What natural beauty products should I use when I'm pregnant?
During the nine months of pregnancy, a woman's body will literally transform. An impressive physical metamorphosis (run for cover! This belly will explode any minute), both from the outside and the inside (yes, getting a little pee in your pants with every giggle, sneeze and coughing fit is relatively normal at the end of pregnancy #glamourbonjour). Big changes and small, sometimes visible (the tripling of breast volume rarely goes unnoticed by those around you), sometimes invisible (the great joy of the hormonal roller coaster) but which still require some adjustments to your cosmetic routine to preserve your well-being for as long as possible. We reveal our five favourite natural beauty products to feel beautiful and comfortable in your body during this crazy time.
Why choose natural beauty products?
It is advisable, during a pregnancy (but not only ...), to pay particular attention to the cosmetics used and their composition. Indeed, once applied, the product penetrates the skin, crossing the protective outer layer, the epidermis and sometimes partially through to the dermis. Some of the ingredients then come into contact with the blood vessels and travel through the body. To avoid putting your mini you in contact with petrochemicals and plastic particles before it even takes its first breath, we turn to brands offering cosmetics composed of a maximum of natural ingredients.
Not the soul of a chemist? We understand! Lists of ingredients are often extremely complex to decipher for the uninitiated. Fortunately, others have already done the job for us. We can only suggest you refer to specialized websites (such as www.slow-cosmetique.com, sebio.be, cosmethique.be) or to apps that can rate the naturalness of a product (such as Clean Beauty, Yuka, Cosmethics).
Shopping: our favourite natural beauty products
Radiant complexion, moisturised skin, elastic perineum, well-groomed nails, the Milk Away Mums reveal their beauty secrets.
- Pregnancy Face Oil from Mamiel
Pregnancy is a bit like the lottery. You can't win every time. While some women glow for nine months, others see the hormonal tsunami that hits them lead to theappearance of imperfections and other small irritations due todryness or skin hypersensitivity. Not cool, but not serious. Especially since there are some very good cosmetics that can help the skin regain its balance and alleviate all these little temporary inconveniences.
Our favourite: "I loved this cocooning oil. It is suitable for all skin types and was, therefore, with me both during my periods of hormonal acne and when my skin was dry and irritated. In the morning and evening, I mixed four drops in the palm of my hands, warmed the product slightly by rubbing my palms together and then laid my hands flat on my face and took a deep breath. The scent of the product gave me a soothing feeling. I then made smoothing movements from the inside to the outside of the face. First the forehead, then the nose and cheeks, the chin, without forgetting the neck from the bust to the face." Marie-Noëlle, Milk Away MUM.
20 ml, about 85 euros.
- Purifying face mask by Tata Harper
To get rid of those annoying little teenage pimples that sometimes make a comeback on the face (but also the neck and even the upper back for those who hit the jackpot), nothing is more effective than a gentle purifying mask. For goodness sake, we calm down and refrain at all costs from squeezing or scratching those unsightly pimples at the risk of damaging the skin further and spreading the little bacteria responsible for the inflammation to another area. We stay patient and we do away with these little intruders with a clay mask.
Our favourite: "This white clay mask was my saviour when - especially during the first months of my pregnancy - I saw an army of pimples appear on my chin and forehead. It's not cheap, it's true, but it's a great product and super effective! I was already not feeling my best (#teamnausée), I didn't want my unhappiness to show directly on my skin. From one to three times a week, I applied a thick layer of this treatment only on the acne-prone areas. I left it on for twenty minutes and then rinsed it off with clear water. Soft skin and a fresh complexion guaranteed. I was delighted!" Marie-Noëlle, Milk Away MUM.
30 ml, about 60 euros.
- Anti-stretch mark oil by Susanne Kaufmann
When it comes to stretch marks, we're going to play it straight. The cruel truth is that the use of cosmetics alone (even on a daily basis and even in large quantities) cannot guarantee a stretch mark free pregnancy. The quality of the skin (partly genetically determined - so go ahead and make a complaint directly to your parents if you have one) also has a lot to do with it. People with thick, oily skin with increased elasticity are naturally less prone to stretch marks. Nevertheless, theuse of cosmetics is always highly recommended since, even if it cannot prevent the appearance of stretch marks, a good moisturiser can really limit the number and size as well asimprove its healing.
Our favourite : "I'm part of the lucky ones. Well, with regards to stretch marks. My oily skin and my intensive (some would say abusive) use of body cream since I was a child (#mercimaman) allowed me to avoid the slightest stretch mark during my pregnancy. Nothing on my stomach, buttocks or hips. Bingo! However, here's a little tip to keep in mind: I was fooled by the rapid growth of my breasts during breastfeeding. My advice is to continue the anti-stretch mark treatment on the breasts, even after giving birth. This voluptuous and enveloping oil made of almond oil, wheat germ oil and jojoba has been my faithful companion during these nine months of pregnancy. It smells good, makes the skin soft and soothes tightness and other tickles. The presence of arnica flower extract even helps to fight against water retention. It can, therefore, be applied all over the body, ideally every morning and evening (you can never be too careful!). For dry skin, it can be applied on wet skin to promote absorption." Marie-Noëlle, Milk Away MUM.
100 ml, about 32 euros.
"At the beginning of my pregnancy, I used a do-it-yourself preventive oil recommended by my son's godmother. I'll give you the recipe: in an amber or blueish glass bottle of at least 50ml, pour: 2 tablespoons of rose hip oil and 3 tablespoons of sweet almond oil (or argan oil). I massaged this mixture every night on my stomach, my waist, my buttocks and my breasts by heating a few drops between my hands. I also applied pure argan oil even if the smell is not great it is an excellent product. There is also raw shea butter for those who like richer, melting textures." Aurélie, Milk Away MUM.
- Weleda Perineum Massage Oil
We told you that the physical transformations would not be only external. When you're pregnant, it's also important not to neglect your perineum. If you don't know what we're talking about, turn to our friend Google! Since it will play a major role during childbirth (your perineum, not Google ... although it may be the ideal time to ask yourself existential questions: how much does a labour contraction hurt?) It's nice to return the favour by providing short daily massages of five to ten minutes during the last month of pregnancy. Just to relax it before the performance of its life. The more supple this muscle is, the less risk of tearing and the faster you will recover. Feeling good about your body, including your intimacy and sex life, after giving birth is essential. We can never say it enough: becoming a mother is wonderful, but remaining the woman you were and enjoying all the pleasures you had before is even better!
Our favourite: "If there's one thing I was dreading, it was the tear! A birth without epidural, no worries! But I have to admit that I wanted to put all the chances on my side to avoid a tear so I started using this oil at 34 weeks, as advised and being the good student that I am. Every evening and sometimes even in the morning, I would sit back and relax on the sofa and give my perineum a massage. A little advice: protect your sofa with a towel to avoid making stains because, as you can imagine, or you'll see for yourself... it's not very easy to aim blindly with a big belly at the end of pregnancy. Of course, it's impossible to know if it's thanks to the oil or to the delicacy of Douglas and his thin head (a real Nefertiti skull) but in any case; no tears for me! No worries for those of you who are a bit less of a good student! I gave birth at 36 weeks and 3 days and it still worked after only 2 weeks. "Aurélie, Milk Away MUM.
How to carry out a massage of the perineum alone or as a couple? Visit the Weleda website where everything is explained and illustrated as you can ask your partner for help. First of all, because he is involved in the whole process and as is your perineum. Secondly, because after a while, depending on the size of your belly, certain areas of your own body become inaccessible to the pregnant woman. We are not kidding! Think of it as a return to childhood (or a glimpse of old age, depending), when you needed help putting on your shoes and tying your laces, and then taking them off again, and then getting up from a sofa that's a bit low, and then getting out of the car, out of the bathtub, and ... we won't tell you everything so as not to spoil the joy of discovering these little pregnancy jokes.
50 ml, about 10 euros.
- Nail polish with Même silicon
As we said above, but it is so important that we will repeat it again (in this article and all the others for that matter): being pregnant, breastfeeding and becoming a mother shouldn't prevent us from remaining the woman we were before. If you were the flirtatious type, good news! You can continue to be, to dress up, to pamper yourself, to put make-up on and to paint your nails. You just have to turn to the right brands. The ones that offer natural products, without controversial ingredients.
Our favourite: "I discovered Même cosmetics during my pregnancy. This brand offers cosmetic care and make-up products for cancer patients, who whilst undergoing chemotherapy have to pay particular attention to the hygiene and beauty products they apply to their skin, which is often weakened by heavy and aggressive treatments. The Même cosmetic ingredients are, therefore, chosen with the greatest care and the products are designed to be extremely safe. I used to wear semi-permanent nail varnish (specific nail varnish put under a UV lamp, which makes it harden instantly). I preferred to stop during my pregnancy but I wanted to continue to paint my nails. So I tested the Mêmenail varnishes. All of them are enriched with silicon, some formulas (depending on the colours) reach 83,5% of biosourced ingredients and protect the nails from UV rays. It's simple, the day my daughter wants to imitate me by wearing nail varnish, I'll only apply these." Marie-Noëlle, Milk Away MUM.
10 ml, about 9.50 euros.
This non-exhaustive list of natural beauty products represents la crème de la crème (oh dear, that reminds us of something else...) of the products used by Milk Away Mums. Don't hesitate to share yours with us!
For more product tests, homemade beauty recipes and tips, visit the blog.
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