“As a final note, if you change nothing else about your routine in pregnancy, add daily sunscreen into the mix – its SO important. This avoids things flaring up when you fall pregnant and have to stop your usual acne treatment abruptly.” For my acne patients in the clinic, I recommend planning to come off your retinoid onto a prescription-grade pregnancy–compatible regime before you start trying for a baby. If acne is more active, there are safe, stronger things that can be prescribed through a dermatologist. I also love Elta MD UV Clear sunscreen (see here) which combines physical sunscreen zinc oxide and blemish-fighting niacinamide in one easy layer. For the pigmentation-prone, Vitamin C and Alpha hydroxy acids are also safe.Īre there any specific products that you recommend professionally for pregnant women suffering with acne or breakouts?ĭr Sam: “Freederm Gel (see here) is a good, safe choice for active, inflamed blemishes. As a bonus, they also help with pigmentation so are a winning addition.
#DR SAM FLAWLESS BODY THERAPY SKIN#
What are good alternatives to look out for instead of salicylic and retinol?ĭr Sam: “I recommend adding in safe skin balancers to help control blemishes – I’d recommend niacinamide or Vitamin B3 (5% is effective) and azelaic acid – I’m comfortable using this on prescription at 15 or 20% strength, as its FDA Category B. Salicylic acid (aspirin) is to be avoided in the oral form during pregnancy as it can affect baby growth, so I think the cautious approach is to avoid it topically given that we have good alternatives.” Retinoids are vitamin A derivatives – vitamin A plays an important role in development of your baby during the first trimester, so it’s important we don’t interfere with that. Why is this?ĭr Sam: “I recommend ditching retinoids and salicylic acid during pregnancy. Many sources say to completely avoid salicylic acid and retinol during pregnancy. And of course the dreaded stretchmarks which affect as many as 90% of women during pregnancy. There are also certain conditions that occur only in pregnancy – the most well-known being Prurutic Urticated Papules of Pregnancy, or PUPP. What are the most common skin complaints seen in pregnancy? Does pregnancy tend to worsen existing skin problems?ĭr Sam: “Acne and melasma are, by far, the most common complaints I see in the practice. What about an expert opinion? Here’s what Dr Sam Bunting had to say in answer to my questions: But that’s just my own view on the matter*. Perhaps if I had very bad, self-confidence-ruining acne, and it was made worse by pregnancy hormones, I would feel differently.
Apart from during the first couple of months. … saying that, I don’t particularly need salicylic acid when I’m pregnant, or retinol, for that matter, because my skin – luckily – tends to be almost flawless. (See upcoming post, currently in editing mode but will be with you imminently!) So it’s not the end of the world, beauty-wise, to avoid them for nine months… My own two cents? I tend to avoid both during pregnancy, mainly because I’m a big “what if” sort of person and simply can’t deal with any added stress – especially if I have to try and find out what sort of strength an ingredient is being used at – but also because there are some great alternatives out there, in terms of effective ingredients. Many experts and professionals say that these ingredients are perfectly safe at the (topically applied) levels you would see in a shop-bought, non-prescription product. Salicylic has been shown to cause birth defects if taken in high dosages orally, and the same for Vitamin A. The main ingredients that seem to cause concern during pregnancy are retinol (Vitamin A, which has quite amazing effects on the skin in terms of plumping and de-lining and helping with pigmentation) and salicylic acid (a brilliant beta hydroxy acid that helps tackle acne in a big, big way). Dr Sam has very kindly given us the amazing opportunity to ask her advice via a Twitter Q&A, so keep reading to find out how you can join in.
#DR SAM FLAWLESS BODY THERAPY TV#
She has her own practice on Harley Street and regularly contributes to dozens of magazines as well as presenting popular TV shows such as Extreme Beauty Disasters. Dr Sam trained at Cambridge University and UCL and became a Member of the Royal College of Physicians in 2002. To help clear things up, I asked cosmetic dermatologist Dr Sam Bunting to answer some of my burning questions about pregnancy safe skincare. The whole issue of “safety” when it comes to certain skincare ingredients during pregnancy is a touchy one and experts seem to have quite divided opinions on it, which doesn’t help when you’re looking for solid information on something at an already very confusing and anxiety-ridden time.
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