Skin Care Tips for Expectant Moms on Yahoo! Health

From the moment you learned you were pregnant, all of your attention likely turned to that new person you can't wait to meet - but it's equally important to focus plenty of attention on your own health and well-being! And, call me biased, but I think one of the fastest ways to feel great is to love what you see when you look in the mirror.

So, let's consider some of the main skin-related questions and concerns I hear from expectant moms:

Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate: Stretch marks occur when skin, well, stretches - to the point that its structural proteins actually break. If you lubricate those proteins, though, you can minimize subsequent marks. Safflower oil is best hydrator for pregnant women - it contains linoleic acid, which dramatically increases skin hydration. Mama Mio SuperRub Massage Oil, which contains safflower oil, is one of my favorite products (it's marketed for pregnant women, but it's a great bet for anyone with dry skin, in fact!).

You don't need to look far to get the richly moisturizing products you need, though - more and more drugstore brands are also producing skin-care lines for expectant moms. Curel Life's Stages Nurturing Comfort Moisture Cream - Pregnancy & Motherhood, for example, contains nourishing shea butter and vitamin E... and costs around $7!

When dry skin meets sensitive skin, you may need to give even more thought to your moisturizing product. I recently discovered a super-hydrating product that's great for moms whose skin is as delicate as their babies - and it's gentle enough that you can both use it: Grandma Minnie's Oil's Well Nurturing Do-It-Oil. (If you experience body acne, though, better avoid this product, which contains pimple-inducing coconut oil.)
Increased acne can be a distressing side effect of pregnancy for many of my patients: Some women's changing hormone levels lead to increased oil production, just when they have to stop using retinoids, salicylic acid, and Accutane, powerful acne-fighting ingredients that aren't safe to use during pregnancy. But you don't have to throw up your hands and just give in to acne. Alpha hydroxy acids are safe to use during pregnancy and offer many of the same pore-clearing benefits of stronger off-limits ingredients. I like Belli Acne Clearing Facial Wash (specially designed for pregnant women), which contains lactic acid, and M.D. Forte Cleansers, which use glycolic acid.
"The mask of pregnancy": The name may sound alarming, but rest assured that this type of pregnancy-related hyperpigmentation is very common. Officially called melasma, this condition manifests as brown patches on the upper lip, nose, cheeks, chin, and forehead. We don't know the exact process by which melasma develops, but we do know that it's highly influenced by estrogen and very common during pregnancy.

So what products can you use during pregnancy to fight hyperpigmentation? Hydroquinone, a powerful skin-lightening ingredient, is safe to use during pregnancy, but many women still prefer to avoid it - DDF Intensive Holistic Lightener is one of my favorite treatments for hyperpigmentation, and it's hydroquinone-free.

And hey, if you can't beat it, cover it! Because melasma typically leads to brown patches, white and yellow concealers are your best bet for disguising it.

As with all types of hyperpigmentation, sunscreen is crucial to prevent dark patches from becoming even darker. Chemical sunscreens are absorbed in the bloodstream, and while there's no evidence that they're harmful to expectant moms, I like to err on the side of caution when it comes to pregnancy skin-care regimens. There are many excellent physical sunscreens on the market - that is, sunscreens that use minerals like zinc oxide and titanium dioxide and stay on skin's surface, protecting it by reflecting light. I like Mustela's High Protection Sun Lotion, which is actually formulated for babies and children.
What about breast-feeding? Many of my patients are dismayed when their skin doesn't return to normal after giving birth, but remember that your hormones are still in a state of flux when you're breast-feeding. (Lack of sleep, and the resulting stress hormones, can also lead to increased oiliness and acne. Easier said than done, I know, but try to rest whenever you have even a few minutes of downtime!) Skin typically returns to normal within four months after moms stop breast-feeding.

So, which products are still off-limits while nursing? Accutane, retinoids, and chemical sunscreens should still be avoided when breast-feeding. The good news, though, is that salicylic acid and hydroquinone are safe to use when you're breast-feeding.

Of course, this is just a quick overview of the basics - for your specific questions and concerns, it's always best to speak with your own physician. And to all you expectant moms out there: Enjoy these exciting nine months!

Wishing you great skin!

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Dr. Baumann is author of the best-selling book, " The Skin Type Solution." To learn more about her revolutionary skin typing system, visit her Web site, SkinTypeSolutions.com.

All of Dr. Baumann's recommended skin care products are available online, and a portion of proceeds goes to The Dermatology Foundation.