Something that I’ve failed to mention so far: my skin has been a nightmare! Okay – I am probably being dramatic here. It could be so much worse, but for me it’s bad!
I have always had dry skin. And when I say dry skin, I mean like eczema status, dry patches. I have always gone for the richest, creamiest, most moisturizing of face lotions, that still barely keep my face moisturized for more than 5 minutes. I quickly realized that my skin is changing, and this is too much for me.
I’ve also realized that I need to wash my face a whole lot more now. I might be gross, but I have never been a wash my face when I wake up and before bed type of person. Morning was always just about moisturizing for the day, and night time, I would typically just remove my makeup with wipes, and only truly wash my face on the nights I was taking a full shower. In hindsight… I’m starting to think I’m gross.
Being away from work has helped in that I no longer wear makeup daily. I’ve been doing my makeup about once a week (for picture day 😂). I’ll sometimes do it a second time if I have an appointment, maybe for a FaceTime call, or if I just want to feel extra pretty – because let’s be real; I have no where to go!
It’s also a huge bummer that most acne fighting products that you would normally lean toward are frowned upon during pregnancy. You’re stuck with pairing mild product upon mild product, and hoping for the best in a fight against crazy pregnancy hormones.
The face wash I’ve turned to is the Cetaphil Gentle Foaming Cleanser. I don’t entirely remember how I came across this one, but probably was searching for sensitive skin, combination skin, and pregnancy safe. Plus I have a love of foaming soaps. 🤷♀️
After face wash, I’ve started using a facial toner. I have two that I like and switch back and forth between – they seem to be pretty similar. The first is Thayer’s Witch Hazel Facial Toner. I go with the unscented one (because hello sensitive skin!), but upon perusing Amazon, I’m intrigued by all the different options they have! The second is Clean Beauty Witch Hazel Facial Toner. This one has apple cider vinegar which I thought sounded interesting! I believe I found both of these at TJ Maxx. I always peek through their skincare/beauty section to see what looks good. The only problem is that it can be hard to find the same product again if you love it! Thank goodness for online shopping! Especially during this pandemic…
The cool thing about the toner is that you can see how much product your wipes or face wash left behind! Adding this step seems to crucial now in getting all that gunk off your face!
For face lotion I also turned to Cetaphil – Daily Hydrating Lotion. It’s very gentle and doesn’t seem too thick. I am so far liking it. Again, I am a huge pro of fragrance free products, especially on my face.
For any super dry patches that might pop up, and ALWAYS for my lips, I swear by Aquaphor. Yes – the straight up ointment. I’ve tried their lip products, but didn’t find them moisturizing enough for me. This you can pop on in the morning (almost like a lip gloss), and it lasts well into the day. I love these little tubes, because they are easy to throw in your purse.
Lastly, the makeup wipes I’ve been loving for a long, long time are the Simple for Sensitive Skin Face Cleansing Wipes. As I’ve admitted earlier – I still recommend washing your face afterwards, or using a toner to get any leftovers off, but these do a really great job at getting mascara off (and yes I love to layer mascara on 😂), along with the rest of the makeup that I paint on. I will usually do a quick wipe with these before getting in the shower especially just to make the face wash a little more helpful. 😊
This whole skin care journey is kind of new to me. I’m hopeful that it’s simply a pregnancy phase, and will clear afterwards, but who knows? I worked really diligently to take great care of my face, and was seeing daily improvement to the point where it was *almost* gone, but it is back with a vengeance! My chin seems to be my biggest problem area, and it can go along my jaw line and up onto my cheeks as well.
I’ve also been trying to wash my pillowcases more frequently to see if that will help. Now that I’m supposed to sleep on my side, my face is constantly pressed into my pillows. I was team back-sleeper pre-pregnancy.
Here’s to hoping for clear skin ahead! Or not…
Laugh Often – Rachel
Simply Stoops 