The condition of your skin, or your skin type in general is likely to change during pregnancy for a number of reasons. Your hormones change, your blood supply increases by around 40% (different for all) causing an allure of added ‘brightness,’ and it’s likely that both your eating and sleeping patterns will change as well.
On a hormone level, spiked levels of both estrogen and progesterone are usually responsible for most changes, including the infamous ‘pregnancy glow.’ The reason why is actually quite simple! Your body is producing more oil (sebum), leading to a luminous complexion.
On the flipside however, increased sebum levels can cause other women to break out into bouts of acne. On top of this, your pigment producing cells (melanocytes) will increase resulting in noticeable dark spots, areas of hyperpigmentation or Melasma (aka ‘the pregnancy mask’). There’s not a whole lot you can do for pigment related changes, other than to routinely apply SPF (rain, hail or shine) to help prevent further darkening. Conditions such as these encourage the need to adopt a safe and suitable skincare regime for the 9 month period into postpartum.
Rest assured, when you hormone levels recalibrate after birth and breastfeeding (should you choose or be able to breastfeed), any negatively perceived skin changes should self correct. In the meantime, for more information on the Do’s and Don’t in terms of products and ingredients, please read here. Paying close attention to the cautionary disclaimers on all packaging is imperative as, “Not Suitable For Pregnancy or Breastfeeding” indicates there is insufficient data proving the said ingredients do not pose harmful risks.
