Post Pregnancy Skin Care Routine

Postpartum Skin and How to Treat It

Pregnancy is a strange but wonderful time that brings about such huge changes in both your life and your body. From gaining weight to extra body hair and even your ever-changing hormones. This doesn’t even begin to cover the changes that happen to your skin. The problem is that even after pregnancy the skin problems don’t get better straight away. Hormones are a funny old thing and they go crazy for a little while after giving birth. So what can happen with postpartum skin and how should you treat it? Well, today I am sharing my recently altered post pregnancy skin care routine. In the hopes, you can tackle any postpartum skin problems you may find yourself with.

Typical Post Pregnancy Skin Care Problems

Post Pregnancy Skin – Acne

Yes, that’s right ladies acne is not just reserved for our young selves anymore. Thanks to higher levels of a hormone called progesterone acne is a very real problem for some women post pregnancy. I can agree with this thanks to the huge zits by my nose. The best way to help clear the acne is to focus on what ingredients are in your facial products. Using more natural or plant-based products will help to not make the acne worse. Aloe is a great choice to look for in products as it cools and calms whilst being anti-inflammatory and also antibacterial. This will help cool the skin and clear spots while your hormones settle back down. Salicylic acid is also considered to be an effective way of helping skin shed amongst other properties. This can help to rid you of your acne quickly.

The three main focuses for Acne is keeping skin clean, dry of sebum and also keep it hydrated. This is why I’d you’re suffering from post pregnancy acne you should make sure to drink plenty of water each day. This will help keep skin clear and also help to keep your skin and whole body hydrated. Cleansing is key as it removes excess oils, dirt and bacteria from the face. Keeping skin nice and clean and the oils balanced means that breakouts are less likely. Make sure that the cleanser you’re using isn’t too strong for your skin though. If it is you may find an increase in spots and pimples rather than clearing them.

Here are four top products that would be great to aid any skin back to peak health after giving birth.

Body Shop Aloe Calming Foaming Wash For Post Pregnancy Skin

The aloe is going to cool and calm your skin with its amazing antibacterial properties. Providing daily cleansing for sensitive skin and the foam won’t be rough on the skin.

Body Shop Aloe Calming Cream Cleanser

As before the aloe in this is really going to calm and cool any problem areas. Whilst keeping skin clean and balanced.

Superdrug Naturally Radiant Micro Polish

Trying to keep products as natural as possible can help. This exfoliant has Kiwi Fruit and Mulberry extracts. It also uses Blueberry Seeds and Fruit Acids which all together will leave skin free of dead skin cells.

Post Pregnancy Skin – Nivea Oil Free Face Cream

Any cream that is oil free is going to be the best choice. You don’t want to make your skin or spots worse by adding more oil.

Remember the key for acne is less oils and a clean face. This should help have you pimple free on no time. I also have another post about spot prone skin if these tips aren’t enough.

Dry Post Pregnancy Skin

So many women get to enjoy the ‘glow’ that comes from pregnancy and some of us don’t. Did you know that the ‘glow’ comes from estrogen rich blood that is flowing through your body? Once you’ve had your baby the oestrogen level will drop and this can leave your skin dry and thirsty. Thanks post pregnancy skin for that! To help combat dry skin it is a good idea to use anti-inflammatory products. These on top of a good exfoliant means old skin is being lifted and new skin protected. Dry skin can become red and sore if bacteria manage to settle there. So, again natural and cooling products are usually your best choice

The three main areas to focus on to rid yourself of dry skin is washing your face regularly. Twice daily with a gentle but thorough face wash and twice a week using a good exfoliant. Also making sure to put moisture back into the skin is important. Again, drink plenty of water to keep your whole self hydrated. Don’t forget to moisturise daily to keep new skin soft and supple. As an added bonus tidbit, some Rosacea treatments can be great for dry postpartum skin. Sounds like a good excuse to get to the salon for a pamper.

He are some great products to help banish any dry and flaky skin you may have post partum.

Liz Earle Gentle Face Exfoliator

With main ingredients such as cocoa butter and jojoba. This exfoliant is perfect for dry skin. Helping buff of dry and flaky patches. All that whilst still hydrating and protecting the new skin underneath.

Lumity Life Facial Oil

Using a variety of natural ingredients and added vitamins. This facial oil leaves the skin super hydrated and happy. It also has anti-ageing ingredients. Perfect for dry post pregnancy skin. Now I had this to gifted me in the past but I swear by it. It is a GREAT product.

Super Facialist Retinol Restoring Serum

Retinol helps repair damaged skin which is great for a dry break out. Not forgetting that you shouldn’t over-apply as it can make skin worse. Retinol is a great way to combat dry skin though. Also the next problem we will be talking about too.

Boots Expert Day Cream

Using SPF 15 and also this is a perfect cream for dry skin. Both these main ingredients will help keep dry skin protected. Meaning less redness and soreness that can be associated with dry skin.

One note to take on dry skin is not to over exfoliate as this will make dry skin worse so twice a week should be enough.

Melasma

Melasma is the darkening of skin over any part of the body. Throughout your pregnancy, there are two main hormones that go berserk. One is Estrogen and the other Progesterone. These hormones going crazy can cause dark skin patches to appear. For example, my belly is a lot darker than it was before my pregnancy. This is melasma and it can occur anywhere on your body. It can also be a knock on your body confidence. Which let’s face it doesn’t need to be added to after growing a human.

The main areas to focus on for melasma are so simple. Avoid overexposing your skin to the sun and be sure to slap on the sunscreen. Also, gentle exfoliation should help to lift old skin and allowing new skin to shine.

Some brilliant products to help combat these pesky dark patches are as follows.

Sunscreen

Anything above 30 SPF will work but if it has added bonuses such as cocoa butter then great. Protection from the sun will stop your dark patches from becoming worse.

Foundation with Added SPF

Again this will help to seal in the sun protection. Keeping your skin from head to toe covered for sun skin care.

Neutrogena Pink Grapefruit Scrub

Encouraging the skin cells to renew in the areas affected can really help. Why not try the refreshing Pink Grapefruit scrub. I use this personally and it does the job without being too harsh.

Palmers Cocoa Body Scrub

Like above you want to aid and help cell renewal so a decent body scrub can really help. Especially if, like me, your dark patches of skin are on your stomach or other body parts.

Dark Under Eye

Now your newborn is here you are waking throughout the night and in fact, sleep can feel like a myth with a newborn to take care of. What most people don’t realise is that you have been doing this for the last two months of your pregnancy at least! By the time your newborn gets here you’re already exhausted from just being pregnant. Mama, you tired and the lack of sleep is leaving your under eye darker than a Tarantino movie!!

The two main aspects to focus on is cooling the area and hydration. When you’re tired the small veins under your eyes can swell. This can cause the area to appear much darker than normal. Cooling the area can help reduce the size of your veins and helping to brighten the area. Hydrating your skin through water and a good eye product can also have a huge effect on the darkness.

Cucumber

The coldness will help with making the veins less visible. There for making your under eye brighter.

Wake Eye Serum

This serum was gifted to me and actually appears in one of my faves lists. It instantly hydrates and brightens the under eye area. I’ve been slithering this on like nobodies business.

Skin Republic Under Eye Patch

Using Collagen, Green Tea, Aloe Vera and Vitamins A & E. These eye patches target the main signs of ageing and darkness being one them. It will also help with wrinkles to so that’s an added bonus.

Red Lipstick

Now, this isn’t a preventative measure but can help cover the dark under your eyes. Using it as a concealer can colour correct the darkness. To find out how to achieve this you can check out this post I did a while back.

Make sure that you’re resting well and getting those naps in where you can. Be sure to grab that early night and take care of yourself. Beauty products can only do so much.

My New Routine

As I have recently had a newborn baby I know first hand about ALL the problem on the list above. I have huge lumpy pimples in so many places. The melasma is only my belly so that’s not too bad. As for dark eyes…..bish please, You know my bag game is stronger than Louis Vuitton right now. With this in mind, I am also sharing my new altered post pregnancy skin care routine. I hope it can help you in your postpartum skin journey.

Morning

Face wash – Simple Kind to Skin Moisturising Facial Wash

Eye Cream – Eyewake (now known as Wake) Eye serum.

Skin cream – Sunkissed serum (this item was gifted)

Sun cream – Which ever I have in the house.

Night

Face wash – Same as the morning unless it’s an exfoliating day.

Cleanse – Garnier Skin Active Micellar water

Toner – I recently bought some of the Asda own brand. Kind and Gentle facial Toner. This was less than £1 and working like a dream.

Cool Eye area – Cucumber

Eye Cream – Eyewake eye serum (I’ll note here that this was also gifted)

Facial oil – Lumity Life Facial Oil (This was again gifted)

Twice Weekly

Exfoliate – Neutrogena Pink Grapefruit Scrub

Face mask – 7th heaven is my go to but I also like the Superdrug ‘We love face mask’ natural masks.

Eye mask – I love the Simple ‘Brightening Under eye Hydrogel mask’

That is it my loves in regards to post postpartum skin and how to take care of it. I really hope this post pregnancy skin care routine helps you if you’re struggling with any of the problems mentioned above. Maybe you have a top tip you’d like to share with us? If you do Let us know in the comments below. Or if you have a query don’t hesitate to leave it in the comments or on our Facebook. I will update this post in a couple of weeks to see if the new routine is working for me.

Lots of Love,

Tahnee xxx