As a skincare retailer, I must admit I was worried about what would happen to my skin when I became pregnant, as I had heard from friends that the hormones can wreak havoc with your skin. My skin is my business, hence my concern. I want to share my experience, the products I used and the results I achieved in the hope of helping other mamas-to-be out there.

First Trimester

The first trimester is fraught with extreme fatigue, odd emotions and general discomfort. I feel this in itself is a recipe for dull looking skin. Needless to say my skin was not its usual glowy self during this period. I attribute it to the general ‘bleh’ feeling I had. I was using the following products:

Cleansers – Radiant Glow Facial Wash, The Skin Apothecary Liquid Black Soap, Indeed Labs Powder Exfoliator

Toner – DIY Apple Cider Vinegar and water mix

Treatment – Indeed Labs Pepta Bright (mixed with my moisturiser daytime), YouSkin Brightening Vitamin C Serum (night time)

Moisturiser – Radha Beauty Rosehip Oil

Protection – Obagi Medical Matte Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF50

 

Second Trimester

Well these 3 months were just amazing for my skin and my overall well-being. My glow truly came through 🙂 Nothing really changed in my skincare routine except that I ran out of the sunscreen I had gotten from Dr Uju (of Bel Fiore Medical) and began using The Body Shop Skin Defence Multi-Protection Essence. The only other change was adding Paula’s Choice 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant. Before anyone attacks me, I did my research and during pregnancy you can use salicylic acid as long as it doesn’t exceed 2%. I think I added this product at the beginning of my second trimester to see if I could restore my glow after the depressive first trimester. And boy oh boy did it work. It’s the kind of product that 40 minutes after application you start feeling yourself. I used it every other day. The only downside for me (as I hadn’t used salicylic acid in years) was the peeling. Certain parts of my face peeled, so I substituted my moisturiser for Shea butter and finished off with sunscreen during the day.

Paula’s Choice 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant available from Gebeesq . Full Review: Here

 

Third Trimester

As I entered my final trimester I reduced the BHA exfoliant to twice a week and went back to using rosehip oil as a moisturiser. A few things quickly changed. I heard Psalmuel of The Aesthetic Clinic speak at our store launch demo and he said although 2% BHA can be used during pregnancy, it’s better to avoid acids altogether just to be on the safe side. Sigh. So I decided to stop using my beloved Paula’s Choice Liquid Exfoliant. Secondly I left Nigeria for the UK, where we have been experiencing extreme heat waves. Within a few days of arriving in the U.K., my skin began playing games with me. I started experiencing irritation and sensitivity around my nose as well as dry patches around my mouth, chin and neck. I was confused! So I removed anything that could be considered harsh from my routine. I was only using the Radiant Glow Facial Wash, I stopped the Apple Cider Vinegar and water toner and started using Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water (sensitive skin). I also went back to shea butter as a moisturiser. Still no change. So I figured my skin needed hydration. I used the Garnier Moisture Bomb Pomegranate Hydrating Face Sheet Mask. It felt nice the first night but my dry patches were still there. Then the lovely @ellecadne (instagram) suggested I try Garnier Moisture Bomb Hydrating Night Cream. Let’s just say it’s now a holy grail product for me. In a week or 2 my dry patches disappeared and I have no more irritation. My current routine is as follows:

Cleansers – Radiant Glow Facial Wash, some nights (infrequently) Radiant Glow Exfoliating Bar

Toner – Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water (sensitive skin)

Treatment – YouSkin Brightening Vitamin C Serum (maybe 2 times a week), Garnier Moisture Bomb Pomegranate Hydrating Face Sheet Mask once every fortnight (ideally should be weekly)

Moisturiser – Radha Beauty Rosehip Oil mixed with Indeed Labs Pepta Bright (daytime), Garnier Moisture Bomb Hydrating Night Cream Moisturiser (night time)

Protection – The Body Shop Skin Defence Multi-Protection Essence


 

And there you have it. My rollercoaster of a pregnancy skincare journey. Right now I am glowing and loving it. Hopefully things stay this way. I’ll be sure to share my post pregnancy skincare experience and routine. Please feel free to contact me to discuss/share your pregnancy skincare experiences. Let’s help each other 🙂