Bump Squad mama Tarah on finding her soulmate pregnancy skincare routine!
Like many mamas, I’ve had my fair share of weird pregnancy skin issues. Now that I’m smack in the middle of my third pregnancy, I feel like I’ve seen it all – itchy skin, acne, stretch marks…you get the idea.
During my first pregnancy, I was already aware of the connection between how I felt and what I put into my body, but not so much about what I put onto my body. I couldn’t even tell you now what products I was using back then (in my defense, it was almost six years ago), but I’m fairly certain I mostly used whatever smelled the prettiest. I remember being so itchy that I was begging my husband to scratch my back and slather lotion on me every single night.
A few years later when I was pregnant with my second little guy, I had dipped my toes into the natural skincare pool by trying to make some of my own products at home. I was making my own face wash with essential oils, clay, and castille soap. I sort of just played around with it and came up with my own recipe, which I think is where my problems began.
At about 17 or 18 weeks, I noticed some redness around my nose and mouth. As the weeks wore on, this progressed to tiny red bumps and extreme itchiness in those areas. It was so itchy that some nights I couldn’t even fall asleep! My heart was in the right place, and I tried treating it myself at home with natural remedies like essential oils, coconut oil, and exfoliates.
These did nothing other than exacerbate the issue and I finally went to the dermatologist and was prescribed a topical steroid. This worked for a while, but ultimately seemed to also make things worse. They finally diagnosed my condition as atopic dermatitis and said it was probably a combination of hormones and the products I was using. Luckily, it did begin to clear up a few months after giving birth, but I made a lot of changes to my skincare routine to help that along.
I am so happy to report that at 26 weeks into my third pregnancy, I have not dealt with any of the issues I suffered from during my first two pregnancies! My face is smooth and not the color of a tomato, and my back (and arms and legs) are soft and smooth. So, what am I doing differently this time around? I’m glad you asked. :)
First off, I have super-simplified my face care routine. I used to exfoliate almost every day, I wore makeup every day, and I was not cautious about what I used on my face. Now, I wash twice a day with a very gentle rosewater cleanser, follow it up with a witch hazel toner, and moisturize with rosehip oil. Oh, and I wear makeup maybe once or twice a month. That’s it.
As far as the rest of my body, my Earth Mama products have kept my skin calm and happy throughout my pregnancy. The products are gentle, organic, and were created by an herbalist (you know, someone who knows way more about what we should be using on our skin than a novice like me).
During my first trimester, I was obsessed with the Morning Wellness Body Wash. The ginger and citrus scent was just what my queasy belly needed and I love that they are made without artificial fragrances. And the soap does not dry out my skin at all!
Once I started, well, expanding, I added the Belly Oil and Belly Butter to my daily arsenal. They are both really light, but extremely moisturizing. I know the lotion is called Belly Butter, but I use it all over my body as my daily moisturizer. I can’t get enough of it! Most importantly, I feel safe about rubbing it all over my body because it is made without artificial ingredients!
I’m so in love with these products that I seriously cannot wait for my little baby to get here so I can spoil them with Earth Mama’s baby soaps and lotions, too…and since my baby will be too young to argue about it, I might just steal a little for myself.