Pregancy acne
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Tue Jun 10, 2008 7:01 pm

I am 13 weeks pregnant and am having SOOOO much trouble with hormonal acne. I don't want to use anything with chemicals in it. I've heard that salycilic acid and benzoyl peroxide should not be used in pregnancy. Can anyone offer any advice for anything that has worked for them?

free skin care · Wed Jun 11, 2008 11:48 am

Dun use these acids coz they will harm your baby. have you tried tea tree oil? it is a natural stuff to tackle acne, however before you use , you should consult your doctor.

free skin care · Thu Jun 12, 2008 7:19 am

I have a hard time dealing with hormonal acne without being pregnant so I'm afraid I'm not any help with that. I never thought that some products shouldn't be used during pregnancy. DH and I are trying to get pregnant. Can someone point me to a list of cosmetic ingredients that are not safe in pregnancy? Thanks.

free skin care · Thu Jun 12, 2008 10:03 am

I really hate to say it, but you are stuck with it for a while. You have such a great reason to have it though! But I will tell you that I have it and I have not been pregnant for 14 years. I did get it really bad when I was pregnant and stuck because you do not want to use anything that has "chemicals" in it, in risk of harming. Before I was pregnant I was using "proactiv" and my Dr said, "stop using it immediately" while you are pregnant. It took about 6-8 months to get rid of my acne after I had my son...Hang in there. It will get better, and you will have a nice distraction in the meantime. Very Happy

free skin care · Thu Jun 12, 2008 2:42 pm

I had acne while pregnant with my son. I went to see my derm and he said *some* treatments are okay. He prescribed me clindamycin...uhh..i think. This was 2 years ago. He said anything stronger wasn't recommend. There's not much you can do, but I'd have a chat with your doctor or derm.

free skin care · Thu Jun 12, 2008 3:15 pm

I've been thinking about trying to get pregnant this year so I have consulted with my dermatologist and gynecologist extensively about what is OK to use and what is not OK to use. Misha, you asked for a list of acne stuff to avoid--- I don't have a list per se, but you definitely need to avoid any and all topical vitamin A (including regular vitamin A, tazorac, retinol, etc), salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide, most anitbiotics, etc. As for what is OK for pregnancy acne, unfortunately, there just aren't that many options which doesn't make me feel great about when I do try to get pregnant, but you win some and lose some. Both my derm and my ob-gyn say that glycolic acid toners that DON'T contain SA are safe (for example, proactiv's toner is OK), and clindamycin is generally considered safe too. I would also definitely recommend using a Clarisonic brush since that has helped my skin a lot and there are no chemicals involved. I'd also recommend using EpidermX II scrub and going in for professional microderm treatments (this is what my dermtologist told me to do).

free skin care · Fri Jun 13, 2008 7:53 pm

Thanks manslayerliz for the info. I just visited my doc for blood work to make sure we're okay to get pregnant. They asked about supplements and herbs but nothing was mentioned about skin care. It makes sense though because these products are absorbed into our system. I've only been to a derm once and it was bad enough that I've never tried to go to another. I'm sure there are some good ones but the first time scared me off. Anyway, this means that my two favorite masks are no good...PSF's Pumpkin peel and Neutrogena's Acne Mark Fading peel. Sad

Maybe that justifies buying a Clarisonic! Laughing

Sat Jun 14, 2008 7:26 am

Have you considered seeing a naturopath?

I have had excellent results after seeing a naturopath for my skin over the last few months after my acne flared up really badly and conventional treatments weren't working.

Basically they work to help the body to heal the underlying condition that is causing the acne instead of just treating the symptoms.

I'm not pregnant so I can't say for sure whether they can do anything for hormonal causes, but I'm 99% sure all the stuff I take is pregnancy safe so it could be worth looking into.

Hope this helps and good luck with your pregnancy Very Happy

Tue Jun 24, 2008 3:20 am

Well being acne prone and currently pregnant for the second time in two years (yes, they're close together!) I can share my experiences:

First off, Topical BP, especially in a 2.5% or 5% strength as needed is safe, it doesn't absorb deep enough to enter the blood stream and I used it frequently with my daughter to no ill effect - she's JUST fine.

I am 36 weeks pregnant right now and this pregnancy have been using the OCM and Aromaleigh Nocturne (similar to the Bare Escentuals night treatment but much less expensive AND with less filler) and it is working very well. In general a Vitamin C serum should help a lot.

Before using ANY essentials oils research the hell out of them. Many are fine in small quantities or diluted but a lot are unsafe during pregnancy and some are outright dangerous - causing preterm labor or miscarriages, in addition to being toxic and easily crossing the placenta. Tea tree oil is great, but you definitely want to dilute it and use it sparingly. Topical applications are much safer than internal applications, but better safe than sorry.

In general I find an oil like Neem oil, Jojoba, Tamanu, or Avocado oil to help them go away much faster, and a solid pregnancy diet with plenty of water to lessen the effects somewhat.

My skin last pregnancy was MUCH worse compared to this pregnancy - I would say the oil application is as much or MORE effective than the Benzoyl Peroxide was. But as with all hormonal acne there is only so much you can do, and it's more lessening the symptoms and jumpstarting healing than anything truly preventative. There's just not a lot of options for treatment, and certainly nothing I have come across as a true cure to hormonal acne (period related or from pregnancy!). But some treatments definitely boast a less dramatic or extremely shortened outbreak period than others, and those would be what I'd point you to.

free skin care · Tue Jul 29, 2008 11:24 am

Artic Mama, i just read your other thread on Tamanu oil, i almost ordered some, but found some site not recommending it for pregnancy because there's not enough research done to ensure safety during pregnancy.

I'm 20 weeks preganant, on my first one. Very excited, but at the same time concern over skin care products i use. Please share your thoughts if any of the following items i should stop using:

AM:
Cetaphil cleanser
Skinceutical AOX 20 (almost done with the product, need to think what to replace it, way too expensive)
skinceutical B5 (again, need to replace it, any suggestion)
Cetaphil moisturizer
Skinceutical Sport UV defense 45 (it's summer, so i went for a higher SPF, i also use this when i get into the pool as i do that very often)
Mineral Make up

PM:
OCM, i use 40% Castor Oil and 60% EVOO
cetaphil cleanser
skinceutical eye gel
skinceutical toner
skinceutical eye gel
Mama Lotion / Decleor Essential Balm (alternate these two, product also running low, thinking if i need to find something else to replace)
Cetaphil moisturizer

I thought about using jojoba oil for moisturizer, but am not sure if it's safe to use.

Artic_Mama wrote:

Well being acne prone and currently pregnant for the second time in two years (yes, they're close together!) I can share my experiences:

First off, Topical BP, especially in a 2.5% or 5% strength as needed is safe, it doesn't absorb deep enough to enter the blood stream and I used it frequently with my daughter to no ill effect - she's JUST fine.

I am 36 weeks pregnant right now and this pregnancy have been using the OCM and Aromaleigh Nocturne (similar to the Bare Escentuals night treatment but much less expensive AND with less filler) and it is working very well. In general a Vitamin C serum should help a lot.

Before using ANY essentials oils research the hell out of them. Many are fine in small quantities or diluted but a lot are unsafe during pregnancy and some are outright dangerous - causing preterm labor or miscarriages, in addition to being toxic and easily crossing the placenta. Tea tree oil is great, but you definitely want to dilute it and use it sparingly. Topical applications are much safer than internal applications, but better safe than sorry.

In general I find an oil like Neem oil, Jojoba, Tamanu, or Avocado oil to help them go away much faster, and a solid pregnancy diet with plenty of water to lessen the effects somewhat.

My skin last pregnancy was MUCH worse compared to this pregnancy - I would say the oil application is as much or MORE effective than the Benzoyl Peroxide was. But as with all hormonal acne there is only so much you can do, and it's more lessening the symptoms and jumpstarting healing than anything truly preventative. There's just not a lot of options for treatment, and certainly nothing I have come across as a true cure to hormonal acne (period related or from pregnancy!). But some treatments definitely boast a less dramatic or extremely shortened outbreak period than others, and those would be what I'd point you to.

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