pregnancy skincare routine

{at 16 weeks, finally glowing}

So, you know how everyone talks about the pregnancy "glow?"

There should be a little asterisk next to that phrase, because that the "pregnancy glow" is preceded by three months of puberty-comparable acne. Just saying -- that's a thing that they never talk about in US Weekly, but it is true, and it is terrible.

At least (sigh), it was for me. Over the past year or so, I've finally gotten myself on a skincare routine that I really love -- one that doesn't involve spending hundreds of dollars on random products that I try once or twice, and one that I actually stick to, and notice great changes in my skin because of it.

But pregnancy threw me for a loop. Because within a week of my positive pregnancy test, I'd look in the mirror and suddenly, my normally clear skin was... bumpy. I didn't have great skin as a teenager, so it took me about two seconds to realize that pregnancy hormones were probably causing my sudden breakouts... but I had no idea how to stop them.

So I did exactly the wrong thing: I completely abandoned my tried-and-true skincare routine. Most acne-fighting products aren't safe during pregnancy (you're supposed to avoid everything with salicylic acid, which have always been my cure for the occasional breakout), so I was kind of in a bind.

And I did the grossest thing. I don't even want to admit it, but in the spirit of total honesty, here's what I thought would solve my breakouts:

I started washing my face with bar soap. And I did this (because I am a dope who thinks that everything she reads on the internet is true) because of some random forum post where a girl was talking about curing her pregnancy acne with antibacterial soap. So, for maybe three weeks, I used a bar of Dial Soap on my sensitive skin.

And you know what it did for my acne? Absolutely nothing.  It made my skin irritated and dry, and it didn't clear up my breakouts one bit.  Instead, every time Chad leaned down to kiss me, he'd go, "you smell weird."

In fact, if it weren't for Chad, I'd probably still be doing it. Usually I'm quick to abandon skincare products that aren't working, but somehow I was just convinced that this one would if I gave it more time... until, thankfully, Chad put his foot down and told me I had to go back to smelling like normal, please.

So I abandoned the bar soap (just thinking about it makes me shudder) and went back to Simple Skincare Refreshing Facial Wash Gel, which has been my go-to for the last two years.  And, finally, my skin started to go back to normal.  And at about week 14, I looked in the mirror and didn't see bumps all over my forehead. And now that I'm at week 16, my skin is more or less back to its pre-pregnancy shape. I've added back in Simple Skincare's Replenishing Rich Moisturizer at night, and will probably go back to my beloved Radiance Cleansing Wipes in a few weeks.

And, after that brutal adjustment period, now I feel like I'm actually starting to glow.

{PS -- For those of you pregnant readers, remember to always check with your doctor before trying new skincare products while pregnant!}