Congratulations! You’re pregnant! There is nothing more exciting on earth than finding out you’re going to be a mommy, but if you’re like most pregnant women, you probably have a lot of questions about what ingredients are and are not safe to use during pregnancy. Rumors abound about pregnancy and skincare, and it can be hard to know what’s true and what isn’t. For that reason, in this article, we’re discussing some of the concerns you might have about using skincare products while pregnant, using hyaluronic acid during pregnancy, and how to incorporate hyaluronic acid into your skincare routine.
IN A NUTSHELL
Main Takeaways: Although we always recommend speaking to your doctor about any pregnancy-related issues, hyaluronic acid is thought to be completely safe to use during pregnancy.
Good to Know: It’s entirely normal to see changes in your skin during pregnancy, one of which can be increased dryness.
Recommended Products: Crème de la Cream Brightening Moisturizer,H2 Oh Yeah Hydrating Moisturizer, Nectar of the C Vitamin C Serum, Just Dew It Hydrating Serum, and Eyes Eyes Baby Anti-Aging Eye Cream.
What Happens to Your Skin During Pregnancy?
Talk about a mixed bag! The skin changes that come during pregnancy vary from “I wish I could look like this forever!” to “OMG, what’s happening?!?” Here are just a few of those changes–both good and bad!
- Your skin may glow - There’s a good reason they say pregnant women glow! Between hormones and increased blood production (about 50% more!), many women experience absolutely radiant skin while pregnant.
- You may get stretch marks - OK, probably not on your face, but there’s a good chance you’ll get stretch marks on your body. This is to be expected with the weight fluctuations that occur during pregnancy, and it’s nothing to be ashamed of.
- You may get acne - Remember those hormone changes we discussed earlier? Well, it can trigger more oil production, which in turn can cause your skin to break out.
- You may experience dry skin - One of the stranger things about hormones is that they affect different people differently. In some women, hormones may actually dry skin out. Oddly enough, the fact that your skin stretches out during pregnancy may also cause dry skin, because water escapes the skin more easily.
- You may get dark spots - Even if you’ve never experienced dark spots before, you may experience something called chloasma, otherwise known as the “mask of pregnancy.” Caused by the significant change of hormones, it may be alarming, but it won’t affect your baby in any way.
Hyaluronic Acid Benefits During Pregnancy
Hyaluronic acid is not only completely safe to use during pregnancy, it’s highly beneficial, especially when it comes to helping with some of the skin issues that develop during pregnancy. Here are just a few of the benefits of using hyaluronic acid during pregnancy:
- It hydrates the skin - Known primarily as a humectant, hyaluronic acid restores hydration to your skin by drawing water from the deeper layers of the skin to the outermost layer.
- It soothes the skin - Pregnant skin is easily irritated and can be a bit more sensitive than it was prior to pregnancy. Hyaluronic acid can help soothe your skin so it feels more like its old self again.
- It’s great for all skin types - This is important because your skin type can actually change during pregnancy. No matter what skin type you usually have or are experiencing now, hyaluronic acid works for all skin types.
- It’s non-comedogenic - If an ingredient is non-comedogenic, that means it won’t clog your pores. This is always important, but it’s especially important when you’re pregnant, as your skin may be prone to breakouts during pregnancy.
- It’s a great substitute for fillers - Hyaluronic acid may not do exactly what an injection does, but it does make the skin look more plump! While not quite the same, if you’re really missing your shots, HA is a great natural substitute.
Using Hyaluronic Acid While Pregnant
Incorporating hyaluronic acid into your pregnancy skincare routine is simple. Products you already have in your daily routine, such as your moisturizer or eye cream, may already include hyaluronic acid.
Hyaluronic Acid Products We Recommend
Fleur & Bee has a number of products that contain this superhero hydrating ingredient.
Here are a few that will help you get your hyaluronic fix:
Just Dew It Hydrating Serum
This antioxidant-rich serum is perfect when you need an extra boost of hydration. Instantly revitalizing dry, dehydrated skin, it also helps plump the skin, helping to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
Nectar of the C Vitamin C Serum
Although it’s known for its ability to brighten the skin, this serum also provides much-needed hydration via hyaluronic acid; plus, it includes other hydrating ingredients like vitamin E. As a bonus, it also helps diminish the look of dark spots and wrinkles.
H2 Oh Yeah Hydrating Moisturizer
Feel like you need an even deeper level of hydration? Our H2 Oh Yeah hydrating moisture is just the solution. Featuring a healthy dose of hyaluronic acid combined with skin-smoothing botanicals, it provides deep, long-lasting hydration.
Crème de la Cream Brightening Moisturizer
Our old standby, Crème de la Cream will not only restore moisture to the skin, but it will get to work on dark spots and reduce the appearance of wrinkles. With a light, silky texture it delivers just the right amount of moisture, so if your skin is dryer than usual during your pregnancy, this is a must!
Eyes Eyes Baby Anti-Aging Eye Cream
Our best seller, this rich eye cream will not only restore moisture and reduce the appearance of wrinkles, it will help diminish the look of dark circles and puffiness, making it perfect during pregnancy and when you’re trying to recover from a sleepless night!
Pregnancy Safe Skincare - Ingredients to Avoid
While hyaluronic acid is completely safe to use while pregnant, there are some ingredients that should be avoided. That’s why it’s so critical to seek out clean skincare that is pregnancy safe, making sure you know what it is you are using and what it’s made of. What you put on your skin gets absorbed into your system and can cause potential issues while pregnant.
As we always say when it comes to anything pregnancy-related, you should always speak with your doctor before you use any new products on your skin.
Here is just a short list of skincare ingredients you really want to avoid using while you’re pregnant:
- Retinol - There are good reasons the intake form at your dermatologist asks whether you’re pregnant or planning on getting pregnant. One reason is that they want to make sure they don’t prescribe you retinol– especially in pill form, as it’s been known to cause birth defects. A potent form of vitamin A, retinol works wonders for your skin, as long as you’re not pregnant.
- Formaldehyde - We know what you’re thinking and yes, we mean the kind of formaldehyde used to embalm bodies. Not only can it really irritate your skin, it can actually cause more serious issues like cancer. We recommend steering far clear of it whether you’re pregnant or not.
- Comfrey leaf - While it sounds pretty and looks lovely, it’s been linked to birth defects, so we recommend admiring it from afar only.
- Salicylic acid - Although incredibly effective, salicylic acid can be hard to adjust to, especially at first (it can even cause flaking for some people). The main reason to avoid this ingredient is the possibility of extra sensitivity.
- Botox - The problem here, many doctors believe, is that there’s no guarantee that the botox, which is a toxin, will be confined to the area in which it’s injected. If it moves around, it can, theoretically, reach the fetus. Most doctors feel the chances of this happening are pretty low, but we recommend taking a botox break when pregnant.
We hope this helps ease your mind and even encourages you to incorporate hyaluronic acid into your pregnancy skincare routine, as well as help you understand which ingredients should be avoided. As you can see, hyaluronic acid is not only safe, but it is very beneficial for your skin during pregnancy.
