Today, we’re talking about C-C-C-CHAAAANGES!
…The pregnancy, beauty-related type. There are so many changes, that the topic of postpartum beauty tips deserves a whole post of its own! Growing a child is nothing short of a miracle, and I’m so thankful to have the experience of my pregnancies and the lives that my body grew. That said, pregnancy is also one where so many changes happen to the body – and if I’m being honest – a lot of them are tough.
What kind of changes, you ask? Let me count thy ways.
During pregnancy, it’s common for hair to become thicker and nails to grow faster, both which I experienced. With all the hormones in your body, skin can fluctuate – I broke out a ton in the beginning of my pregnancy with Beau, and into the second trimester my skin actually got much more clear than it normally is. My breasts got bigger throughout my pregnancy as they prepared for breastfeeding. I even experienced vision changes in all of my pregnancies, isn’t that weird?! I gained 50 pounds while pregnant with Beau and – surprise! – my stomach got HUGE; with that growth came stretch marks. These changes are only just scratching the surface!
Some of these changes, like thicker hair, are great! Others, like stretch marks, are often hard to accept. It’s important to know that almost all of them are temporary. Which means…after baby comes…you guessed it! More changes as the body starts to adjust to a new normal. (Mother nature, can ya give mamas a little break?! Ha!)
Tomorrow, I’m officially 3 months postpartum after Beau. (Can you believe that?!) As I emerge from the “4th trimester” I thought it’d be good to reflect on my first months of healing and share some postpartum beauty tips for all my new mamas or mamas-to-be out there.
My Top 8 Postpartum Beauty Tips
Note: In the below I’ve recommended some products safe for breastfeeding women. All of these products are clean beauty options, and are ones I’ve personally tried and recommend! However, it’s so important to talk with your doctor or medical professional about what is safe and is not. I’m not an expert and am merely sharing what’s worked for me; everyone’s skin is different and that’s important context to keep in mind!
Exfoliate Your Skin
Exfoliating is the process of removing dead skin cells from the surface of skin. It unclogs pores, prevents acne, helps absorption of products, stimulates collagen, and encourages cell turnover. This is always important but especially during postpartum, it’s helpful to encourage vibrant skin. Exfoliation can be done either physically or chemically.
In the shower, I use a loofa or sponge to apply my body cleanser. For cleanser I have three favorites: Dr. Bronners Castile Soap – which I’ve loved for YEARS – is probably my favorite because it’s so versatile and was the OG of clean beauty! I also love Beautycounter’s Body Wash in Citrus Mimosa, and when I have acne I want to control (I tend to break out on my check and back) I will use the Charcoal Cleansing Bar which works WONDERS. While washing, I gently rub my skin in a circular motion, applying slight pressure to ensure dead skin cells are removed. For my face, I exfoliate regularly as I wash by using my Foreo Cleansing device in tandem with my cleanser. (It’s expensive but SO WORTH IT!)
This article is a great resource for learning more about how to safely exfoliate your skin, if you’d like to learn more.
Be Diligent About Your Skincare Routine
Your skincare routine is key for healthy, glowing skin. The proper skin routine ensures the products you’re using have optimal effectiveness – which will help to combat many of the physical changes you may be trying to alleviate such as pregnancy acne, dullness, etc. The routine you follow, and how diligent you are, matters. Here’s the ideal sequence: Cleans, Toner/Essence, Serum, Eye Cream, Moisturizer. (Sunscreen goes last after moisturizer, if you’re applying during the day!)
Currently, for my face routine, I am primarily using the Countertime Collection, which is a plant-derived, antioxidant rich collection that helps with anti-aging. (Will do a full review soon!) All products in the line are a “1” on the EWG database — the best possible rating for safety. I am loving this routine and can definitely tell a different with my skin. I also sub in lots of products that I’ve noted here, such as a cleanser and Vitamin C serum during the day!
Lotion Up
Moisture is so important for the skin, and thus applying lotion regularly is extremely helpful! It keeps skin healthy and in tip-top shape, helps fight against aging, reduces the appearance of blemishes, and the list goes on. For postpartum beauty specifically, moisturizing helps a lot with stretch marks. To increase moisture for my skin, particularly on my body, I apply Hydrating Body Lotion and mix in some Body Oil to the lotion after every single shower. After, my skin feels extra hydrated and luxurious!
SLEEP!!!!!
I know, I know…sleep is such a LUXURY and totally not POSSIBLE while in the newborn days. But it’s also incredibly important. Especially during the first few months, when Beau was up every 2 hours, I had to prioritize sleeping whenever I could. I literally could not think some days because of a lack of sleep. Beauty means little without being mentally healthy — so make sure to keep rest in mind and sleep whenever you’re able.
Exercise (At your comfort level)
I know, I know. This is a cruel tip to put in here, especially after noting how important sleep is! BUT — once your routine starts to normalize and you’re feeling up for it — I do believe exercise is key. With every postpartum experience I’ve had, I’ve found that the more active I am, the better I feel.
Of course, rest is essential, especially during the first 6-8 weeks as healing is prioritized. During that time, I actually did pretty minimal movement. But as soon as I had my postpartum check up and was given the “Go ahead” by my doctor, I tried my best to be as active as possible! Now, mind you, I’m not over here running marathons yet. But I am out on walks with the family, running on occasion, and even doing workouts to help get my abdomen back in shape. (I have pretty bad diastis recti after three pregnancies — which is essentially ab separation — so doing my best to work on that in order to have a healthy pelvic floor and core abdomen. Gotta be strong while holding my kiddos!)
I am a firm believer in the power of exercise for the health of my body and mind. It helps to keep my body in shape, relieves stress, and ensures important “me time” while I’m healing and juggling a new/growing family. So I encourage you to get on out there, Mama! Even if it’s a quick walk around the block, every little bit counts.
Load Up On Water
Hands down, this is one of the most important postpartum beauty tips. Drinking a lot of water is one of the most influential things I’ve done to help my skin. This helps detox my body, keep moisture in tact (especially during hot months!), and also is essential for breast milk production! I *try* to drink 3 liters a day, but honestly I’ve only made that goal a few times, ha! Still, I’m drinking a lot more than usual with that goal in mind. The point is to hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!
Eat Healthy Foods
It’s easy to dive into sweets galore, especially while home so much as I’m healing, sleep deprived, and taking care of a newborn. But while I do believe in treating myself and indulging a bit, I also recognize how important proper nutrition is for health. And if I’m healthy, beauty extends naturally! It all starts with proper nutrition.
Eating healthy foods allows for a quicker recovery, and feeling my best. With the lack of sleep, stress and anxiety that comes in the newborn days, this is vital! I definitely have found a direct correlation between what I eat and how I feel.
I’m not a nutritionalist, so I’ll spare you my daily meal breakdown, but I will note that for me, focusing on a diet that’s loaded in whole foods has been key for a feel good postpartum experience. Lots of fruits, veggies, lean meats, and healthy fats such as ones that are loaded with omega 3’s like olive oil or avocados. Starting the day with nutrient-rich smoothies have been a great way to make sure I get lots of healthy greens. I also have been eating lots shying away from things that are heavily processed or have high amounts of sugar.
Continue To Take A Multi-Vitamin
One thing I’ve always done throughout my postpartum journey is to continue taking my prenatal multi-vitamin. A daily vitamin is so important to get the proper nutrients as your body is adjusting and healing. For you, and for baby. Proper nutrition = a healthy body and healthy you. A healthy you is BEAUTIFUL!
Added bonus: I’ve read that continuing to take a prenatal vitamin helps to alleviate postpartum hair loss. Honestly, I’m still losing a TON of hair currently. But what I don’t know is how much more I would be losing if I wasn’t still taking a prenatal multivitamin. Things to consider!
Common Post-Delivery Skin Problems I’ve Experienced
You may not think of your skin as something to pamper postpartum, but it’s so necessary! Think of it on a literal level — your skin helped to carry you and your amazing baby. It stretched, grew, and accommodated. It rolled with the (sometimes literal) punches of your baby growing and hormonal influxes. And it deserves some love. Lots of it! That’s why I’m dedicating an entire section of this post to skin issues I’ve faced recently.
Flabby, Stretched Skin on Stomach
GAH this is an issue I’m currently dealing with. In every pregnancy I’ve struggled with the infamous “pooch” after delivery, which has always gone down over time, but with Beau being my third pregnancy in 5 years, I feel like the skin on my stomach has really gone through a number. I noted this earlier, but I have very drastic diastis recti right now — my ab muscles are literally the width of 3 fingers apart! The flabby skin is a direct correlation with this, and thus I believe my biggest change factor will be working on getting my core strength back.
This is something that exercise and paying attention to increasing the strength of my core can help with. I honestly felt at a loss recently with what to do, and so I just purchased this 12 Week Post Pregnancy Ab Rehab course! I’m about a week in and so far, I have to say, I do feel stronger and my stomach “pooch” is starting to go down a bit.
Besides working out, I’ve found it’s important to simply take care of your skin and body! I noted some product recommendations above in the “Lotion Up” section that seem to be helping with my stretch marks. But I also do recognize that time and, yes, losing some of those baby pounds, will likely be the most helpful.
Acne
With every pregnancy — both during pregnancy and postpartum — I’ve had acne issues. Hormonal acne has popped up on my chest and back primarily, but I will also get it on my face. I’ve found the best way to combat hormonal acne is to prioritize the list in the above tips — exfoliate, practice a great skin routine, drink lots of water, sleep, and eat well. BUT in the cases where I’ve needed some extra help, I’ve found the Charcoal Cleansing Bar to be amazing. I use it on my face and body where acne is, and it’s really helped to control breakouts!
The reason why I love the Charcoal Cleansing Bar so much is that it detoxifies, rides of impurities, and provides a deep clean…all without the ingredients you need to shy away from during pregnancy such as salicylic acid or retinal. (This is another one that is EWG verified!)
Dull Skin
With the lack of sleep and all around exhausting in the newborn days, I was not surprised to see just how dull my skin looked at times. Implementing a routine that focused on antioxidants and keeping my skin in top shape was key! For dull skin specifically, I notice a big difference when I use my Vitamin C serum. Other things that have helped? Indie Lee I-Waken Eye Serum and BeautyCounter Dew Skin Tinted Moisturizer during the day. In terms of makeup, I swear by Illuminating Cream Highlighter, which I apply above my cheekbones for a great pick-me-up!
Melasma
This is when pigment collects to make darker, blotchy shades. It typically happens around the cheeks, eyes, and forehead. I’ve had only very slight melasma – mainly on the very top of my forehead – during my pregnancies, BUT I also have been extremely diligent about applying SPF every day, which is one of the biggest things you can do to help ward off melasma since it’s in due part caused by sun exposure. Vitamin C & E are also known to help make the skin brighter!
Often, melasma goes away on its own. However, it can be a pest that stays! In that case, definitely consult your dermatologist. I know there are a lot of solutions they have on helping to minimize melasma.
SPF options I love are Supergoop Unseen Sunscreen (Face) + Countersun Tinted Mineral Sunscreen (Body). Over the past year, I have worn Vitamin C Serum + the BeautyCounter Dew Skin Tinted Moisturizer – which is SPF 20 – nearly every day!
Remember – no matter what, the most beautiful version of yourself comes from confidence. You are beautiful, and so is your body, no matter how many stretch marks or skin issues may arise. I hope these postpartum beauty tips can help you to feel your best self! xx
What other postpartum beauty tips do you have? Would love to hear in the comments below!
PS – 6 Tips For Dressing Postpartum + The Story of Beau’s Birth + Is Cord Blood Banking Worth It? Our Family’s Experience & Answer
