Over 100 of you voted for this topic over on IG, so here it is; the blog on skin care!
Note: While this blog will mainly focus on ski care for women who are in the post part stage, these tips and tricks theaesthetician gave me will be useful for a wide range of people who are experiencing skin issues.
Never have I ever had ‘bad skin’ until I gave birth.
Of course I would get the occasional outbreak here and there with stress, but my skin had always remained for the most part clear. Even during pregnancy.
That all changed soon after Edison was born. My skin would break out all the time, became very dry and oily at the same time (what?) my pores expanded and my face was very textured. And no matter what I tried, I just couldn’t seem to get my skin to go back to normal.
So I reached out to a local aesthetician to get some answers and see if I could nail down a routine for my skin and get it back to where it use to be.
We had a good and LONG chat about postpartum skin care and skin care in general, and these are a few of the tips I picked up.
1. Double cleanse
While my aesthetician said that anyone who is acne prone should be doing this, its especially important for women who have just given birth to double cleanse. With all the extra raging hormones pumping through our systems, our pores start to expand making it easier for dirt and bacteria to build up on our face.
For the first cleanse, she suggested that people use a light oil based cleanser and to active it with water. Most make up and grime is lipophilic, meaning that it will stick to oils and help you get the majority of the dirt off the first time.
For the second cleanse, she suggested using a a water based cleanser specific for your skin type. A water based cleanser will help break down and remove any of the oil that is left over on your face as well as to help give your skin much needed moisture.
2. Drink more water
Speaking of moisture, when I was chatting with the aesthetician, she told me that the majority of people who came in to see her for dry skin issues we’re drinking near enough water. I know that I’m personally guilty of this myself.
She reminded me that if you’re new mom, your body is using an incredible amount of resource for recovery, supplying milk (if your breastfeeding) copping with lack of sleep and adjusting to a new norm. So making sure that you’re getting enough water is super important–not just for your face, but for your well being as well.
She and my lactation nurse gave me the suggestion of leave water bottles around the house in areas where I feed a lot/do a lot of my work. I think that this is a fanatic idea that could work out for man. I personally prefer to make sure that I drink two vents cups of water form my tumblr every day.
3. Exfoliate!
Texturred skin was one of my biggest issues that I was having with my skin when I went in to see the aesthetician. At first, I had mistaken it for weird dry skin, but she had pointed out the difference to my real quick.
According to her, textured skin can become a huge problem for women with hormone imbalances because it causes the pores to expand, especially in areas such as the nose (which is always growing) and the checks.
Her suggestion was to make sure to exfoliate your skin at least once a week for sensitive skin, but no more than 3 times a week.
Exfoliating breaks down the dead skin cells so that they won’t clog and stretch out your pores.
She suggested to start your at home exfoliating treatments at your nose, where your biggest pores are, then to work your way down to your chin, up to your side cheeks, forehead and to end at the most sensitive part of your skin–just under your eyes
4. Use a face mask
Face mask to me alway sound like a prefect treat to give yourself after a long and stressful week and she completely agreed!
Face mask are a great way to infuse moisture and the supplements directly into the skin of your face (and a great distressed as well).
She suggested using a night time ask 2-3 times a week, and a face mask that you either peel or wash off 1-2 times a week
5. Use SPF to protect your face
This time right here is more of a bonus, but I’m sure you have heard this one all the time.
USE A SPF ON YOUR FACE, especially during the summer months when the sun is literally attacking our face. The skin on our faces is very sensitive, but it’s exposed the the elements a lot. And the UVA/UVB rays form the some ca be very damaging to our skin and even cause signs of early aging!
While any form of protection is better than none, her suggestion was to find a SPF specifically meant for the face. That why, the SPF wouldn’t sit too heavy on the skin or clog your pores too much.
If you feel like things are bad, see a dermatologist
Lastly, when I went to go see her back in May, she told me that if I ever had any serious concerns about my skin, that I shouldn’t be afraid to book an appointment with a dermatologist ASAP.
While my skin wasn’t at all beyond saving with a little work and the approve pointers, she told me that she sees many people who come in with serious acne issues that are better treated under the guidance of doctor.
On a related sidetone…
So in this blog I didn’t list any specific products. I will be listing out some of my tried and true products in the near future. However, we all know that these products can get EXPENSIVE. If you want to try out a range of full sized products for only $50, then I would HIGLY suggest trying out FabFitFun subscription box.
