It’s been 9 months of crazy ups-and-downs, and your gorgeous, precious bundle of awe and joy is finally here. You marvel at your baby’s tiny hands and flawless skin, and then you happen to glance at the mirror, mirror on the wall. In direct contrast to your baby’s miniature perfection, you look like an insomniac.
Worry not mamas, the questions popping up to surround you can all be answered with a little self-love and a few smart skincare tips. Here are the answers to your post-partum skin care woes!
Q1: Why Do I Have Dark Circles?
The stresses and sleeplessness of pregnancy and the ebb and flow of hormones within your body can leave your eyes looking puffy and dark. With your little one waking you up in the middle of the night, interrupted sleep can make your peepers look tired. Add breastfeeding dehydration and naturally, you have dark circles.
The solution? Give your eyes a little TLC (tender loving care!) Remember to hydrate and drink enough water to keep the circulation going. Depuff in between feedings, with cold slices of cucumber or a cold compress. Soothing and cooling eye gels can also help calm the puffiness and have you bright-eyed in the morning.
Q2. What Is “Melasma”?
Chloasma or melasma are dark patches – pigmentation, that may develop during pregnancy on your face or belly. All the hormones your body is hopped up on, lead to pigmentation. Most of these patches will fade away on their own in a while.
What can you do? Remember to stay out of the sun and slather on a breastfeeding-friendly sunblock to protect your skin.
Q3. How do I deal with stretch marks?
As your body changes, your stretching baby bump can cause your skin to develop stretch marks. Don’t worry, about 90% of women develop stretch marks during pregnancy. Your stretch marks are there to remind you of the beautiful changes your body has been through. However, you should take precautions to protect your skin. While you can’t avoid stretch marks completely, using a nourishing and moisturising oil to massage stretch-mark prone areas can improve and reduce their appearance substantially. It’s important to practice these skin care measures right from the fourth month of pregnancy. Massage the skin on your breasts, belly and thighs with a moisturising oil to prepare the skin for the changes on the way.
Try a nourishing oil like Bio-Oil, twice a day from the second trimester. Enriched with plant extracts and Vitamins A and E, it helps skin healing. Made with PurCellin Oil, it is a light and non-greasy oil which is perfect for daily use.
Q4. Why am I getting acne?
You can blame the fluctuation of hormones that happened during pregnancy to sustain your baby. Changing hormonal levels, coupled with sleepless nights and often, less time for self-care, can have you looking like a teenager again.
Our tip – resist the urge to squeeze these pimples. Use a gentle, hydrating cleanser twice a day and ensure that you moisturise with a non-comedogenic moisturiser. To help your skin to flush out all the acne-causing bacteria, double up on your water intake. Add leafy greens to your diet to boost your skin’s germ-fighting abilities, and slowly but surely, with a little self-love, you will conquer acne.
Q5. Why am I getting brown spots?
Post-partum skin can be extremely sensitive. Your body has just produced a human being and now that little wonder is monopolising every waking and non-waking hour. You may see your skin getting peppered with a few brown spots because of the stress and fatigue of early motherhood.
Find a helper to handle your little one for a much-needed 20 minutes in a day and pop the nourishing mask of your choice. Commit to gentle cleansing twice a day to keep your skin blemish-free.
So as you ready yourself for a life-changing miracle, help your body through the transition by staying hydrated, eating healthy and nourishing your skin with all the pampering it can get. Happy motherhood to you!
