My tried and true non-toxic skincare products that are safe for pregnancy and actually WORK! I use these even when not pregnant which is a testament of their efficacy.
I have never had glowing, perfect skin. A fact that I'm not so keen on but have learned to accept and deal with. I had full blown, cystic acne all over my face, chest and back at the ripe age of only 10 and had to take very harsh medication to clear it up that dried it to the point where it cracked and bled. I cried myself to sleep every night...it was beyond traumatizing.
Fast forward to my adult years and my skin is incredibly photosensitive and highly prone to melasma (sun spots) and fine lines which is pretty much the bane of my existence. I have to work HARD to keep my skin looking good and as a result of that I have tried nearly every product out there. I know the ones that actually work and the ones that pretty much do nothing.
Unfortunately, most are pretty ineffective for problematic skin like mine, and 99.9% of the ones that actually "work" aren't exactly all natural or pregnancy safe which proved to be a big stress factor for me when I got pregnant with my daughter 2 years ago. What on EARTH was I to do without my precious products that kept me miraculously glowing and looking/feeling good despite my propensity towards skin problems?? I was sure I was going to turn into the Crypt Keeper. There was no hope for me!
Well...without much of a choice, I begrudgingly dragged my butt to Whole Foods to look at all the hippy dippy organic products they had on the shelf (*sigh 😔). I also read a lot of articles and did my research as to which products are safe to use for all my various ailments while pregnant. It took me the whole 9 months of my pregnancy with her to figure it out, but with A LOT of trial and error I was able to find some that to my chagrin actually DID work and weren't going to slowly kill me or poison my unborn baby in the process. WIN!
I have continued to use these products ever since and have noticed a significant improvement in my skin. No it's still not perfect, nor will it ever be, but it's far better than I would have ever thought it could be by going all natural.
Here are the non-toxic goodies I discovered that are now staples of my daily skincare routine:
1. HoneyGirl Organics Face and Eye Cream - $32.49
On one said trip to Whole Foods I was browsing the skincare aisle and was approached by a sales person who encouraged me to try this brand. I scoffed at her and said there's NO WAY anything that's completely organic could do anything worth anything for my skin. I don't know if it was something in the stars that day or if I got temporarily possessed by a kinder being than myself, but something told me to stop my nonsense, listen to the nice lady's sales pitch and just give it a try. To my absolute surprise it was AMAZING and after just using it once I felt like I was 25 again (no joke)! My skin quite literally glowed and got softer with each use and even my husband noticed a difference in my skin within just a couple uses. When he told me how young I looked I was sold! Husbands don't usually notice small changes like this so it must have had a pretty big impact. To this day it is my all time favorite cream and I use it morning AND night. It's so organic you could probably put it on your morning toast...but don't...cuz...ew. It's literally like butter for your face though and the BEST face cream ever!
2. Kiehl's Clearly Corrective Dark Spot Solution - $50.00
Kiehl's nailed it with this one. After just a few weeks I noticed my skintone evening up considerably. It doesn't completely treat it (and pretty much nothing does unless it has hydroquinone which is toxic to the liver) but it greatly keeps it in check and manageable which works for me! It utilizes Active C, White Birch and Peony Extract to fight free radicals in the air and even out skin tone. For those with less sun damage than I have this might make your suns spots go away completely or at least to the point where you don't notice them. I use it morning and night right after cleansing and a little goes a very long way.
3. Miss Julie Green Enzyme Face Mask -$79.00
A more recent discovery that I've been loving on hard, it gently exfoliates the skin using a plethora of natural ingredients (like Green Tea Extract and Rosehip), ridding it of dead cells and impurities. I use this about once every 2 weeks or so and my skin always glows and feels so fresh afterwards without any of the harsh side affects that harsher exfoliants have. I used to think that in order to improve my skin tone and texture I had to do intense treatments like lasers, microdermabrasion and peels, only to discover that my skin was actually getting WORSE from these treatments over time. Harsh treatments make our skin build up a tough outer layer as a defense mechanism. Gentle exfoliation keeps skin fresh and youthful without making it build up this layer. It took me a while and many peels/lasers later to realize that gentle is actually most effective at getting the job done well when it comes to the appearance and health of our skin. This mask does just that.
Again...Kiehl's hit it out of the park with this one! After years of doing said laser treatments and peels and reeling from the tough skin I had developed as a result, I needed to find a way to gently re-texturize my skin to make it soft and youthful again. This stuff is. the. shit! It uses glycerin and shiso leaf extract to help skin retain moisture and it does the job SO well! I have slowly seen the effects of all those harsh treatments I used to get disappear and my skin is feeling and looking like the soft skin I had when I was younger (sans acne of course!). It is FAR more smooth, plump and soft than it's been in years. I can't imagine I will ever stop using this product.
5. Dermae Firming Eye Lift - $24.95
I love all of Dermae's products for their efficacy and nontoxic properties, and this one is a staple that my eyes cannot do without. A potent peptide complex along with Hyurolonic Acid helps to plump and smooth the thin skin around the eyes which tends to age faster then the rest of the skin on our faces. It's creamy texture goes on smoothly and has helped me to keep my crows feet in check. It's not quite botox (and what is right??!) but it helps minimize fine lines immensely in a non aggressive, all natural way that's completely safe for your body and your baby. I use this even when I'm not pregnant because I love it so much and it's not pricey which makes it even more appealing considering most good eye creams will run you $50-$100 for a tiny 1oz jar. Yikes! I'll take Dermae for only $24.95 thanks!
I could go on and on about skincare for days, and my list of products certainly doesn't stop at the above 5, but those are my go-tos, can't live withouts that I know you'll love. Check em out and let me know what you think!
From my heart to yours...
