A Staple Pregnancy Beauty Cabinet
Pregnancy is an emotionally and physically volatile time. Undulating from exhilaration to fatigue, fulfilment to loneliness and purpose to anxiety; this multifarious period is both exhausting and sublime.
At AN, one of our highest preaches is that of self-care. During this time in your life it can be difficult to align yourself upon a steady road of routine, and while there's more to life than outer beauty, inner beauty is our recommended springboard-point for getting that pregnancy glow, inside and out. In understanding that two hearts are beating as one during pregnancy, it's more important than ever to channel your nature-nuture and nourishing vibes for the little soul who has chosen your body as its vessel to be welcomed into this world.
Beauty-care wise, as pregnancy hormones trigger emotional, physical and spiritual upheavals like-no-other, you'll find that your usual skin balance is also totally topsy turvy. And then, there’s the more pressing matter of whether the products in your beauty cabinet are safe to use, check out our essential guide on what ingredients to avoid. To help you establish a basic capsule pregnancy beauty and wellness cabinet, here are my bare essentials thus far from a 30 week egg-sitting perspective.
Know thy Vitamins
Wild Nutrition Pregnancy Capsules, £34
One of the first coins of advice you'll receive after testing positive will be to start taking pregnancy supplements, and we can't recommend Wild Nutrition enough. Wild Nutrition’s Food-Grown Pregnancy is a comprehensive blend of Food-Grown nutrients and whole-food concentrates expertly formulated to support your nutritional needs throughout the entirety of your pregnancy. Their bespoke formula includes: Zinc which contributes to normal cell division and DNA synthesis, Vitamin B3 for the reduction of tiredness and fatigue, Chromium which contributes to normal metabolism of fats, carbohydrates and proteins and the maintenance of normal blood glucose levels. Also with vitamin B12, Iron, Magnesium, Selenium and Vitamin D to contribute to healthy cell division, provide protection against cell damage and support immune health. Food-Grown Pregnancy includes the Department of Health’s recommended dose of 400µg of Folic Acid (providing naturally occurring Folate), which contributes to maternal tissue growth during pregnancy.
Hydrate your skin (both inside and out)
Pommade Divine Nature's Remedy Balm, £15
Let talk tummies. My worst pregnancy symptom was tummy-skin itchiness during my second trimester - I learnt that this was (obviously) because my skin was stretching and gently cracking. As I’ve always been lucky enough to have never had any previous skin issues, it hurt. However I treated this with a special skin tonic balm and our best, which is Pommade Divine’s Nature Remedy Balm. Uniquely formulated using 97% natural ingredients, Pommade Divine is a multi-purpose skincare remedy that helps to quickly repair and deeply nourish dry, damaged skin. Containing no mineral oils, no synthetic dyes or fragrances, no parabens and no silicones, this balm is even safe to use on you’re baby’s skin once your baba is born. Also on this note of skin dryness during pregnancy, it’s recommended to alsmot double your normal water intake as baby needs to use as much as your fluids as possible to get growing and stay sydrated herself.
Beware and prepare for pigmentation
Oskia Renaissance Brightlight Serum, £90
Oh, pigmentation. Pigmentation is a natural and common symptom of pregnancy, due to endocrinological changes. I’ve developed a little bit of facial pigmentation, which is called melasma - It’s caused by your body making extra melanin, the tanning pigment, which protects your skin against ultraviolet (UV) light. Thankfully (seriously, thank god-dess!) all of Oskia’s range is safe to use during pregnancy, so I switched serum’s to Oskia’s intensive daily correcting Brightlight Serm, clinically proven to combat hyper-pigmentation, fade dark spots and repair sun damage. Formulated with a unique encapsulated blend of bio-available actives and nutrients encased in a Sodium Hyaluronate base (low molecular weight Hyaluronic Acid), this little potion has proven a potent pigmentation slayer during pregnancy!
Au Revoir strong caffeine, bonjour light botanicals
Sirocco Moroccan Mint Tea, £14
You’ll be reunited with your old friend coffee sooner or later, but for the next 9 months, it’s time to switch up your hot beverage game. It is widely accepted that mint tea is great for relaxing your stomach muscles, this helps to settle an upset stomach and also remedies nausea and vomiting, which is common during early pregnancy. Enter Sirocco’s Moroccan Mint Tea: Exclusively imported in small organic quantities, unlike the peppermint plant so widespread in our part of the world, the mint for this Moroccan Mint actually comes from Morocco. The so-called “nana mint” is a naturally occurring variety of spearmint with a much milder, sweeter flavor. This mint does not contain menthol and is therefore recommended for anyone with a delicate stomach. Not to mention, this tea is organic and it’s of utmost importance during pregnancy to choose organic because many pesticides contain endocrine-active chemicals and it has been suggested that reduced pesticide exposures among pregnant women who consume organic foods may protect their unborn children against endocrine-related health effects.
What about that “pregnancy glow”?
Oskia Nutri-Bronze Adaptive Sheer Tinted Serum, £58
Pregnancy is easily the most beautiful time during a woman’s life. And if you’re emerging out of the questionable cave of your first trimester and searching high and low for “that low”, until it arrives (I promise it will), fake it! This luminous NEW serum is an adaptive bronzing skin tint and anti-ageing serum in one, designed to give skin a luminous, healthy glow while tackling ageing and complexion concerns and boosting skin health in all skin tones. Powered by bakuchiol, it helps to firm and smooth the look of lines by enhancing elasticity and stimulating collagen production. A blend of niacinamide and hyaluronic acid helps to nourish and impart lasting hydration, while vitamin E provides free radical protection and prebiotic oligosaccharide bolsters the skin’s defence barrier. What’s more, milk peptides work to lift and tone your complexion by boosting collagen levels. Seriously, try it!
