Pregnancy skincare

A healthy-looking, glowing complexion is really important to me. As much as I love makeup, I don’t think any eye shadow or lipstick can outshine — or disguise the lack of — bright, clear skin.

Since the key to great-looking skin is taking excellent care of it, you could say that I’m almost religious about my skincare. I exfoliate several times a week, swear by eye cream and serums, won’t leave the house without a daytime moisturizer containing SPF 30 and don’t ever go to bed without removing my makeup — though I will admit that pregnancy has forced me to find some shortcuts. Many nights I’m so exhausted by bedtime that I’ve switched from my regular cleansing routine to just a quick swipe of a cleansing cloth. (If you’re in the market, try Simple Cleansing Cloths, $11. This new-to-Canada line is #1 in the UK and great for sensitive skin.)

Pregnancy has made me think a lot more about the skin on the rest of my body, too. Until now, as long as my body was washed, occasionally buffed in the shower and moisturized here and there I considered that to be good enough. But, since my belly and chest have started growing, the skin in these areas have become more of a concern. Suddenly they’re dry, tender and I’m wary of stretch marks. So I’ve been testing a few (okay, a lot of) prenatal body care products. Here are three that have made it into my regular rotation:

MINI ORGANICS PREGNANCY ESSENTIALS ENRICHED MOISTURIZER, $49
This Australian brand is certified organic, smells divine and the packaging looks so pretty on my nightstand.

BIO OIL, $13
This body oil feels really nourishing and I love the travel size — it’s great on-the-go.

CLARINS ENERGIZING EMULSION, $42
This cooling cream designed for tired legs feels great after long days on my feet. A generous application — along with a foot massage from my hubbie — seems to really help with swelling.

By the way, I haven’t forgotten about the hell that is pregnancy acne. I’m consulting with some my go-to dermatologists this week, so watch for more on that in an upcoming post!