Skin Care Questions- « Back to Group Discussions

[HouseofPeace]

What are other Mama's using?

I normally have dry skin that never has breakouts, but this pregnancy has promoted a series of acne mountain ranges on my cheekbones, and also oil filled pimples on my forehead.  

Normally cold cream is great and carries me through pregnancy, but this time, nothing seems to be soothing it.  

What are people using?  

[odinsmama]

For big oily ones I have success with a drop of tea tree oil or lavender oil right on the pimple.

However some people feel like it makes things worse, so maybe try it on one that's not right in the middle of your forehead just in case.

[Gillmoro]

I've had a lot of success for my cystic acne using raw apple cider vinegar as a toner 2x/day.  It is stinky though and can be a bit caustic, but it works well.  I've also heard using raw honey/lemon juice face masks regularly can help.  And all the liver support things can be good too to help the liver process all the extra hormones- just be sure to check which are safe to use during pregnancy.  I drank dandelion root tea with my last pregnancy almost everyday but I think it is on the caution for pregnancy list.

[Jenny01]

Ugh I hear you - I've had bad cystic acne ever since I went off the pill.  I thought it would get better after getting pregnant, but so far it's not.  Haven't found anything that works really - I use all natural products on my face that I buy locally, I know diet helps a lot with my skin but my appetite has been so weird I haven't been eating always the greatest.  Hormones are such fun!

[loveandgarbage]

Nettle and burdock root (taken internally) are also good for acne but I'm not sure on the safety factor. My sister has had luck with cutting out sugar and dairy as well. 

[HouseofPeace]

thanks all-

i want to try the honey, and cider vinegar may make the daily routine for a while- i'm afraid to try anything too harsh as my skin is very delicate, small-pored, and usually dry and flaky.  this is so much fun. 

i may add dandelion root tea back in.  i used to drink nettle/dandelion root/red raspberry leaf teas, and make them mild and iced as well.  i do drink kombucha, eat very little sugar and almost no dairy, and love that pregnancy gives me both cellulite and acne.  i haven't gained much weight, but it's all in my butt, love handles and belly- making me look both zitty, and not as much pregnant as chubby.  

the angry redness and real zits are calming down since i stopped trying so hard to take it out when i first panicked about all these little oily pustules.  UGH.  but it's definitely a new zone of chaos on my face, t-zone especially, and i will definitely be posting if anything works to help it out.  

[TallToriV]

My new bestest friend: www.skinvac.com. My skin just can't take any cleansers anymore - if it's strong enough to get the skin clean, it's too harsh. If it's moisturizing enough to not totally irritate my skin, it doesn't get it clean. And if I vary too much one way OR the other, I break out!

These just use water, and my skin looks better than it did before pregnancy! I use them with a gentle toner (Alba), calendula cream in the day time (BodyCeuticals), and a heavy night cream (Alba again). Love! Now my mom's ordering them, too. Plus, I'm pretty excited about the fact that the whole routine takes seconds, even with exfoliation - will definitely be a bonus when niblet gets here.
 

[Brambleberry]

I've washed my face with nothing but hot water since college, and generally have a pretty decent complexion.  I saw an improvement in my skin within a couple weeks or less of stopping the cleanser.  Of course I don't wear makeup, which does require cleanser to remove.  I had terrible thigh and bottom acne with my first pregnancy, though, and never found a solution.  The bad part was that the pimples would sort of bruise and I looked like I had some sort of leprosy (this was third trimester when I was huge).  I was glad that it was not swim suit season!

[typebug]

I toyed with seeing a dr about it but I pretty much know what they'd say and prescribe so I've upped my game on the skin care regimen and if I can find a spa that does a natural peel I think that's the most helpful treatment for the surface acne. I have a great mask that seems to help: http://uk.lizearle.com/exfoliators-and-masks/deep-cleansing-mask.html

[HouseofPeace]

wow- cool links.

Brambleberry- other than cold cream in the winter, i'm totally there with you on water as the best solution.  

that said, i do have some clay, honey (not the high quality manuka!), and even propolis and rose-geranium lying around.....  

i've used sour milk for a gentle chemical peel - doesn't work with store milk, though i wonder if yogurt would - as it has loads of lactic acid.  that's about as natural as they come.

the cold cream/honey routine- apply cold cream and let sit for 2 min, then remove and add a speck more to moisturize, then 2 honey masks, left of for 10-25 minutes over the last 3 days, have removed the redness and inflammation.  i still have little bumps, but you have to look closely to see them.  the ones on my cheekbones (while i still have them) are the worst, bu they're almost invisible in the hairline.  i've also been doing a quick cold cream application either mid-day or in the morning if i get out and in the farm dirt.

the cold cream is homemade- olive oil, beeswax, myrrh and grapefruit.  i think i'll switch the scents.  i had a geranium batch, and a lavender batch that were gentler.  

[odinsmama]

I also only use water to clean my skin (and don't wear makeup) and that seems to be the best thing for my skin.

I've had to start using a moisturizer around my hairline but was thinking of going back to cleansing with coconut oil.  I did this in the past and it worked well, but have no idea if it would work with cystic acne.

Sounds like you have a lot of options to try out, hope something helps!

[kellybeth]

i make my own facial care. i use a facial mask once a week that has all or some of ground rosehips (gentle exfoliate), french green clay, volcanic ash, some ground herbs, ground oats, and rhassoul or bentonite clays, depending on how my skin feels or what it needs at the moment. i have sensitive skin and have freckles, but my skin is flawless. this never fails me. some witch hazel with aloe vera, tea tree oil, rosemary EO and calendula extract works wonders as a toner, too. instead of creams or lotions, i use plain unrefined organic coconut oil. creams have fillers and emulsifiers, not to mention chemicals, that clog pores or can trick your skin into being dependent upon them.

[sweetestday]

I use Daisy Blue Naturals, which I finally started selling, too. It's an all natural skin care company that was started by a local lady in my community. I don't know if it's okay to share a link since I sell it, but you can pm if you want to know more. I use their facial line with the cleanser, toner and moisturizer, and their mineral make up... when I remember to put it on. I get rosacea and it really helps to blend colors so I don't look so blotchy red.

[JessNP]

Ugh...I am thoroughly disgusted with my skin. The acne is really driving me crazy. I start teaching nursing students on Thursday and I have 2 huge disgusting pimples on the side of my face. I am so self-conscious about it! I just can't get a handle on it. I've tried everything - clay masks, oatmeal, witch hazel, tea tree oil, toothpaste, various scrubs and exfoliators  - every time I get rid of one, another pops up. And it's not just my face, I am getting pimples on my neck, chest, shoulders, butt, thighs. I even found one on my belly yesterday - I mean seriously? My friends at work are telling me that it means I'm having a boy. Something about testosterone in my system as the baby's sex organs are forming. IDK - it's pretty frustrating! 

[kellybeth]

i'm sorry jess! that's a bummer. pregnancy is so strange!

my freckles are darkening and i was freaking out a little thinking i might be getting the mask, but i don't think so. i guess our skin pigment changes?

[Adaline'sMama]

I look like a middle school kid right now with two big zits on my chin. It goes back and forth so much. Last week, I tried to use my Jason's Red Clay mask and my face was ON FIRE. It was bright red for hours. I'd been using it ever since my second trimester started with no problems.

I like Burts Bees Acne Cleanser and Burt's Bees Royal Jelly Facial Cleanser, but I have pimples, so maybe you shouldnt take my advice.

[waywornwanderer]

I don't know what everyone's comfort level is with tea tree oil during pregnancy, but I've always used Desert Essence Blemish Stick and have continued to use it while pregnant. I use Avalon Organics Facial Cleansing Gel to cleanse every night (+some mornings), Desert Essence Daily Essential Moisture during the day, and  Alba Botanica Naturally Even Advanced Sea Plus Renewal Night Cream at night.

I have really sensitive skin and have always been prone to acne, so I have had a few breakouts during this pregnancy. But the blemish stick does wonders! I apply directly to zits or acne prone areas 2 or 3 times a day.

Some things that can cause blemishes (besides hormones) are food sensitivities and sensitivity to skin/hair products. So I pay very close attention to the food I eat (chocolate makes me breakout every time), drink A LOT of water, and use paraben/cone/sulfate free shampoo + conditioner. The product I use on my hair is a natural aloe vera based gel. That way, I KNOW there aren't creepy chemicals and pore clogging substances dripping onto my face and causing acne.

One more bit of advice my mom gives me that I'm always unable to follow through on: RELAX. Stress can contribute to skin problems! I'm a stress nugget by nature, so that advice is hard to follow, but I do try to find time to do a bit of light yoga/stretching each day, get a walk in (fresh air and vitamin D=awesome), take a bath nightly, and drink a relaxing cup of tea. Dimming the lights at night and lighting some candles also gets me more relaxed. 

Hope that helps!

[JessNP]

Adaline's Mama - I did not think your avatar pic could get any cuter, but your newest pic is just beyond adorable!! LOVE the wings, facial expression, the orange tee and those platnum locks!!

waywornwanderer- you're where I aspire to be! I'm trading out my personal care products one-by-one. You look like you have curly hair (like me). What products do you use on your hair?

I realized something yesterday, I've gotta keep my hands away from my face. I work in a dirty hospital environment and even though I wash my hands obsessively, I find that when I'm on the computer, I rest my face on my hand with my elbow bent, kinda propping my head up, you know what I mean? I know those keyboards and mouse (mice?) are filthy! Also, I've got to keep cleaning my phone. Putting it up against my face all day isn't helping either! 

[Jenny01]

I know how you feel Jess!  Just when I think a breakout is clearing up, I get a new one.  I've got 4+ big zits at any given time on my forehead and chin plus other smaller ones.  They are also popping up on my neck, chest and shoulders now, which I have never had before.

[HouseofPeace]

i'm curious about gender as well with these ladies sharing face and chest/back breakouts.  w/ my son i had ACNE and an intense dream life and it was like puberty for months.... and this pregnancy is a lot like that.  i'm way less sick with this pregnancy than w/ any others as well.  Just zitty.  

and i do think little hands all over my face, like Jess at work, aren't helping!!!

thankfully, i'm not picking (which is pretty hard for me as my mom and sisters were all pickers, and i learned from the best), and so it's not TOTALLY terrible anymore, but i'll be trying Kellybeth's suggestions!  i have rosehips in the yard.  I just can't seem to get the deep ones to stop coming up!  the honey masks have been calming my skin dramatically, and today some of the oily patches are dryer (using some green clay, totally unlabeled so not sure what kind) on my t-zone.  

i have tried Burt's Bee's and had a HORRIBLE allergic reaction immediately.  *sigh*- need to just expand my EO collection it sounds like!  or maybe make some rosemary coconut oil....  we have loads of fresh rosemary around here, so maybe a rosemary vinegar or witch hazel toner would be better.....  i don't use any make-up, but thank goodness that FRECKLES can help cover my flaws.  i have loads of freckles, so my usually blemish free skin never looks that smooth, but at least my zitty face has some camo!

and our daily 2 mile walk means we all have a nice rosy glow and lots of sweating and sunshine!!!  off to make a mask.  

you ladies are so inspiring!