Pregnancy Skin Care: My Updated Skincare Routine

Before we started trying to conceive, I stopped taking antibiotics for my acne (I had only used them for about 2 months or a little less---you can read about that here). I was still using the Proactiv Refining Mask as a spot treatment, but about 2 weeks after I got my positive OPK read, I stopped using topicals too, "just in case." 

The first month and a half or so of my pregnancy, my skin was pretty incredible. It was more oily, but it was also very clear. I did still struggle with blackheads, but my acne was gone.  I'm still not sure if it was due to a surge in hormones or if my antibiotics had wiped it all out and kept it from coming back for a couple of months.

After the initial six weeks or so of pretty great skin, I did start to experience some breakouts, but they were different than the cystic acne I used to have. I still break out, mostly on my chin and jaw, but they are not as cystic/under the skin and painful as they used to be (although I will get an under the skin one occasionally).  The acne on my back also went away which I was thrilled about---though I have gotten a few pimples on my chest randomly since being pregnant.

For the first couple of months my skincare routine was incredibly simple: I used my La Roche Posay Effaclar cleanser (it doesn't contain salicylic acid or other no-no ingredients) and then applied my Neutrogena sensitive skin moisturizer on top.  That's it. At night, I had the same routine only I added eye cream (I was using Kiehl's).

Recently I ordered products from the Belli skincare line.  The line was created by a doctor and made with pregnancy-safe ingredients so I didn't have to stress about what I was using on my skin and could still use a spot treatment. I purchased the facial scrub, eye cream, spot treatment and belly oil.  So here's what my skincare routine looks like now.

Morning:

• Wash face with LRP Effaclar cleanser
• Apply Neutrogena sensitive skin moisturizer
• Apply Mamma Mio Tummy Rub (if I remember!)

Night (before bed):

• Wash face with LRP Effaclar cleanser (with Clarisonic Mia)
• A few times a week use the Belli scrub on my face
• Apply Neutrogena sensitive skin moisturizer
• Apply Belli eye cream
• Apply Belli spot treatment if needed (usually just areas on my chin/jaw-this product is very drying so apply lightly)
• Apply Belli elasticity belly oil

So, as you can see, my skincare routine is pretty simple these days. I am happy with it though. One odd thing I've noticed is that my forehead is a little bumpy sometimes, texture wise. It's like little tiny bumps but it's not excessive so most days I don't notice it much.  I also noticed more recently, between about 16-18 weeks of pregnancy that my jaw and chin areas are experiencing more blackheads and pimples than before. I usually can't resist extracting them which I know isn't good.

I didn't really know how pregnancy would affect my skin.  I would say my skin is just slightly worse now than how it was when I was on the pill-and it's slightly more oily. My dermatologist once told me that if your skin looks good on birth control, it will probably react similarly during pregnancy.  In my case, that appears to hold somewhat true.

How was your skin during pregnancy and how did your skincare routine change? Leave me a comment below, I love to hear your advice and experiences!

Scientific Skin: Brightening Serum & EyeSclupt Review & Giveaway!

Hello everyone!  Thank you so much for your patience as I've been taking a break from blogging and getting some much-needed relaxation and time to get re-motivated.

I haven't done a product review in quite some time and today I'm sharing my thoughts on two products from Scientific Skincare which I received months ago, so I've had plenty of time to use both products.

One is the brightening serum, which contains seaweed and the other is the eyesculpt cream, which contains Squalane.  

Initially, I must admit that I was very turned off by the smell of the products. They kind of smelled like beer (I know that is totally odd, but that's what it smelled like to me).  It took me about 5 days of nightly use to become accustomed to the smell but after that, I hardly noticed it.  Plus, when products work, I can forgive a not-perfect scent.

I used the brightening serum on old and new spots from my acne, applying it every night before bed as my first product (before moisturizer or anything else).  My skin has actually completely cleared up, so I have to be honest and say I don't use it anymore because I don't need to, but while I was using it, I did have quite a few marks to fade.  The serum was liquid-y and easy to apply and I did feel that it helped fade spots sooner.  In fact, I also used it on the scar that was left behind when I had a mole removed from my right breast during a skin cancer screening.  The product comes in a bottle with a dropper which I liked because you could press the button and release just the amount of product you wanted to, so there was no waste.  Some of you will probably ask me how this brightening serum compares to Kiehl's Clearly Corrective.  It seems they have different active ingredients, but I like both formulas.  I would say it would probably depend on your skin type and personal preference as to which product you'd like best.  Both worked for me in terms of results.

The product I developed quite a strong love for was the eyesculpt cream.  The texture of it was almost like a fusion of a cream and gel. Over months of using it, I felt as though my under eye area appeared brighter and lighter.  I do not have a problem with dark circles, but I think I do look better with a little brightener under my eyes when I apply my makeup.  There were Saturday mornings where I'd go to the gym and feel pretty darn good about how I looked without makeup and one of the reasons was that my eye area was looking bright.

I'm not sure what magical ingredients are in the eye cream, but it really does seem to make a difference in fine lines and pigmentation in the eye area.  It's not creamy and rich like some of the other eye creams I've reviewed, but to me, it's more of a high-impact treatment.  Nowadays, I'm alternating eye creams (so that others I have don't expire and so that I can review them all adequately), but I did use this one exclusively for at least 2 months and I absolutely adore it. 

Though I only tested out those two products (they were the ones I requested to test out!) Scientific Skin has a variety of other products that meet all kinds of different skin needs.

The line was created by Kenneth Beer, MD, a dermatologist in West Palm Beach, FL. He's been featured in the New York Times, Glamour and Allure.  He's generously giving away an entire set of his skincare products to one of my lucky readers!

All you need to do is enter below, via Rafflecopter. And, if you just can't wait and you'd like to try the products now, you can visit  http://www.scientificskin.com and enter the promo code BLUSHING for 10% off of your order.

This giveaway is open to US and Canadian residents. The prize is:

ONE- Entire skincare system. pH Balancing Cleanser, pH Balancing Toner, White Bamboo Exfoliator & Daily Hydrating Cream plus their choice of ONE of our three serums: Lifting Serum, Brightening Serum or Intensive Repair Serum.

THREE- White Bamboo Exfoliators

So there will be four giveaway winners total


Enter here!

a Rafflecopter giveaway



Thank you for entering! If you have any questions about the products I tried, please let me know in the comments below.  Otherwise, your entire entry is recorded through Rafflecopter. You do not need to post a comment in this post to enter.