When a woman is expecting a baby, it is always a very exciting time. Of course, it can be a very anxious time too, because the woman wants everything to go well. This is a time to not only get everything ready for the baby's arrival, but also a time for the woman to take the best possible care of herself.
Skin care is a very important part of a pregnant woman taking care of herself. The right regimen will not only keep an expectant mother happy with glowing skin during pregnancy, but also keep the skin looking this good after pregnancy.
Since a pregnant woman's hormones can change quite a bit, it is normal for a woman to experience some outbreaks of acne. When a woman is not pregnant or breastfeeding, then she can go ahead and use the various over the counter skin care products that are available.
However, when she is pregnant and breastfeeding, it is important to avoid products that have Salicylic acid in them. Now, some people would think that would be missing the entire point of treating the acne, because Salicylic acid is what gets rid of the infection. However, in order to do this, the Salicylic acid enters the bloodstream, which could be dangerous for the baby.
Instead, a good thing for pregnant women to do when it comes to skin care for acne is to choose all natural skin care products that have moisturizing ingredients in them such as Aloe Vera and oatmeal. No matter what season it is, it is always a good idea to choose a face wash that has small exfoliating beads in it to get rid of excess dry skin.
Another thing that pregnant women will need to pay special attention to (especially if they happen to be pregnant during the summer months) is sun exposure. Pregnant or not, too much exposure to the sun can lead to premature aging, irregular skin pigmentation, and skin cancer. So, it is important that the woman discuss the best SPF options with her doctor.
The main thing that women worry about during pregnancy is whether or not they will develop stretch marks. Stretch marks occur because the skin is stretched beyond its regular capacity. While most commonly associated with pregnancy, stretch marks can also caused by fast weight gain.
So, what kinds of skin care techniques can pregnant women do in order to prevent stretch marks from happening? Moisturizing lotions that contain cocoa butter in them are usually the preferred choice. This is because the cocoa butter adds some extra elasticity to the skin.
Other important things to keep in mind for the skin is that in order to avoid circulation problems, which cause vein irregularities to surface on the skin, the woman needs to wear the right shoes. High heels are not advised because they do not offer the right support for the circulatory system. Additionally, it is always nice to have a massage to rejuvenate the skin and improve blood flow during this important time.
