Pregnancy beauty advice for the Duchess of Sussex
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are expecting their first child in the spring of 2019, Kensington Palace has confirmed this morning. As the Duchess is aged 37, it comes as no surprise that the couple have decided to start making a family so soon after their wedding earlier this year in May. Today also marks the couple's first day of their Royal, Commonwealth Tour where they will visit Australia, Fiji, Tonga and New Zealand.
Like most women, I am sure the Duchess will be starting to feel the affects of her pregnancy through morning sickness, fatigue and skin changes. Having had three children myself, here is some pregnancy beauty advice I would give to the Duchess and any other pregnant women who want to feel their best during pregnancy.
Extreme pregnancy has a way of creeping up on you. One minute you’re tiptoeing through the first trimester, wondering if this is really, truly happening, and then BOOM, you’re stuck on your back on the sofa, reduced to asking your significant other to help you stand up. Right around the time this indignity strikes (he’s still laughing about it, by the way) you realise or, as you can probably tell by now, I realise, that pregnancy is no longer something I can play cool.
A second realisation follows: that instead of scoffing at the idea of spending money on products that cater to this very temporary state, I will pay anyone almost anything if it might make me feel more comfortable.
Hell, I’d settle for normal. Because amid all the obvious changes pregnancy wreaks, some of the most dramatic can be its effects on your skin. The hormonal payload of pregnancy can bring a vigorous strain of adult acne (face and body, delightful), increased itchiness or sensitivity and facial pigmentation. Every woman’s experience is different, but I hit the skin-complaint jackpot and got all three.
And since most dermatologists and skincare professionals advise women to cease using retinols and salicylic acids before trying to conceive, we’ve already cut out some of the skincare building blocks that would be most effective against these symptoms by the time they strike. Many women also opt to avoid parabens, SLS, petrochemicals, synthetic fragrances and colourants, which eliminates a lot. What in the world can we do to calm down and feel better?
“It’s such a tricky one, isn’t it?” Dr Stefanie Williams, the lead dermatologist with London’s Eudelo skincare clinic, says sympathetically. “It is definitely the case that many women feel pregnancy really takes a toll on their skin. The main thing is of course to keep the baby safe and avoid ingredients that could potentially cause harm. Use a high-SPF mineral sunscreen and an antioxidant serum, and then come back to your skin afterwards.”
So yes, everything changes and you can’t bring out the big guns. Fortunately, as awareness of and conversation surrounding skincare ingredients has increased, a number of brands have turned their research-and-development nous toward products suited to pregnancy.
Neal’s Yard, Elemis, ESPA and Cowshed all have product lines specifically for expectant mums (Cowshed’s is called Udderly Gorgeous, which you’ll either bristle or smile at when you already feel a bit bovine). Typically these include an anti-stretch-mark cream or oil and a bath/shower gel that any woman would be thrilled to receive in a gift set (as long as she’s pregnant, that is).
There are also a couple of specialist lines with more niche products that address issues that seem inconceivable, until you’re dealing with them every. Single. Day. Along with stretch-mark creams, Bloom & Blossom offers bath oils, unscented shower gels and “nip and lip” balm — all in chic black-and-white packaging with nary a cherub illustration in sight. Before they launched the brand, Christina Moss and Julia Yule “couldn’t find anything that was solution-focussed and safe to use that also looked chic on the shelf,” Moss says, “so we decided to start our own brand to hit those goals.”
“When you’re pregnant you’re coming at things from a different direction,” Yule adds. “You’re watching the foods that you eat, and it’s only natural to pay the same attention toward what you’re putting onto your skin.”
Especially when there’s so much more skin to tend to. I already have stretch marks from my first pregnancy (twins), so slathering myself with these creams feels a little like wishful thinking — but it also feels luxurious at a time when few things do. Spritzing my magical disappearing ankles with Bloom and Blossom’s Revitalising Leg & Foot Spray, ￡14 is a spa-like touch at the end of the day (pro tip: keep a backup bottle in the refrigerator at home for an even cooler moment of aaaah), and its Rejuvenating Facial Spritz, ￡15 is almost as good a pick-me-up as my erstwhile 3:00pm cup of coffee.
That’s not to say that anything I tried had much effect on the acne, or the itchiness and heat rash that arrived with the summer heatwave. (The Cetaphil Restoraderm that Dr Williams recommended and the Mustela Stelatopia my pharmacist pointed me toward were godsends for the latter.)
But I realised, while following instructions to pause and inhale the heady scent of De Mamiel’s Pregnancy Facial Oil, ￡65 (a new favourite part of my morning routine), that the point of most pregnancy skincare doesn’t have to be ultra-effective skin improvement. It’s enough if it helps you find a moment of relief, or relaxation. That’s why I’ve switched from my basic face wash to Aurelia’s Miracle Cleanser, ￡42, and why I’m happy to slow down and use several different creams or lotions every time I step out of the shower.
I was lucky enough to try products by the bagload in the name of getting to the bottom of what’s worthwhile in pregnancy skincare. What would I unreservedly buy again, either for myself or as a gift? The Elemis Japanese Camellia Oil, ￡37 (I’ve already picked up another bottle in Duty Free). The Bloom & Blossom sprays (everyone should carry a mini foot spray in her handbag). The De Mamiel pregnancy facial oil, though possibly in one of their seasonal varieties next, just to see what that’s like. Origins A Perfect World Eye Cream, ￡32, for helping me look and feel more awake on less coffee. And Pai’s Avocado and Jajoba Hydrating Day Cream, ￡36, for a gentler morning.
I’m sure I’ll be back on the retinols as soon as it’s safe — but with a few new additions. And a new baby, too.
The best pregnancy-friendly beauty buys
Bloom and Blossom Rejuvenating Facial Spritz, ￡15
Awaken tired skin with one spritz of this calming mist.
Burt’s Bee’s Mama Bee Leg and Foot Cream, ￡12.99
Great if you're suffering with swollen legs and ankles.
Aurelia’s Miracle Cleanser, ￡42
A gentle everyday cleanser that does what you need it to without being too potent.
Elemis Japanese Camellia Oil, ￡37
Soothes itchy skin whilst smelling amazing.
Pai’s Avocado and Jojoba Hydrating Day Cream, ￡36
Enriched with avocado and jojoba this day cream is super nourishing for super dry skin some pregnant women can experience.
De Mamiel’s Pregnancy Facial Oil, ￡65
An oil that is pregnancy-friendly and still leaves your skin feeling quenched and hydrated. It's a must-have.
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