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You’ve found out that a little one is on the way, and you’re over the moon. But anybody will tell you that the next nine months of your life may come with any number of curve balls. For many women, one of the numerous “unwanted” symptoms of pregnancy is a sudden onset of acne. Of course, not breakout or blemish is going to make you complain about the joy that you’re about to experience, but that doesn’t mean that you don’t want to take control of your pregnancy breakout. After all, there will likely be dozens of pictures taken of you in the next nine months. It’s always preferable to be able to look back on your pregnancy and like what you see. Today, we’ll be discussing the myths, facts and treatments for pregnancy acne.
What Causes Pregnancy Acne?
Whether you’ve never experienced an acne breakout before your pregnancy or whether you battled ongoing breakouts that have gotten worse with pregnancy, the cause of your pregnancy related acne is the same. Your hormones fluctuate during pregnancy, causing an entire host of emotional, mental and physical symptoms. One of those symptoms may be acne (not all pregnant women experience acne). When certain hormones go into “pregnancy overdrive”, they can trigger an overproduction of both sebum (skin oil) and skin cells. Both of these overproductions can lead to clogged pores and, ultimately, inflamed acne. Excess skin cells are actually the culprits of the clog – building up within hair follicles and creating whiteheads, blackheads and congested skin. Excess sebum helps to trap skin cells and bacteria in the hair follicle by covering up the pore. When it all combines, the result is a blemish.
Is It Safe To Treat Pregnancy Acne?
When you’re pregnant, anything that you put into your body can ultimately impact the health and development of your child. It’s natural to want to be cautious about the products that you choose to use. After all, even applying topical acne treatments means that the ingredients in them will penetrate your skin and work their way into your blood stream. So what are the facts about pregnancy acne treatments and the health of your baby?
Unfortunately, research is mixed and the answer may not be as straightforward as you would like. When it comes to Salicylic Acid, studies have been conducted on women who took low dose oral Salicylic Acid medications. In those studies, there was no increase in the baseline risk of adverse events such as malformations, early birth or low birth weight. However, no studies have been conducted on topical use of Salicylic Acid during pregnancy.
Benzoyl Peroxide, the other common acne treatment ingredient, has more definitive answers when it comes to absorption rates. When applied topically, only 5% of Benzoyl Peroxide is absorbed through the skin. It is then completely metabolized into Benzoic Acid and released in the body’s urine. While there are no studies published on the use of topical Benzoyl Peroxide for pregnant women, experts have vastly different opinions on whether the product is safe to use during pregnancy.
Related Product: Murad Clarifying Mask
Used as a spot treatment or an acne facial, this mask includes rare earth clays and zinc oxide to help minimize and heal acne.
Customer Review
“I’ve been using this mask once a week for about a month now and I love it. It’s nice and thick so it stay where you put it and a little goes a long way. All you need is a thin layer and it goes right to work. You can feel it doing the job without the stinging feeling other masks I’ve used can have. I can tell this is a product I’ll be using for a long time to come.” LizzieM, Nebraska (See all reviews.)
It’s Always Best to Discuss These Choices with Your Doctor
There are new studies and theories on topical skin care and pregnancy that are published every year, so the most important thing that you can do is to ask your doctor what the most current research implies. At the end of the day, the single most important thing is that you feel comfortable with the products that you’re using and how you’re progressing with your pregnancy.
Non-Medication Tips for Pregnancy Acne
If acne breakouts are new to you now that you’re pregnant, you may not know all of the common tips for minimizing breakouts without using an oral or topical acne medication. Be sure to keep the following in mind.
Don’t Touch Your Face: Every time that you touch your face, you transfer pore-clogging dirt and oil to it. While it’s impossible to entirely stop touching your face, be aware of the habit and try to minimize it as much as possible.
Minimize Oil Transfer From Your Hair: Your hair naturally collects oil from your scalp, and during pregnancy your scalp may be extra oily and your hair may be extra-long. Keep your hair pulled away from your face to minimize the amount of oil transfer.
Use Clean Pillowcases: Every night your pillowcase transfer dirt and oil from the previous night back to your skin. You don’t need to change your pillowcases every night, but you do need to make sure you’re laundering and changing them regularly.
Wear Loose Clothing Made of Natural Fabric: If your pregnancy acne isn’t limited to your face and includes back and body acne, minimize breakouts by wearing loose fitting clothing made of natural fabrics so that your skin can breathe. By the end of your pregnancy, you’ll want to do that anyway!
Wash Your Face Twice Per Day: Don’t make the mistake of over-washing your face. If you’re not used to excess oil on your skin, you may think that washing your face many times per day will help to remove excess oil. In fact, too much washing will strip your skin of essential oils and your body will produce even more oil as a response. Rather than washing your face more than twice per day, use rice paper or other dry blotting paper to remove excess oil.
Use a Natural Spot Treatment: If you’re spot treating a single blemish, there are plenty of natural products and ingredients that you can use. Sulfur is entirely natural and an ideal spot treatment, but even toothpaste can be used if necessary.
Related Product: Murad Acne Spot Fast Fix
Fast acting spot treatment reduces acne-causing bacteria and helps reduce pimple severity in as little as 1 day*
Customer Review
“This product really works and in hours. As soon as you feel acne coming on you apply a small dab onto it and it stops it in its tracks instantly!!!! This is one product I will not go without.” Maddie07, California (See all reviews.)
Pregnancy is a magical time that often comes with some less than magical symptoms. If pregnancy acne is one of them, combine a topical skin care regimen with a consultation with your doctor for the latest information in order to get clear, glowing skin that’s Better Every Day™.
Related Information
Treat: Murad Hormonal Acne Treatments
Learn: Toothpaste as an Acne Spot Treatment
Photo Credit: Frank de Kleine via Flickr