Jenn was recently interviewed by Emily, the blogger behind The Beauty in Type One's. To read the original feature and see her images from her visit at Beauty Mark click HERE.

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If you know me you know I’m super into all things in the beauty world: makeup, skin care, hair care (though I’m not great at doing my hair lol). I used to blog a lot more about makeup and do tutorials but lately I’ve found more interest in sharing my experiences with diabetes, pregnancy, and then just lifestyle aspects overall. For a few years now, mostly thanks to my mum, I’ve followed a pretty regular skin care routine of removing any makeup, washing my face, and moisturizing plenty in the evening. Since I’ve become pregnant I’ve been more interested in what products I use that are still safe during pregnancy, and how I can continue to take care of my skin without harming the baby at all. I will admit, since I’m already in my 3rd trimester, I wish this was something I had looked into more in the beginning, but I’m just happy I’ve learned more now and can use these techniques throughout the end of this pregnancy as well as any other future pregnancies I may have. 

Last week I was fortunate enough to visit Beauty Mark in downtown Portland for a special pregnancy safe facial and to learn more about all the deets when it comes to what skin care products are safe to use (or do) during pregnancy. I had a facial done by the owner, Jenn, who is a certified licensed master esthetician. She is so knowledgable and works with her clients in a complete holistic and balanced approach that incorporates skincare through nutrition, lifestyle, and science. She really knows her stuff! Plus, my mom has been going to Jenn for years, as have I since I was a teenager, and I even used to nanny for her before I finished college! So I felt completely safe and comfortable going into this facial and knew I was going to learn so much from her. She gave me a lot of information that I want to share with you all for anyone that may be pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant soon and wondering some of these same things! I had a facial specialized specifically for my skin needs, as well as a derma planing treatment (which btw I highly recommend) and a mask, all of which was heavenly and I can’t wait to go back for more. My face has never felt so great before.

WHICH INGREDIENTS SHOULD YOU AVOID WHILE PREGNANT?

Avoid the following chemical ingredients: parabens, formaldehyde, chemical sunscreens, salicylic acid, beta-hydroxy acid, benzoyl peroxide, hydroquinone, there are other ingredients I would watch out for but these are a couple of the big ones that stand out.

WHAT ARE SOME COMMON ISSUES YOU SEE WITH WOMEN DURING PREGNANCY?

A common skincare concern when pregnant is increased pigmentation also known as the pregnancy mask. This skin concern shows up as brown patches usually on the cheeks or upper lip. This is clustered deposits of pigment due to the increase of hormones and can worsen with sun exposure. Your esthetician can recommend safe products to improve your pigmentation and treatments that will help pre and post pregnancy. I highly recommend avoiding products containing Hydroquinone during pregnancy, this ingredient is not safe to use while nursing either. This is an ingredient that I don’t recommend for pigmentation for a variety of reasons but it is commonly recommended to improve pigment.

WHAT PRODUCTS SHOULD WOMEN USE IF THEY EXPERIENCE THIS SORT OF ISSUE DURING PREGNANCY?

Pregnancy safe skin care ingredients that I love to improve pigmentation, acne and overall glow are vitamin C, azelaic acid, niacinamide and lactic acid. For sunscreen: choose safe physical mineral Spf at least 30 with zinc and titanium; reapply every 2 hours, wear a hat and do not expose face to sun unnecessarily.

ARE THERE ANY CERTAIN TREATMENTS I SHOULD AVOID WHILE PREGNANT?

Yes. Treatments you should avoid include: peels, microneedling, microcurrent, lasers and injections as they can put skin under necessary stress.

WHAT TIPS DO YOU HAVE FOR ANY WOMAN WHO HAS BECOME PREGNANT AND IS LOOKING TO TAKE CARE OF THEIR SKIN?

First of all, set up a facial regimen. What I mean is, set up good facial regimen for the duration of your pregnancy; not only will this be good for your skin, it will help you to relax as well! You can also use body oil to help minimize stretch marks on your belly. Cleanse your face, exfoliate gently and do NOT pick! Don’t stress! Your skin is going through a lot of changes, it’s best to nurture it by getting lots of rest, following your skin care regime, and calling the professionals for help! 🙂

ANY OTHER TIPS YOU MAY HAVE FOR MAMAS TO BE?

Colostrum is a great serum to add to your regimen because of the soothing and nourishing healing properties. Good for breakout and age management and of course it is all natural! Also a tip for babies: breakout or cradle cap? Put breast milk on their heads.As you can see I really learned so much from Jenn. She is just so talented and knowledgable at what she does and her spa is one of the nicest I have ever been to. She also uses top of the line skincare products from Biologique Recherche which is like literally the best skin care line in the world – she had to basically be interviewed before they would allow her to use their products in her spa. PLUS she is the only Spa in Maine from here to Boston to have their products. Pretty cool and makes you feel good about the treatments and services at Beauty Mark.

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Jenn and her team are so talented at what they do so you really can’t go wrong! 

I hope you guys have enjoyed this post and some of my Maine followers are able to book a service with this incredible team, you will not regret it! I had so much fun doing this post and sharing all of this valuable information with you guys. There’s so much information out there when it comes to skin care and especially skin care and pregnancy that it was awesome to get it all directly from the source who knows it! Google can be intimidating sometimes and doesn’t always get it right lol. Anyway, let me know what you guys think of this post and if you’re interested in seeing more things like this! I had so much fun and as always love creating content that you all want to read.

HAPPY MONDAY!

XoXo

Em