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| Pregnancy and your Skin Your skin could become sensitive and dry while you're pregnant, so stick to gentle, preferable hypollergenic skin care products. Make sure you double-check that the products you're using are suitable for use during pregnancy. Your body's changing in weird but wonderful ways and so is your skin! Treat it to some special attention and watch yourself bloom. Pamper your skin Spotty, radiant, extra-sensitive, super dry pregnant skin is anything but predictable. A gentle, moisturising skin care routine is always a sensible option. Massage in a mild and creamy cleanser at night and only apply moisturiser where your skin feels tight and dry. Avoid medicated, harsh skin products as they'll only dry out your skin and encourage it to produce more oil. Ward off those stretch marks Gently massaging your bump, breasts and thighs with a rich cream or oil may help keep your skin supple. It can also help reduce the appearance of stretch marks (red or purple lines, caused by the elastic fibres in your skin stretching and breaking). After your birth, any stretch marks will gradually fade to shiny, silvery-grey streaks. Use a sunscreen Pregnancy hormones darken the pigments in your skin, making it more sensitive to sunlight. You will notice the darkening most on your face, on the skin under your arms, on your nipples and anywhere you have moles or freckles. You may even notice a dark line running down from your belly button to your pubic bone. If you find you're getting blotchy patches of dark pigmentation on your face, stay out of the sun as much as you can. Soothe your feet Swollen feet and tired legs are one of the bugbears of late pregnancy. Soak your feet in a basin of cool water or spritz on a refreshing foot spray. Massage your achy legs with a cooling leg gel, stroking firmly from ankles to thighs (work around, rather than over, any varicose veins). Checklist Every pregnant women enjoys: • A luxurious body oil or cream • An indulgent bath soak • A reviving foot and leg spray • A relaxing pregnancy massage oil • A moisture-boosting face mask
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