Pregnancy Skincare: Third Trimester Update!
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Category
Fashion & Style
As I'm nearing my due date, I realized that the last time I updated you guys about my pregnancy skincare routine, I was only about 17 weeks pregnant!
Obviously, a LOT has changed since the first trimester and my disastrous attempt at washing my face with bar soap (shudder) to stop my hormone-driven breakouts.
I'm still being very careful about trying new products, since pregnancy has actually made my skin even more sensitive. But after that brutal period in the first trimester, my skin is mostly (thankfully) back to normal.
There are still some problem areas: the biggest one is that I'm noticing some redness in certain areas that I didn't have before I got pregnant. Apparently growing a human being for nine months requires increased blood flow for your whole body (go figure), so I'm hoping that this will clear up on its own once the baby is born. But I definitely see some redness around my nose and on the lower half of my forehead that's new. Fortunately, it's easily covered up with makeup, so I'm trying not to sweat it.
And VERY thankfully, my breakouts are completely gone. I've spent so much time in the past year being diligent and careful about my skincare routine, it was really hard to suddenly be getting breakouts that didn't respond to anything. Fortunately, as my hormones came back under control, those let up on their own, and now I'm back to almost exactly my pre-pregnancy skincare routine.
So here's what I'm doing: Washing my face twice a day with Simple Skincare cleanser -- I recently switched to their Foaming Facial Wash Cleanser and I love it! It leaves my skin super clean and soft, and ready for either makeup or moisturizer, depending on the time of day! I used to love my Clarisonic brush, but I found that it's just too harsh for my skin while pregnant, so I can't wait to try it with this cleanser once my skin is fully back to normal.
For moisturizer, I used the Simple Skincare Replenishing Rich Moisturizer all winter, but now that Spring is in full swing in Texas, I switched back to the Protecting Light Moisturizer for its extra SPF. Honestly, though, these are both great products that I use more or less interchangeably throughout the year, depending on whether I want a little extra moisture.
For makeup, I've been trying to give me skin as much of a break as I can, including going makeup-free some days (if I don't have meetings or commitments). Instead of full foundation, I use a little bit of concealer and blend it with moisturizer for a bit of coverage that's still mostly nourishing for my skin. And on the days that I wear foundation, I'm using less of it -- one pump about the size of a large Tic-Tac covers my cheeks, forehead, nose and chin. This spring makeup look is still my everyday go-to, although I'm starting to think about experimenting with bold summer lipstick!
{PS — For my fellow pregnant readers, remember to always check with your doctor before trying new skincare products while pregnant!}