Photo: Claude Gervais Ahelo

As you know, hormonal changes during pregnancy are significant. And hormonal upheavals often mean changes to the skin. In my first weeks of pregnancy, I started to develop redness and pigmentation spots on my face. I also saw a whole host of little pimples appear. Basically, my skin, which had been very stable for years, completely changed in just a few weeks.

I therefore had to adapt my skin care routine to my new reality, not only to reduce my redness, but also because several products were not safe for baby, for example those containing retinol and various acids.

You should know that my skin was initially sensitive and dry, whereas during my pregnancy it had become sensitive and combination. 

Here are the products that I loved using during my pregnancy and that made a real difference to the quality of my skin. I noticed a reduction in redness in just 3 weeks. 

My safe skincare routine during pregnancy:

1. Moisturizer for sensitive skin
This day cream is ideal for calming redness. It's rich, but not too rich, and combines skin-soothing ingredients such as aloe, honey and sea whip. In addition to offering a little hydration boost thanks to hyaluronic acid, it is easily absorbed by the skin and leaves no greasy residue.

2. Serum for redness:
This hydrating, soothing lotion is specially designed to target redness and blemishes while maintaining the skin's delicate moisture balance. It helps strengthen capillaries to reduce skin redness, which worked really well for me!

3. Strawberry-rhubarb hyaluronic moisturizer:
When my skin needs an extra dose of hydration, I like to apply another treatment under my cream, which is this hyaluronic acid hydrating serum. As well as smelling like heaven, it really helps hydrate my skin. A must, even after pregnancy!

4. Cleanser for sensitive skin:
SensiCalm is a gentle, moisturizing cleanser that gently removes impurities and excess sebum while soothing the skin. Yucca root extract acts as a gentle natural cleanser. Niacinamide, ceramides, vitamin E and sunflower oil provide intense hydration, leaving skin smooth, soft and well moisturized. Aloe helps soothe skin and calm redness.

*Little tip: I recommend always cleansing your skin with cold water, it really helps with redness!

5. Cream to replace retinol:
As you probably know, retinol is banned during pregnancy. Bakuchiol is an excellent, safe alternative for minimizing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and evening out skin tone. In addition to being less irritating, it offers the same benefits as retinol.

6. Gentle chamomile peel:
Since my skin has become very sensitive, I stopped using exfoliants with small granules and prioritized a gentle chamomile peel. Chamomile refreshes, calendula moisturizes and soothes the appearance of redness, and arnica flower reduces the appearance of inflammation. A perfect trio for my sensitive skin.

7. Lip balm:
During my pregnancy, I used the same lip balm I usually use. This one has been my favorite for years. It's super moisturizing and gives a nice "glossy" effect!

8. Coola Mineral Tinted Sunscreen:
I loved using this sunscreen because it's lightweight and mineral, so it's safe during pregnancy.

*I can't stress enough the importance of protecting our skin from the sun. If I had a single product to choose on a daily basis, it would be sunscreen. Since we're even more sensitive to the sun during pregnancy, it's even more important to protect our skin every day when we're pregnant.

9. Mask with hyaluronic acid and collagen:
This moisturizing mask has quickly become my all-time favorite! It's refreshing and deeply hydrates the skin. Perfect for sensitive skin, it reduces redness and gives that little plumped-up effect we all love. I've been using it for... about 8 years!

So there you have it! I hope these products help you with your skin during pregnancy. And for all of you who aren't currently pregnant, I've already created a guide with my favorite products. Here it is: The best face creams, eye contour and skincare products in 2023.