How to Treat Pregnancy Acne
Whether you have had acne before or had clear skin before being pregnant acne can be frustrating, wear on our self-esteem, and sometimes become so frustrating we will do anything or pay any amount of money to get rid of it. In pregnancy, there are a very limited number of things you can use on your skin.
Pregnancy Acne is caused by an increase in progesterone due to your growing baby. It is a myth that acne is due to the gender of a child. Women that have female & male fetuses have both experienced pregnancy acne.
Regardless of what trimester in your pregnancy your acne decides to take over your face, it’s great to learn what it is and how you can treat it gently yet effectively.
According to What to Expect, “Two things conspire to cause breakouts, which tend to hit sometime around week 6 of pregnancy: hormone surges, of course (in this case, progesterone, which causes your glands to increase acne-causing secretions of oil, called sebum) can clog up pores and cause bacteria to build up, leading to breakouts. And your body is also retaining more fluids, which contain toxins that can lead to zits.”
Progesterone increases as the baby grows, it can change from week to week, sometimes not causing any acne, every woman is different and so is every pregnancy. About more than half of pregnant woman are said to experience pregnancy acne, according to WebMD.
How do you fix it, well I’ve put together a face regimen that is proven to show results and be pregnancy safe all the while maintaining moisture resulting in acne free mama to be skin!
Cleansing: First, you want to purchase a cleanser that is strong yet gentle. In pregnancy it is unsafe to use retinol, chemicals, therefore you must stay away from prescription acne washes. I have found that PanOxyl Maximum Strength (available at walmart.com) has 10% Benzoyl Peroxide & is effective when used twice a day. Some moms to be feared that it might be too strong for their skin or that they are sensitive to the maximum strength formula, however, even mom to be’s with the most sensitive skin have been able to use it AS LONG AS it is paired with a healing moisturizing facial moisturizer like Vilót Skin’s Face Balm.
Moisture: Vilót Skin’s Face balm is pregnancy safe & all natural made from 7 of the most luxurious ingredients that provide nutrients and healing to the skin. The balm heals, clears and moisturizes the skin so much so, that women have not only seen clearer skin, they have seen fine lines reduced, glowing dewy makeup free skin and have cleaner clearer skin complexions.
Together, the duo has changed the faces of pregnant mothers experiencing hormonal acne and can change yours too.
What NOT to do- Please Please Please whatever you do, DO NOT use facial scrubs. Scrubs only scratch the surface of the skin, causing more irritation, adding on to your list of skin issues.
Do NOT squeeze or pop any pimples, this will only make things worse. Keep your hands away from your face, blemishes are temporary scars are not.
Don’t use chemical peels! Burning and peeling your skin, will also NOT change what is going on in your body hormonally! Don’t go crazy overloading your skin with too many products. Parents.com agrees that it will only make things worse.
What you CAN do is, use a gentle yet effective face mask to draw toxins and bacteria from the skin like Vilót Skin’s Activated Charcoal Mask. It is effective in pulling out toxins from the skin and clearing it of blemishes all the while retaining the moisture. Use the mask once a week or whenever breakouts appear.
Be sure to drink plenty of water (convert your weight to ounces, divide that by two. The number you get should be the number of ounces of water you should be drinking daily), wear sunscreen SPF 30 or more every day, especially when using acne treatments as your skin is more sensitive to UV rays.
Always be sure to consult with your practitioner before using anything new or trying a new skin care regimen to make sure they clear you for the use of new products. Also, give your new regimen time to settle and work effectively, if you haven't see a change in your skin in 2 weeks, ramp up your mask use to twice a week.
Congratulations on your bundle of joy,
-VS
