Beauty and Self-Care During Early Pregnancy
Isabelle at her first Ultrasound Appointment (baby was no bigger than a lima bean at this point!)
In early pregnancy, the celebrated "glow" often feels like a myth. Nausea, exhaustion, and hormonal changes can leave you feeling anything but radiant. Here’s how to nurture your beauty and well-being during this challenging time. Being in the thick of my first trimester as I write this (9 weeks) I can write first hand about what has made the most difference in my beauty routine and helped me feel lovely on the outside even when the inside feels… quite the opposite.
Start with Skincare
Skincare during early pregnancy can be challenging due to hormonal changes that can cause breakouts, dullness and dryness. Start slow - not everyone’s skin changes for the worse so your best bet is to pair back and go gentle.
Start with a gentle, sulfate-free cleanser to keep your skin clean without irritation. Opt for a deeply hydrating moisturizer containing hyaluronic acid to maintain moisture and suppleness.
Remove Makeup Thoroughly: A lot of makeup removers are highly fragranced and if your sense of smell is heightened I recommend using an ultra calming cleansing oil like this one from MUJI available on Amazon.
Cleanse Gently: Use a mild, simple cleanser to keep your skin clean without irritation (if you want to avoid non “pregnancy safe” skincare lookout for ‘acne’ cleansers since they often contain acids that aren’t recommended during pregnancy, particularly the first trimester. My personal cleansers at the moment are the Indie Lee Coq-10 Cleanser, Elemis Superfood Cleanser, and RoC Barrier Repair.
Water Essence: Often overlooked, a water essence is a gentle but crucial step to ensure that your skin is deeply hydrated from within. Pat it into your skin in layers before going in with serums and moisturizers. My favorite is the MISSHA Time Revolution.
Simple Serums & Moisturizers: Opt for simple yet rich, hydrating serums and moisturizers. I like to focus on hyaluronic acid to combat dryness, dullness and maintain skin suppleness. Go for peptide serums like the Medik8 (which is a little bit pricey but worth it.) I also adore the Clinique Moisture Surge which has SAVED my skin over these past few weeks.
5.) Needing More: If breakouts are an issue, look for products with niacinamide or azelaic acid, which are safe for pregnancy and effective against acne and if that doesn’t work I recommend talking to your doctor or midwife about what they suggest - not everyone feels the need to worry too much about which topicals are pregnancy safe (with the exception of retinol which is really best to avoid.)
Body Love
Especially during pregnancy your skincare shouldn’t end at the neck. Take care of the skin on your entire body. While this is going to become especially important in your second and third trimesters when your body begins to really change, it’s important to start building the habit early so it becomes second nature in time.
Dry Brushing: This is a tremendous way to boost skin circulation, promote lymphatic drainage and exfoliate which allows your moisturizers and oils to penetrate more deeply. Gently dry brush your skin before hopping into shower (ideally once a day.)
Moisturize and Oil: After showering (or at least once a day) take the time to fully moisturize your body head to toe. I like to use a standard unscented moisturizer all over and then apply an additional rich oil to my neck, chest, and stomach to ensure those areas are getting extra love. I personally use a face moisturizer in those areas, I figure pregnancy is only for a little while and I want to give my body the best it can get. If that’s too pricey for you at the moment - focus on an oil blend high in almond oil like the Mother’s Special Blend Oil which has been a secret cult favorite for years.
Make Time for Makeup
I don’t know about you but putting on at least a decent face of makeup even on the days when I’m exhausted and nauseous has made me feel like a human and allowed me to feel a bit peppier. I don’t think there’s any specific products to use or avoid (although on days when I’ll be sleeping a lot I don’t apply mascara or heavy foundation because it get’s all over my pillowcases.)
Hair Care
Pregnancy can make your hair grow like wild and even change texture, but post-partum is said to cause shedding, dry brittle hair that snaps and breaks and more. While there’s nothing really to focus on too much during early pregnancy - I like to establish good hair habits that will help to minimize the possible pitfalls to come.
Scalp Stimulation: Brush your hair (and scalp) with 100 strokes either morning or night. It seems like a lot but it’s an easy habit to build and will help maintain circulation to your scalp, providing your hair with essential nutrients.
LED: Red light has been proved to stimulate hair growth and regrow hair that has been lost so if you have a red light device (or even a red light helmet like this one - I have a code with Current Body for 10% off ‘ISABELLE10’ if you’d like to use it, but if there’s a better promotion running go with that!)
High Quality Shampoo, Conditioner, and Oil: I’ve always been an advocate of sulfate free shampoos, high quality conditioners and oils and the benefits they can have on your hair. For this there are so many products to choose from, everything I use is linked in my ShopMy here.
By embracing these self-care practices, you can enhance your beauty and well-being, making the journey through early pregnancy a little more comfortable and a lot more glamorous.
I will be writing an in depth article on wellness in early pregnancy including mental wellbeing, hydration, exercise and self love! I’ll link it here <3