As I mention in my post about pregnancy acne, pregnant women have surging hormones that they are not able to control so it’s even more important for women with pregnancy acne to try and avoid other factors that are within their control as long as it aligns with your Physician’s orders. Sticking to an acne-friendly lifestyle and following the guidelines below might not be possible so sometimes the best we can do during pregnancy is mitigate and manage the factors that are within our control.

Supplements
Most prenatal and pregnancy supplements contain iodine and biotin which are both potential acne triggers. Ask your physician which vitamins and minerals are essential for you to be taking and if iodine and biotin are not necessary, find a supplement without them or buy individual supplements that contain each of the ingredients you need rather than taking a multi. Most supplements also contain above and beyond the recommended daily value so your Physician says you do need iodine or biotin, make sure the supplement you choose doesn’t contain any more than necessary.

Foods
Dairy, soy, and foods high in androgen and iodine are potential acne triggers and it’s not uncommon for even my most diligent clients to start going off the rails with their diet once they get pregnant. Some are so nauseous that they really don’t have any choice in what they are able to eat and I had one client that couldn’t eat anything other than cheese without throwing up. I have other clients who are told by their Doctors that they need to get calcium so they start drinking milk and others who are just too tired or preoccupied with pregnancy or a new baby to stick to an acne-friendly diet. If your Doctor is recommending that you consume anything that might exacerbate your acne, I recommend asking them if there are any alternatives that you can eat instead.

Comedogenic personal care products
Expectant and new Moms tend to become more conscious of the ingredients in their personal care products so they start to use more “natural” products which tend to be worse for acne because they usually contain pore-clogging algaes and natural oils. I see a lot of Moms break out on the sides of their face from “cuddle acne” which is triggered by your baby’s hair products making contact with your skin when you nuzzle them against your face. In addition to checking your own personal care products (skincare products, shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, lip balm, makeup, etc) to make sure they don’t contain any comedogenic ingredients, check your partner’s products and the products you get for your baby.

Stress
Lack of sleep, social isolation, and the daily stress of being a new Mom can all cause cortisol levels to spike which can then trigger testosterone levels which can then lead to increased oil production in the follicles and more breakouts. So self-care and community care is not a luxury, it’s a necessity if you are a new or expectant Mom living with acne. This doesn’t mean you have to do something elaborate or expensive-do whatever small things you can in whatever small amount you can. If you have the luxury or taking a vacation or carving out a few hours to go to therapy every week, awesome. Otherwise you can do small things like meditate for 2 minutes, light a candle, join a Mom group, or just stretch your legs. Whatever you do, make sure to really savor the experience by bringing awareness to the sensations and emotions that let you know it’s a pleasurable or relaxing experience. This will send a signal to your brain that you are not in survival mode and it doesn’t need to dump cortisol into your system to trigger the fight-or-flight response.