In today’s post I’ll talk about the ways that I dealt with dry skin during pregnancy – from skincare recommendations to products.
Not sure if it’s the changing hormones or what – but dry skin is no joke. Flaky and itchy. Luckily it doesn’t have to be the case throughout your pregnancy. I started to notice that my skin was getting really dried out. The skincare routine that worked for me for years had to change.
For the body:
I switched back to what always works. This brand was actually recommended and introduced to us by our family dermatologist way back. It’s also something I used on J when he was an infant dealing with eczema.
The La Roche-Posay Lipikar line is very easy to use. It’s fragrance-free yet still smells pleasant. Also has a lot of ingredients that helps protects and soothes the skin. I noticed instance relief that night.
The lotion: LIPIKAR BODY LOTION – this is a nice light weight moisturizer that quickly absorbs into the skin. They have a creme and balm formulation as well – but unless you suffer from extremely dry skin, I would start with the “LAIT” variation. This lotion is great for the whole family, and you can use it on your newborn as well.
What the site claims:
This daily body lotion for normal to dry skin helps replenish skin’s essential lipids and provide all-day hydration. This body moisturizer contains a repairing cold-cream based formula enriched with 10% cold-pressed Shea butter for lipid-replenishment and 60% La Roche-Posay Thermal Spring Water, known for its naturally soothing and protecting properties. Also formulated with Niacinamide. Long-lasting comfort for all dry skin, even the most delicate and sensitive. Hypoallergenic formula designed to be used daily by the entire family, including babies, children, adults and seniors.
La Roche-Posay
The body wash: LIPIKAR SYNDET AP+. I love this body wash as well. Once my skin isn’t as dry, sometimes I can get away with just the wash and skipping lotion all the together. I also use this on the whole family – and whole body! On occasion I’ll use this on the face as well.
What the site claims:
Our best moisturizing body and face wash that gently cleanses dry, itchy, sensitive skin prone to scratching. The lipid-replenishing cream wash provides 24-hour hydration starting in the shower. This soothing shower cream helps protect skin from the drying effects of water and leaves the skin clean, soft and instantly soothed. It is suitable for babies as young as 2 weeks, children and adults. It is also suitable for baby’s scalp and for use on cradle cap.
La Roche-Posay
I purchased both products from Shoppers Drug Mart. They often go on sale or have points promotion. Another thing to double check is the gift sets, sometimes they will include the body wash as part of the gift.
For the face:
One of the first things I did was swap out my existing cleanser once I noticed that my skin was feeling more tight after washing. You can look for face washes that specializes in dry skin – Sephora has a lot of great tools and filters on their website to help you narrow down choices. Or you could just use the La Roche Posay on your face as well – you’ll just need a separate make up remover/cleanser if you wear make up and sunscreen.
Add an essence/toner to your skincare step (if you haven’t already). I think this step is critical to add every time your skin touches water. I find the water itself can cause your skin to be off balance. For my “normal” skin I have enjoyed both SKII and Tatcha throughout the years. Also to be honest, there are days I’ve skipped lotioning my face and the essence helps keeps things balanced.
If you’re curious about the Tatcha line, they have a small set available at Sephora for birthday redemption if you’re a BI member. If you missed out, they also have small travel sets for you to test out the line. I noticed during the last year, I’ve opted for many smaller sets to ensure I use up the product and optimal freshness. Sometimes with the value size, it technically works out better cost wise when you calculate $/g or mL – but then there are many times that these products go unfinished for me.
Other options to consider:
Hydrate with water
Remember to drink your water. Now thinking back, I wonder if my dry skin might’ve been related to the nausea and vomiting. That can really lead to dehydration which in turn dries out your skin. If you’re vomiting a lot consider some electrolyte tablets to help.
Humidifier in the bedroom
Check the humidity in your house, if the air is on the dry side consider using a humidifier – you can use an existing one you had for your first baby or this could be a good time to find a cool mist version for you and the nursery. We also have a post on air quality in the home here – we have a separate section on humidifiers and the ones we researched. Worth while to kick off your own research from here.
More on humidity in the home here by AirThings.
Hope this helps and good luck with the rest of your pregnancy!
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