Mama You've Got This...

SKINCARE

Acids might just be one of the best things to happen to skincare.

We’re not talking about the mind-bending variety, rather Alpha

Hydroxy Acids, Beta Hydroxy Acids and Hyaluronic Acid. While

many trendy ingredients are introduced all of the time in the

skincare world, these acids are mainstays for a reason.

Hyaluronic Acid (HA) , a powerhouse of an anti-ageing and

hydrating skincare ingredient, is safe to use during pregnancy

(hooray! ) . It’s naturally found in our bodies and is very versatile,

so it works well with all skin types, including sensitive and acne-

prone. Make sure to incorporate it if you’re on an acne regimen,

to replenish moisture back into the skin that’s most likely being

robbed by the harsh acne ingredients. HA is best used in serum

form, right after cleansing and before you apply your moisturiser.

Now Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHAs ) and Beta Hydroxy Acids (BHAs )

are a bit trickier to navigate during pregnancy. Salicylic acid,

which falls under pregnancy category C as mentioned before,

is a BHA, so best to avoid it. Glycolic acid, which is an AHA, is

considered safe to use in lower concentrations, but you can

always use a product containing lactic acid instead. Lactic acid,

another AHA, will help refine the pores and generally do the same

thing that glycolic acid does, but at a lower strength and with

less irritation.

Are skincare acids (AHA BHA, and HAs)

safe during pregnancy?

One of the main actions of an AHA is they provide chemical

exfoliation. I hate dead skin cells sticking around on my face

for no good reason just as much as the next person, however

using a potentially harmful chemical to give those dead cells

their walking papers is not worth it. Instead, I’m all about manual

exfoliation, which is the act of using a washcloth to manually

slough off the top layer of skin. I’ve found muslin cloths to be

especially amazing for this purpose. After applying your facial

cleanser, dampen a muslin cloth with warm water and press it

on the skin before gently rubbing the cleanser off. To be extra

cautious, use

a gentle

cleanser with tea tree oil, green tea leaf extract and coconut-

derived cleansers to give skin a natural radiance.