Make Up, Skin Care and Pregnancy - Staying Glamorous while Gestating

It’s not a surprise that pregnancy changes a lot about your body, but many women simply don’t think about how their skin care and make up routines may change in pregnancy. Since the hormones that effect the body also change the complexion, you should consider reviving your make up as you progress through pregnancy.

A bit of make up might help you feel better about your appearance, even if you only wear a bit of make up. Remember that make up doesn’t have to be the full body deal, just a bit here and there to help you hide certain areas and enhance others.

Your make up routine should be something simple. In the first trimester, you’re likely to feel very tired and cranky. Having to roll out of bed for a fifteen minute make up work out is probably not high on your list. If you’re used to wearing make up, going without is likely to also leave you looking as green as you’re feeling in your co-worker’s eyes. So try to bring it down to basics. Consider doing simply your eyes, cheeks and lips quickly, leaving off the foundation.

If you find that the glow of pregnancy is only radiating blotchy skin, or chloasma (the mask of pregnancy), you can alter that with make up. A nice foundation or concealer can help to hide the uneven tones and blotchiness. Remember not to use foundation over concealer as they tend to cancel one another out.

If you’re experiencing acne or oily skin from pregnancy, you may want to switch tactics when it comes to make up. You may find that your tried and true essentials simply aren’t cutting it. Consider looking for make up with oil control that is acne friendly.

If you find that your skin is dry, even on your face, consider a nice moisturizer. To combine steps, you may want to try to find a moisturizer that is also a sunscreen. You can also find lip sticks that do double duty as well.

Pregnancy is probably not the time to jump off the deep end. Resist the urge to go for a totally different look. You have enough changes going on in your life and don’t need to figure out what you were thinking when you walked into the hair salon and ordered them to take the hair off into a more “mommy friendly” do.

When selecting make up be sure that it is something that you can tolerate. Your skin may be more sensitive during pregnancy. You should also watch out for certain chemicals in make up because your skin absorbs chemicals from everything. So avoid products with harsh chemicals, including those with mercury and vitamin A and its derivatives as these can cause birth defects. Many moms also like to avoid paraben and petroleum. There are also products that are made just for pregnancy.