so much better about myself. When you’re hormonal, gaining weight, and your body is changing I think it’s important to pamper yourself and not go too crazy!
Since I was pregnant during the summer I didn’t go completely organic–i.e.: I still used sunscreens. But I did try to limit the products I was using, opting for as many non-toxic product lines as possible. My favorite product line discovery during my pregnancy was: African Botanics. I’m obsessed with everything. My girlfriend Sam originally turned me onto the body oil for stretchmark’s (or I should say–no stretchmarks!) and I’ve since tried almost the entire line. I also use the Marula enzyme polish (an invigorating scrub) a couple times a week and the face oil both morning and night. If a body oil isn’t in your budget, coconut oil or a great extra virgin olive oil is another great option (although I think I’d rather smell like the former).
Another non-toxic line I’m a fan of: Goop By Juice Beauty. On the nights I feel like I need an extra dose of moisture I’ve been using the night cream.
It sounds silly to admit now, but my number one concern about getting pregnant was my skin. I was convinced I would have terrible breakouts and yet thankfully, much to my surprise, this is probably the best my skin has ever looked. My guy compliments me daily (so sweet). Whether it’s my simplified skincare routine or simply that mama-baby-hormonal glow, I’ll take it! (I’m now worried about my postpartum skin.) Long story short, I think there’s something to be said for cutting back your regime and re-evaluating from time to time. Simplifying things down to mainly using oils has been amazing for me!
As you can clearly see, this body oil has been very loved. It smells amazing and is one of my favorite baby bonding routines and such a sweet way to end the day. (And another fave body oil / natural line that I’m completely out of so I couldn’t photograph is from Tata Harper. I also use this body scrub in the shower on the regular).
Photography | Alexandra Gibbs