The one thing I didn’t count on changing during pregnancy was my skin. As a result, my pregnancy skincare routine has had to undergo a major overhaul. Gone are the actives, the glycolic acid, the salicylic acid, the retinol. Actually, nearly every product I was using has been demoted to the bottom shelf of the bathroom cupboard. So what happened? I have had a long history of adult acne and rosacea. In my late thirties, the rosacea became the primary issue. From getting expert advice at Renew, I was treated with a combination of peels and IPL, but now, I can’t have any of that. The outcome was a flare up of wild proportions. My skin became inflamed, red and accompanied by small red and raw spots largely on my forehead and cheeks.
My face was sore. I wanted to scratch it off. I can’t explain this. I had never felt my skin so tight and uncomfortable. I had to do something about it so I returned to Renew to speak to Dr. Susana Fontana who has been guiding my skin care and treatments for the last number of years.
Upon close inspection, Dr. Susana confirmed my suspicion; my skin barrier had totally broken down and my rosacea took over. A lot to do with pregnancy hormones, but nothing that was untreatable. The first step was to add in a balancing cleanser. The Image Skincare Ormedic facial wash is a super product. It makes your skin feel so clean and my trick has been to remove any make up first using a balm, then to use the facial wash to really clean and treat my skin. The next step was to add in a gentle barrier cream to help nourish my skin. I started to use Avéne Cicalfate which I cannot recommend enough. It’s a thick texture so you don’t need a lot of it. It blends so well into the skin leaving it dewy and moisturised. At night, that was all I did and in the morning, I added in an SPF also from Image called Daily Matte. Twice I week I started to use another great Avéne product from their anti redness range, Anti Rougeurs. This mask is brilliant. You apply it, leave it on for fifteen minutes, then gently wipe off the excess. This allows the mask to really get into your skin without clogging your pores.
After two weeks, the redness is calm, there are few red spots and my skin feels smooth. The key thing if you encounter any skin issue, whether it’s pregnancy related or not, getting the right advice is key. We can be overwhelmed by the ranges out there. It’s easy to walk into the chemist and buy one of everything thinking it will work but we have to understand, through an expert, how these products and their ingredients interact. Or in my case, clash.
For the next few months, this will be my personal routine, but that won’t prevent me from informing you of new beauty launches that might be of interest!
Drop me a comment if there is anything you would like me to add to these pages!
