4 Tips For Fighting Pregnancy Acne

CONTROL OIL WITH A SOLID DAILY REGIMEN 

Pregnancy hormones can stimulate your oil glands, which is why many women experience breakouts. Keeping your oil in check will help prevent blemishes and blackheads. Cleanse your face twice a day with a non-foaming cleanser like our Hydrating Gel Cleanser. Then, follow with a balancing toner. You can look for a formula with a small amount of lactic acid or another AHA in it to wipe away dead skin cells. Some pregnant women swear by toning with raw apple cider vinegar due to its natural concentration of beneficial probiotics and exfoliating acetic and malic acids. Just dilute raw ACV in at least 3 parts water to avoid disturbing your skin’s pH.  Before moisturizer or sunscreen, add a few drops of a hyaluronic acid serum like our HA Hydrating Serum. Keeping your skin moisturized can help balance oil production, and make it easier for existing blemishes to heal.

TRY WILLOW BARK WATER INSTEAD OF SALICYLIC ACID

Salicylic acid isn’t recommended during pregnancy because some research has shown that SA can cause unwanted bleeding when taken in the form of an oral medication. However, most doctors agree that very low doses of topical SA are probably safe. Instead of reaching for your favorite spot treatment (which generally have higher concentrations of SA), look for a gentle peel like our Deep Sea Mineral Peel. It’s made with organic willow bark water, a natural source of SA. Willow bark water has a lower concentration of SA that’s safer for pregnancy, but still offers acne-fighting benefits. 

EXFOLIATE WITH AHAS AND DERMAPLANING

While they recommend against salicylic acid, most docs are fine with pregnant women using alpha hydroxy acids like lactic acid and glycolic acid while pregnant. These exfoliators help get rid of the top layer of dead skin cells that clog pores, and can also help control oil. To boost the benefits of AHAs, use them after dermaplaning your skin with our Dermaplaning Tool. This tool helps gently remove dead skin cells and fine facial hair, revealing fresher skin cells. Use the Dermaplaning Tool only on clear skin. It will help prevent breakouts, but shouldn’t be used on active blemishes.

SPEED CELL TURNOVER WITH GROWTH FACTORS

Ordinarily, you might reach for a retinoid to get rid of acne. Unfortunately, retinoids are a no-no when pregnant. Luckily, there are other ingredients that similarly speed up cell turnover but are safe to use when you’re expecting. We love epidermal growth factors like the ones found in our EGF Activating Serum. These ingredients help your skin create fresh new cells. These new skin cells replace the dead cells that can clog your pores. Growth factors can even help stubborn blemishes come to the surface and heal more quickly.