Bump up the Jam

Bump it Up, Get your skin a Plumpin’

Nothing prepared me for pregnancy.

After my thirty-some-odd years of woman-ness, the sudden onslaught of hormones, mood swings, morning sickness and next-level fatigue sent my body, mind and spirit into a year-long rollercoaster, with my skin being the first to take a nose dive. Any dreams of a dewy pregnancy glow and adorable baby-bump were overshadowed by bloat, breakouts and an inner-heat that no air conditioning could appease.

Worse yet, there seemed to be no official guidance on beauty and wellness aside from the big no-no’s: no retinols, salicylic acids, micro-current treatments or essential oils…. Or your Thursday negroni - which leaves a lot of googling to be done in the interim.

Below my personal handful of skin + sanity saviours, pregnancy safe for any mamma to be.

Natasha Poly "Un Air de Famille" Vogue Paris · Photo Mario Testino, 2014

Glossier

Milky Jelly Cleanser

While most exfoliating cleansers have to take a backseat during pregnancy, this gel-like cleanser remains my ever go-to for its makeup removal and skin softening properties.

The perfect start of any evening double-cleanse, a few pumps make for a soft and plump skin, ready for your serums to follow.

CeraVe Hydrating Foaming Oil Cleanser

With Essential ceramides, glycerin & hyaluronic acid, this oil deeply cleans without over-striping the skin, and a very slightly foaming formula is a perfect complement to an exfoliating cloth or cleansing brush.

Triglyceride and Squalane work together to keep the skin barrier intact; scent is light and skin never feels tight.

La Roche Posay HydraPhase Intense

Hyaluronic Acid Eye Cream

While I’m often more prone to more actives and growth-factors in my absolute favourite eye cream, these are unfortunately off limits while growing a bébé.

LRP’s Hydraphase line is jam-packed with hyaluronic acid goodies, and surprisingly helped my under-eye bags after countless nights of pregnancy insomnia. With additional glycerine and caffeine, the light gel-like texture melts effortlessly into the delicate eye area and doesn’t pill under makeup.

Finacea Azaleic Acid 15% Prescription Cream

I first discovered the wonders of Azaleic Acid from my virtual skin-guru/crush Dr. Shereen Idriss, and given its wheat-derived origins, its a common go-to for pregnant women struggling with breakouts and hyperpigmentation.

Azaleic is available in a myriad of other suspensions and options than just the prescription, but be sure to check with your own health care provider regarding your own. I was an instant fan.

Avène Hydrance Intense Rehydrating Serum

What bébe wants, bébe gets, and in my case that was every ounce of moisture in my skin from head to toe.

With Avène’s signature thermal spring water and a patented hydrating complex called cohederm, skin is hydrated and replenished for for all-day long moisture. I love the lightweight texture and the soft scent was intoxicating.

Pai Rosehip Bioregenerate Oil

I’ve shared my love of this oily-goodness before, but during pregnancy I have a new-found affection for it.

Loaded with skin-loving omegas and antioxidants, this little powerhouse oil tackles breakouts as well as inflammation, while strengthening your skins own defences towards environmental damage.

2-3 drops pressed deep in skin, or pair with your nightly gua sha routine.

Violette FR Boum Boum Milk

I’ve been a fan of Violette’s for years, adoring each new YouTube upload of her Goddard-meets-Modern take on French beauty and lifestyle.

Lucky for us, she’s launched her own line of skincare based on the elegance of French Pharmacy lines,  and the Boum-Boum Milk does not disappoint.

Give it a shake and use as a serum, moisturiser or pick-me-up after makeup, and skin is noticeably softer and plumper due to the combo of Fermented Birch Sap, Glacier Water, and Olive Leaf Extract. J’adore.

CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion

My love of CeraVe products runs deep, due to their elevated ingredient lists, dermatological development and more-than-practical price points.

The CeraVe PM is an excellent last step in literally any evening routine, locking in moisture to hydrate and soothe skin while reinforcing skin’s protective barrier.

Oil-free and non-comedogenic, loaded with essential ceramides to make your mornings that much dewier.

We are Feel Good Inc

Sensitive Sunscreen Lotion SPF 50+

My husband discovered this Aussie line while we were vacationing in Bali years back, and I’ve yet to try one product in their collection I haven’t instantly loved.

Their Sensitive option (free of fragrance, PABAs, parabens, oxybenzone or octinoxate.) offers a sumptuous texture that layers beautifully under makeup and is water resistant for 4+ hours.

Lierac Phytolastil Soluté Concentrate

In the beginning of my pregnancy a French girlfriend told me “Il faut tartiner”… which literally means you must slather butter on your baguette.

What she was referring to specifically however, was the necessity of keeping the belly + boob skin deeply hydrated to prevent stretch marks, and she suggested starting with this serum-like texture that leaves no greasy residue.

Utilizing a plant botanical extract of Alchemilla, Ivy and Horsetail Complex, the concentrate is rich in flavonoids that help alleviate tension on the epidermis.

Pairs beautifully under your favourite body lotion.

Bio - Oil

I know the clean beauty queens might come for me, but this oil has been my belly- BFF each night after a shower, and its a ritual now I can’t imagine ceasing after bébé’s arrival.

Excellent for preventing stretch marks and hydrating the skin which, (knock on wood!) is still working beautifully.

Nordic Naturals Prenatal DHA

Adding Supplements to your routine anytime is a personal choice, but for those on the pregnancy vitamin-game and seeking a fabulous DHA, Nordic Naturals does not disappoint.

Easily digestible with no ‘reminders’ that you took it hours later, these little capsules have hydrated my skin from within for next-level softness.

Prenatal Drainage Lymphatique with Charlotte Muller

If you’re lucky to be pregnant and in Paris at the same time, do book ahead for a fabulous lymphatic drainage with Charlotte Muller in her 9th arrondissement studio.

Speaking both English and French, Charlotte utilises the Renata França technique to move lymph and eliminate water retention, making for a fabulous moment of detente. Her space is warm and welcoming, and her table has the special cut-outs for both pregnant boob and belly.

Pregnancy is a wild ride, please share your favourite pre + postnatal beauty favourites below.

xx

B