Before I even got pregnant, I knew I'd be one of those lucky people who gets hormonal breakouts when I actually did get pregnant. I've struggled with acne throughout most of my early adult life, until I treated it with accutane and it mellowed out. Fortunately, when I got pregnant last fall, my hormonal acne wasn't as bad as I thought it'd be, but I've definitely had to treat my fair share of breakouts. I am now 9 months pregnant and still using a mini arsenal of products to combat the nasty little buggers that creep on to my face.
The two most common OTC acne treatments, Benzoyl Peroxide and Salicylic Acid are considered pregnancy no-nos, so most any acne face wash or treatment that you'll find on the skincare shelf at the drugstore is off limits. If you do a quick google search, you'll find there really aren't many products one can choose from. Even many natural products have hidden salicylic acid (listed as Willow Bark Extract) so it's very important to read labels carefully when looking for something to treat breakouts during pregnancy.
I've used three products that are safe for pregnancy, and while none of them are a complete miracle, I have found them to be helpful and speed along the healing process of my blemishes.
The first product is the Mario Badescu Buffering Lotion. This product is meant to be used overnight to treat blemishes and prevent others from popping to the surface of your skin. It separates in to a chalk on bottom and liquid on top, so you need to shake it up before applying. I used a q-tip to apply this product on to any trouble spots, and then made sure to avoid putting moisturizer over top, as the instructions suggest. I use this every other night, as needed, as it's a more potent treatment than the others. You can buy it online or at Ulta for $19 (1 oz).
I started using the DeVita Essential Control for Blemishes in the 8th month of my pregnancy. It has great ingredients, made up of pure essential oils like tea tree, witch hazel and camphor bark, which are natural antiseptics. It has other great ingredients, too, which help soothe and calm the skin. It smells very strongly of tea tree, so be warned if you can't stand that smell. I apply it using a cotton round on problem areas, and areas I want to keep clear, and then apply a moisturizer over top. I bought mine on Vitacost.com for $10 (0.5 oz).
The very first product I purchased is the Desert Essence Blemish Touch Stick. It's easy to roll right on to any problem spots and I do feel like it helped hurry the healing time along. It was gentle enough to use both day and night which I liked. This is also formulated with fabulous ingredients like chamomile, lavender, and calendula, among others. It's soothing and acne fighting and you can get it for really cheap on Vitacost.com - I paid just $5.99 (0.31 oz).
Pregnancy is a wild hormonal ride, so it's only normal that your skin may freak out a little bit. Don't worry mamas, it's temporary! Try out these treatments that will help you heal without bad ingredients that can harm baby (and really aren't that great for you either!).
Are there other acne-healing pregnancy-safe treatments you've tried? I'd love to know what worked for you! Let me know in the comments.
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