My Pregnancy-safe Beauty Routine

As a bit of a follow up to my update a couple days ago, I thought I’d also share a look at my pregnancy-safe beauty routine. Aside from thinking about changes to diet and potentially my wardrobe, this was the first thing I set about curating. I’ve tried to make this work hand in hand with “Project Use It Up”; or at least my efforts to reduce the number of beauty products I own, and create consistency with what I’m applying to my face.

Safe to say, it’s been a total win for me, and I’ve found more than a handful of products which have truly been a joy to use. So that this update isn’t a thousand miles long, I’ve limited this to the products currently on rotation. If you’re curious to see what other skincare products I’ve tried the past few months, you can always check the archives and look at my monthly beauty edits.

---

CLEANSE & PURIFY

---

Bioeffect Micellar Cleansing Water | The first step in my evening skincare routine is to break down any makeup on my eyes. I love a good cat eye flick, and the liner I use is pretty heavy duty. This seriously does the trick, and has actually trumped the other micellar water I’d had on rotation. It feels gentle, but it packs a punch. I’ll usually just have a slight bit of residue on my lashes once I’ve swiped this over my eyes.

Drunk Elephant Beste No.9 Jelly Cleanser | This cleanser came up tops in my best of beauty for 2019. I’d been on the hunt for a great every day cleanser, that didn’t cost the earth, and this ticked all those boxes. It’s a gel-style cleanser which foams up with water. I love how gentle this feels on my complexion; it doesn’t feel like the natural oils are being stripped from my face, yet it still feels cleansed afterward. I get eczema/dermatitis on my face, and this is non-irritating. Great if you’re after a pregnancy-safe cleanser which is no frills, and also delivers big bang for your buck. Mine’s still going strong more than three months on, and I’ve been using it daily.

Ella Bache Tomate Granule Free Micro Exfoliant | Midway through the year I made the decision to step back from physical exfoliants, in favour of chemical ones. I didn’t love the abrasive feeling on my skin, which can cause micro-tears – something that I wanted to avoid. This granule free exfoliant from Ella Bache quickly filled that gap in my routine. It’s a thick gel, which you apply directly to clean but dry skin, working it in. With water, it has a milky consistency. I always find my complexion looks brighter and healthier using this. It’s very gentle, so again, perfect if you have sensitive skin like me.

Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel | Another chemical exfoliator, this is a firm favourite of mine. It’s got a thick, creamy consistency, which you apply like a mask, and leave for 15 minutes. Not only does it smell heavenly, but it always leaves my face feeling supple, smooth, and bright.

Aesop Chamomile Concentrate Anti-Blemish Masque | Fortunately, this is one of the few products in my routine that I’ve barely had to reach for. Probably the first thing I was concerned with replacing when I found out I was pregnant, were my anti-blemish and spot treatments, as every single one contained salicylic acid – a skincare ingredient you should avoid during pregnancy. I had this one in my stash and was thrilled when I realised it was pregnancy-safe. I’ll usually apply this once a month (more if I need it) to help calm down any red spots. I’m not sure if it’s the shift in my diet (aka less sugar), but overall I’ve noticed I’ve had fewer breakouts and spots. This usually squashes any new ones in their tracks, though.

---

NOURISH & HYDRATE

---

Arcona Celestial Activating Essence | My skin type is oily/combination, but dehydrated. A lot of the products I use are tipped towards tackling that last point. I love anything moisturising, or that will add a bit of extra hydration to my complexion. So after cleansing, I’ll start by spritzing or dabbing an essence, toner or facial mist on my complexion. I’ve had this one from Arcona on rotation the last couple months (when I took these pics I was down to the last dribble of product), and it’s been a nice addition to my routine. This has a very water-like quality to it, so I’ll pat it to my skin to speed up the drying process. Admittedly, this isn’t one of those “must-have” products. There are tonnes of alternatives out there, some of which are more affordable, and will do the same job. If you want the moisture boost, some kind of facial mist is a little luxury to your routine – particularly during a time when you might want to give yourself some added TLC!

Biossance Squalane + Peptide Eye Gel | I’ve got three eye creams on the go; one for the morning, and two which I alternate between for the evening. Every morning, I reach for my Biossance Eye Gel. I love the texture of this. It’s lightweight, doesn’t feel heavy, but is really nourishing under the eyes. It also doesn’t cause me any irritation (none of these three products do, as an FYI), which is a total win.

Ella Bache Spirulines Wrinkle Eye Cream | For every day, this is the eye cream I primarily reach for in the evening. This has spirulina in it, which addresses the sights of ageing and fights the appearance of fine lines – one of the many skincare concerns I’ve developed as I’ve gotten older. The tub might look small, but I’ve barely made a dent in it, even though it’s been on rotation for over six months now.

Aveda Tulasara Wedding Masque Eye | When I want something really heavy duty, I call in the big guns; the Aveda Tulasara range. This is such a thick eye cream, but it doesn’t feel heavy on the skin. I’ve never known this to clog up my pores or cause milia (an issue I’ve had with other brands in the past), and it honestly makes a world of difference during the cooler, drier months.

Kiehls Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate | Of all the beauty products I own, this was probably the one I was most surprised was pregnancy-safe. I’d put this on complete hiatus, but decided to pop it back on rotation as the first step following a hydrating mist or essence. This serum is loaded with vitamin C, which is great for brightening, and I feel like it’s helped to keep the fine lines I’m forming on my forehead at bay. I use two pumps of this morning and night.

Biossance Squalane + Phyto-Retinol Serum | Retinol isn’t an ingredient that makes it onto the pregnancy-safe list. When I was cleaning out my vanity, it was one of the first products to go, but also one I noticed that I missed the most too. This plant-based – and completely pregnancy-safe – retinol from Biossance has completely filled that void for me, and has been a total game changer in my daily routine. You may notice that squalane features in all of Biossance’s products (it’s nourishing and hydrating), so the duo is a serious power combo. This had an immediate effect on my complexion, in part I think because it had been months since a drop of retinol had touched my skin. Being plant-derived, it also means that you can apply it both morning and night. The main changes I noticed were brighter, healthier looking skin, and the fine lines on my forehead and between my brow are less visible.

Drunk Elephant B-Hydra Intensive Hydration Serum | I received this lovely hyaluronic serum from Drunk Elephant as part of a gift set. And I promptly set about adding it into rotation after using up my previous hydrating serum. It’s really lightweight on the skin, and sinks in quickly leaving no residue. My skin just drinks this stuff up. A great hydrating serum is a must in my routine – particularly during winter – and this has been an excellent moisture booster.

Drunk Elephant D-Bronzi Anti-Pollution Sunshine Drops | Another one of those little luxuries in my routine, is this bronze booster; again, from Drunk Elephant. On days when my skin feels like it needs an extra bit of pep or a pick me up, I’ll add in one pump of this with my serum. It doesn’t have any golden flecks or glitter in it, instead it evens out skin tone just enough, which giving me a bit of glow. Bonus points for being jam-packed with antioxidants which protect the skin’s barrier from pollution.

Bioeffect EGF Serum | When I find myself reaching for a follow up bottle of a product, I know I’m on to a good thing. And that’s exactly what this serum from Bioeffect is. In terms of price, it’s more of a luxury investment. It contains an ingredient called “Epidermal Growth Factor”, which activates cell regeneration. Basically, it helps stop the effects of ageing in its tracks. I use this at night, working three drops into my face and neck. A little bit goes a long way with this serum – it’s incredibly emollient and has a lot of slip.

Biossance Squalane + Probiotic Gel Moisturiser | Can you tell Biossance has quickly become one of my go-to skincare brands? I love a good gel moisturiser during the summer time, as it feels lightweight, and cooling on my complexion. This gives me a much-needed moisture boost which locks in all the hydrating elements I’ve loaded on prior.

Cremorlab Skin Renewal Cream | Talk about a moisturiser that is seriously thicccccc. As I mentioned earlier, hydration is a key priority for me when building out my skincare routine, and this has it in spades. Despite the thick consistency, it’s not too rich. What it is, is nourishing and hydrating, plus it feels like a total luxury to work into your skin. This is one that I reserve exclusively for night-time use only. It’s like applying an overnight nourishing mask; when I wake up in the morning, my complexion feels so nice and soft – like it’s had a big drink of water. It doesn’t cause any irritation to my eczema – in fact, I actually feel like the redness has subsided slightly since adding this into my routine. Such a win, and a great option if you like a heavier moisturiser at night time.

---

BODY

---

Biossance 100% Squalane Oil | One of the first changes I noticed, shortly after falling pregnant, was just how dry my skin was. I made a few changes to my body wash, which helped, but a good moisturiser was definitely needed. This oil from Biossance can be used multiple different ways; on your face, in your hair, or how I like to use it – as an intense body moisturiser. I’ll apply one pump of this and split that across both legs. I make sure that I’ve worked it in completely, so there’s no oily residue. For me, this is such a winner because of how multi-purpose it is, but it leaves my skin feeling soft and smooth.

Clarins Stretch Mark Minimiser | I got into the habit of moisturising my belly and upper thighs pretty early on into the pregnancy. Stretch marks are a common complaint as our bodies quickly expand, so to try and alleviate the stress on my skin, I’ve made a point of keeping it as moisturised as possible. A little caveat here; personally, I think that whether you will get stretch marks or not is largely down to genetics (I can’t recall my mum having them, so here’s hoping I’ll have the same luck), but it doesn’t hurt. I found particularly during winter, my skin was ridiculously dry, and I constantly felt itchy. The Stretch Mark Minimiser from Clarins has really helped to relieve that. Plus I liked the fact that the cream is not sticky, and dries down pretty quickly.

Clarins Energizing Emulsion | There are a few rituals which to me, signify the start of getting ready for bed. Since early on in my pregnancy, the act of massaging this lotion into my calves has really signalled that for me. I’d describe the scent as a minty chamomile; it’s almost therapeutic in fragrance, and feels so calming to use. I’ve been getting restless legs most evenings, in part I think due to the heat, and I have found that this helps to calm them down a bit. You can use this any time of day, but for me, I find it most effective at night.

Cannabella Hemp Jelly | Being pregnant has definitely made me think a bit more about the ingredients I’m applying to my skin (our body’s largest organ), so I love coming across products which are entirely botanical or plant-derived. I’ve been using this – pregnancy-safe – hemp jelly as a bit of a catch-all multi-purpose product. It’s worked a charm at soothing mosquito bites, applied as nourishment to my cuticles, and as a mini-moisture treatment for eczema patches and dry skin. I have the 15g tub which is small enough to pop in my bag if I want to take it on the go, plus I have it on good authority that it’s amazing for treating nappy rash on babies too!

Clarins Tonic Body Treatment Oil | Body oils of this nature always strike me as a total luxury. With just shy of six weeks to go until baby arrives, I’m taking every opportunity I can get to treat myself. I’m conscious the opportunity probably won’t strike once we’re a family of three quite so often. If it’s particularly hot, or I’m feeling a little anxious or stressed, I’ll take the time to massage this into my arms, legs and belly, before hopping into a cool shower. The scent is therapeutic, and taking the time to focus on you is such a treat. This is designed for pregnant women as it encourages elasticity, protecting against dehydration, and it leaves your skin feels supple, smooth and nourished.

Aveda Foot Relief Moisturising Creme | The final body care item I wanted to mention is a foot moisturiser. Particularly during summer when I’m wearing sandals day in and day out, I find the skin on my extremities can get a little… dry. This has peppermint in it which gives it the most delicious smell, and it’s ultra thick and nourishing. When it’s a little cooler, I’ll sometimes layer a lot of the creme on, and throw on a pair of socks; works a treat for ultra dry skin!