Pregnancy Skincare and Makeup

I've been getting a lot of questions lately about my pregnancy skincare and makeup routine so I figured I'd share what I've been using! I'll start by saying that for photographs, good lighting and a filter always helps hahaha, my skin doesn't look that good all the time (especially after a long shift haha)! But I have found a routine that works really well for me and may work out for some of you too! Throughout this post, click on any of the images for product links or click the text links - and read the reviews! Almost all of the products I choose for myself I do based on reviews so these are all backed by tons of happy faces!

Skincare: My skincare routine hasn't changed much since pre-pregnancy. The biggest no-no when it comes to skin care products during pregnancy are retinoids, which can be teratogenic. Alpha-hydroxy acids (available in chemical peels, but also tons of over-the-counter products as well) which include glycolic and lactic acid, may be teratogenic during pregnancy, so many doctors warn against their use as well. Salicylic acid is a beta-hydroxy acid, and some super cautious doctors will say to stay away from it, but I use it in my face wash and find it has done a great job in keeping my acne at bay. The amount of systemic absorption from any topical product is pretty minimal, even more so when it's something like a face wash (you can imagine that a cream applied three times a day would likely have more absorption). So I do keep away from lotions, peels, etc. that have any of those ingredients. Ok, now that that's out of the way, so I use this face wash from Neutrogena and love it. I only use a third of a pump for each face wash (you don't need that much!), wash gently with (clean) hands and warm water, and rinse with cold water (that feels especially good first thing in the morning). In the AM I then apply this Olay eye cream that is really moisturizing and de-puffing, making sure to just lightly pat it on around my eye area. Then I follow with my holy grail moisturizer/sunscreen. I don't care if it's dark and rainy outside, I don't leave the house without this sunscreen on. I am on my third bottle of it and I'm convinced it has made all the difference in my dark spots. Especially in pregnancy, where the change in hormones can lead to hyperpigmentation, it's even more critical to use a good sunscreen religiously. I'll then follow up with my makeup routine (see below). In the PM, I wash my face, pat on my eye cream (if I am not half asleep yet, but this step gets skipped the most), and apply a light evening moisturizer - this one is my favorite (I'm a sucker for Cerave products, but they really are fantastic and non-irritating).

Makeup: My makeup routine gets done in the car. Yes I'm embarrassed to admit that I'm that person. I promise I only do so at stop lights and drive safely! So once safely at a stop light, I apply this mineral foundation. I used to be scared of mineral makeup, but it really is so easy to apply and the coverage is wonderfully buildable - on days I need very little, I'll just apply it to my problem areas (under my nose that can get red) and blend it out, on days I need more I'll apply it lightly all over my face and then blend it out with the brush. It literally takes the length of a stop light. Then I apply my under eye concealer (another favorite, I'm now on my fourth tube, and am happy to say so many of you have tried it and sing its praise as well)! I just dab it lightly under my eyes and blend it down towards my nose and out towards my temples in a sort of triangle shape. Days that I feel like I need a little extra I'll use my blush, applying to the outer two thirds of my cheeks and the bridge of my nose. I find this gives a more "glowy" look as opposed to a "I'm wearing blush" look. I use the shade Bellissimo Bronze. Most days I honestly skip this though, but will certainly do it if we're going out for dinner or something like that. My final step that I never skip is taking care of my brows. I use this brow pencil to brush my brows, lightly line the bottom and fill in any empty spots, and then brush them and shape them with brow gel. I used to think brow gel was silly but this stuff is the bomb. My brows still look fantastic by the time I wash my face at night. Another extra that usually gets skipped is mascara, but I do love this one so so much - one coat is perfect for the hospital and although it's not waterproof it doesn't smudge or run - add a few more coats and you have gorgeous long lashes for a night out.

And that's pretty much it! I hope this post could help some of you find products work best for you, but remember that every face is different! What works best for one person may not work at all for someone else. And as always talk to your dermatologist if you have any skin issues that need issues (my posts aren't meant to be medical advice, just one girl sharing what works for her)!