pregnancy facial skincare routine

Now that I'm pregnant, I've been a bit more cautious in my skincare routine and avoid using products that contain a ton of chemicals.  After doing some research, these were the items I'd settled on.  I generally tried to pick items that didn't have chemicals on the "must avoid" list during pregnancy (e.g. salicylic acid which is found in a lot of acne facial products) and tried to find items that were paraben and sulfate free.  Reviews of each item below (left-to-right from picture above).

Quick disclaimer - I'm not a doctor, so the reviews below are based on my opinions and information I could find online regarding chemicals safe to use during pregnancy. :)

1. Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel - with crazy fluctuations in my hormones comes crazy fluctuations with oil production in my face! I love that his moisturizer is oil-free.  It keeps my face soft and moisturized without feeling greasy.  I also noticed less breakouts once I switched to this product (probably because my last moisturizer wasn't oil-free).

2. Organic Coconut Oil - for those looking for a cleanser or moisturizer that's completely chemical-free, I'd recommend coconut oil.  It may sound counterintuitive to slather oil on your face, but coconut oil is actually an antimicrobial and acts as a great face wash! When I used  this, I noticed it stripped all the makeup off and left my skin feeling soft.  I used a hot wash cloth to remove the oil from my face after cleansing.  You can also use as a moisturizer, but I find it rather messy to use for this purpose. 

3. Glossier Milky Jelly Cleanser - I discovered this brand just recently, and love the cleanser! The product has a gel-like consistency and leaves my face feeling clean and moisturized.  I love that it doesn't strip my face of oils (I hate the feeling of a tight, dry face when using too harsh of a cleanser).  Super gentle, and I use it around my eyes to remove waterproof makeup as well!

4. Coola Mineral Face SPF 30 Matte Finish Cucumber - I use this product as my daily moisturizer.  After doing more research, I found that pregnant women should also avoid certain SPF chemicals such as oxybenzone, which is actually the main active ingredient in a lot of moisturizers that contain SPF.  The Coola moisturizer is mineral-based and doesn't contain these chemicals.  It smells nice and dries quickly.

5. Fresh Sugar Face Polish - love this product! Made with brown sugar and strawberries, it smells delicious and leaves my face exfoliated and soft.  These pregnancy hormones wreaked havoc on my skin, so it was great being able to find this product to slosh off dead skin!  After using, my face does feel more radiant and smooth.. just as the description says :)

6. Origins Clear Improvements Active Charcoal Mask - I use this mask when my face needs some extra help combating those pesky hormonal blemishes.  It leaves my face feeling squeaky clean, and I do find it helps reduce the redness and breakouts the next day!