Why are there a million rules for what to use on your skin when you’re pregnant? While you’re taking on the enormous challenge of growing a tiny life inside you, you also have to worry about the safety of your skincare products.
I do wonder if we’ve moved past the organic land of Neals Yard Remedies or anything Goop has to offer. I know Jessica Alba has had her fair stab at sustainable and organic.
What’s in your skincare?
I really want to make sure I’m recommending products that are safe, sustainable and organic but there is a big but – there are two factors which deter me from recommending them every time.
Essential oils and base creams
Essential oils hold such power and mystique that really is transcendent of whether you believe in their benefits or not. The facts are that there are some scents that energise me. There are also some such as lavender that totally mellow me.
What’s more, medical professionals such as Dr. Milosavljevic in Good Housekeeping say ‘Some essential oils that can be safely used during pregnancy are lavender, chamomile, and ylang ylang. These are calming or down-regulating oils that can have a relaxing effect on the body.”
Some oils can be incredibly effective such as lavender and tea tree within skincare while others might cause more harm than good.
Essential oils to avoid if you’re pregnant are
There’s a lot to still learn about essential oils. Here are a few I recommend to avoiding:
Fennel, clary sage, marjoram, tarragon, caraway, cinnamon, thuja, mugwort, birch, wintergreen, basil (estragole CT), camphor, hyssop, aniseed, sage, tansy, wormwood, parsley seed or leaf, and pennyroyal.
The nervousness around essential oils comes from urinary infections being significantly more susceptible when the ones listed are used. Not to mention, that experts just simply don’t know all the impacts essential oils have on the foetus and mother. Unsurprisingly, there isn’t enough extensive research due to a lack of willing participants for case studies.
Choose your base cream wisely
The cream you spread on the largest organ in your body should be high and safe quality but that doesn’t mean you need to compromise the efficacy of how active it is.
It’s easy to overlook how active ingredients are when the blend of scents is so appealing and the promise of minimising stretch marks is on the tub.
The base cream, oil, or serum that you use can really have a positive impact on your skin and pregnancy experience. Understanding what ingredients are safe and active will help you make an impactful decision with your skincare.
Active ingredients that ARE safe for you during pregnancy
Of course, you want to know what the safest and most effective ingredients to use on your skin are.
You’ll want to see some of these names on the back of your bottle or tub.
- Aqua
- Aloe Vera
- Sweet Almond Oil
- Jojoba Seed Oil
- Argan Oil
- Natural Preservatives,
- Lavender Oil
- Tea Tree Oil
- Vitamin E
- Silver
- Maltodextrin
- Natural Thickeners and Emulsifiers
- Geranium Oil,
- Chamomile Roman Oil
And guess what – Zita West’s beautifully conscious skincare range for pregnancy and life after contains these active and safe ingredients.
Restore and renew your whole body
Your whole body will be crying out for some much-needed nourishment – from your belly to your perineum.
While you can enhance recovery and aid pregnancy with Zita West’s carefully designed supplements on the inside, you can also work on the outside.
Zita West’s Beautiful Belly Balm is enriched with sweet almond oil which helps to alleviate and soothe dry skin due to its anti-inflammatory properties, it also allows the skin to stretch and make room for your baby without magnifying current stretch marks.
Prenatal skincare that will restore and renew your incredible skin can mean the difference between stitches or not. From week 34 of pregnancy, you can start to prepare the perineum for labour with Preconditioning Down Under – Perineal Massage Oil.
Let us know how you get on with your skin care during and after your pregnancy. Your story might just inspire someone else who is embarking on the wonderful adventure of motherhood.
