This post may contain affiliate links. Disclosure here.
Unfortunately I’ve never been at a point in my life where I can say that I’ve been 100% happy with my skin and after falling pregnant it simply became worse. I was expecting flawless, glowing skin and instead got hormonal skin prone to breakouts. After switching up my skincare a couple of times I have finally found a skincare routine that works really well for me. Yes, it takes more effort but it’s totally worth it! Being pregnant you already feel like a bloated mess and the last thing you should be worrying about is your skin.
Morning Routine
Wash face using a water-based cleanser – because my skin is already extra hormonal and producing even more oils than normal, I’ve moved away from cleansing creams and lotions completely. I love starting my routine with the Drops of Youth Foaming Cleanser from The Body Shop
Apply toner – At the moment I’m using the Rooibos Refreshing Toner from African Extracts and I’ll have to put in an order with the next person visiting from South Africa once it’s finished!
Moisturise to keep skin well-hydrated during the day – after moisturising is when I would usually apply some SPF however, I found that this causes even more breakout so I’ve stopped using it as part of my daily routine. I’ve also made sure that any make-up that I use on that day is oil free. While I advocate for using SPF daily, I have now limited applying mine to when I feel I really need it; at least until these pregnancy hormones settle down. My favourite moisturiser is the Tea Tree Mattifying Lotion from The Body Shop. It gives my face a refreshing boost to start the day and it smells to die for!
Evening Routine
Use oil-based make-up remover to pre-cleanse my skin – I love the Garnier Micellar Oil Infused cleanser. In the past I would use it to remove my make-up and think that my job is done and I’m ready for bed… Wrong! It’s excellent at removing stubborn waterproof makeup, but I have to follow it up with a good face wash to get rid of excess oil. Leaving it on my skin has only proven to increase my breakouts.
Wash face using a water-based cleanser – at the moment I love using the No7 Radiant Results Purifying Foaming Cleanser from Boots
Following my double cleanse routine I tighten up my pores using the No7 Radiant Results Purifying Toner.
Keeping my skin hydrated through the night is so important so I always finish up with the No7 HydraLuminous Overnight Cream.
I’ve also taken into consideration:
I no longer use a make-up brush to apply my foundation. Instead I use my fingers after having washed my hands. My face has become super sensitive to impurities and unfortunately I’m terrible at remembering to wash my brushes often enough.
Once a week I’ll use the Garnier Pure Active 3-in-1 Wash Scrub for Oily Skin. I apply it as a mask and scrub clean after about 3 minutes.
I’ve started washing my face towels twice a week as apposed to only once a week.
I basically boil wash the cotton rounds that I use to remove my make-up and apply toner to my face. I’ve been using these for almost a year now and it’s by far one of the best eco-friendly swops I’ve made so far. You can find a quick tutorial on how I made mine here.
I know that not everyone’s skin is the same during pregnancy, but I hope that if you are struggling with hormonal breakouts that this routine might work for you too. Leave me a message and let me know how you manage/managed your trouble skin.