Pregnancy can be the most important time in a woman’s life. Your body is going through some incredible changes, and while it works hard to grow that precious baby inside, its accompanying friend — progesterone — has some not-so-fun side effects in store. If pregnancy acne is a problem for you, here are a few ways to deal with it.
Wash your face twice a day
Washing your face twice a day can help reduce your breakouts. During pregnancy, your body can do lots of things it never did before, including producing more pimple-causing excess oils. Washing morning and night will help rinse away some of the buildup and help prevent further breakouts. Just be sure to use a gentle cleanser or soap, and follow up with the appropriate moisturizer for your skin type. Note: Try not to wash more than twice a day. Over-cleansing can lead to dry skin, which oddly enough can eventually make skin even more oily.
Use oil-free makeup
Many women don’t take note of the ingredients in their makeup, but often enough, oil is in a product, and the consumer is unaware. Whether it’s concealer, powder or moisturizer, check the ingredients. If the product contains oil, you need to replace it with an oil-free product. Your body may be producing this excess oil only during pregnancy, so for the next nine months you’ll need some new makeup.
Don’t touch your face
Your hands touch everything from public door handles to money to car keys. The dirt you pick up is easily transferred to the skin. While this may never have caused breakouts for you before, remember that pregnancy is a unique time. Your body may be more sensitive to things than it used to be, so hands off!
Don’t pop your zits
As tempting as it may be to squeeze that zit, remember it won’t heal any faster if you do. In fact, it could cause scarring if your skin is more sensitive than usual. Plus, the other fluids that come out of that zit can clog the pores if not properly cleaned, causing even more breakouts. The best thing to do is to wash your face twice a day with a gentle cleanser, and wait for the pimple to slowly disappear.
Wash oily hair daily
If you have long, oily hair during your pregnancy, wash it every day with a shampoo designed specifically for oily hair. Sometimes excess oils from the scalp travel down the strands of hair, and this can happen more frequently when a woman is pregnant. The oil that brushes against your face all day can clog your pores and help create unwanted blemishes.
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