Over the years I’ve shared a lot about skincare on my blog. It’s something that’s been top-of-mind for me since entering my 30s and I think it’s a very relevant topic for many of my readers as well. We’ve all heard for years that prevention is everything and I truly agree with this. I have personally experienced great results from investing more time, energy and funds into a quality skincare routine that is designed to meet current goals.
I don’t know about you but I find navigating the world of skincare to be somewhat overwhelming. There are so many options and from drugstore to pharmaceutical and on top of that, I find that my skincare needs change somewhat regularly. It might be a change of seasons or a flare up of acne or irritation or changing hormones. Most recently…it’s been pregnancy!
Luckily, for the past five years I have had the team at Carolina Facial Plastics here in Charlotte to turn to for all of my skincare needs and questions. I can’t believe that my first treatment with them was in February 2013! They have become trusted advisors for me when it comes to all things taking care of my face and skin.
It might sound silly but they were one of the first people that I reached out to after finding out that I was pregnant. I knew that I needed to make some immediate changes to my skincare routine since I was using retinol products and I had no idea what was safe and what was not. I also knew that I didn’t want to take a nine month hiatus from taking the best care of my skin.
Turns out, it was a GREAT call! Terri Edson is the medical aesthetician at Carolina Facial Plastics and she was able to educate me on what I could and could not use and prescribe a new pregnancy-friendly routine for me.
Also, Terri is a mom of three herself and has a daughter who is also pregnant right now so she really understood where I was coming from.
MY PREGNANCY SKINCARE ROUTINE
Terri recommended the GLOWBIOTICS MD skincare line for me and gave me an easy-to-follow morning and evening routine.
I love the GLOWBIOTICS MD line because it blends together science-backed skincare with a focus on safety. The line is based on probiotic skincare that are proven to help do the following:
- reverse inflammation and aging
- boost collagen for fewer lines and wrinkles
- detoxify stressed, acne-prone skin
- rehydrate skin for softer, smoother texture
- provide powerful antioxidant activity
- increase oxygen for a healthy glow
Aging is caused by inflammation in the skin. Applied topically, these probiotics have a strong anti-inflammatory effect on the skin. Probiotics are able to stimulate the skin’s own repairing, renewing and regenerating capabilities. Pretty cool, right?
In the morning I am using these products in this order:
- Probiotic Revitalizing Cleanser
- Soothing and Revitalizing Eye Cream
- Brightamin-C Advanced Vitamin C Brightening Serum
- Probiotic HydraGlow Cream Oil
- Non-Tinted Sunscreen SPF 30
In the evening I am using these products in this order:
- Probiotic Revitalizing Cleanser
- Probiotic Instant Resurfacing Pads (every other or every 2-3 nights)
- Brightamin-C Advanced Vitamin C Brightening Serum
- Youth Overnight Probiotic Multi-Brightening Anti-Agin Cream
I love that I can use these products and see results from them while pregnant without worrying about their effects on the baby. GLOWBIOTICS stresses that they are committed to women’s health during pregnancy and invest heavily in research and development to offer safe and effective products. All GLOWBIOTICS MD products are free of:
- Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
- Harmful dyes
- Propyl or Ethyl Alcohol
- Parabens, Phthalates and other known Xenoestrogens
- Sulfates
- DEA, MEA and TEA
- Diazolidinyl Urea
- Isopropyl Myristate
- Mineral Oil
ADDITIONAL PREGNANCY SKINCARE TREATMENTS
I have also been enjoying regular facial treatments at Carolina Facial Plastics. Clearly, this one was a charcoal mask! It was to help with some breakouts that I was having since activated charcoal helps to draw out bacteria, dirt and chemicals to the surface of the skin to promote clearer, less acne-prone skin.
We have also done dermaplaning, hydrating masks and CO2 treatments. Dermaplaning offers gentle exfoliation by scraping off the top layer of dead skin cells and your peach fuzz. CO2 treatments help to close up pores and dry out breakouts.
Here’s a no-makeup car selfie after the dermaplaning, CO2 and hydrating mask treatment.
I’ve been getting facials either at Carolina Facial Plastics or with my friend Ariana every 6 week or so during pregnancy. I can’t say that my skin is the “best it’s ever been” right now and I am definitely struggling with some breakouts as well as spots of redness but it’s all thanks to pregnancy hormones! 🙂 I am just grateful to have all of these tools to help take the best care of my skin as I possibly can while keeping baby boy safe at the same time.
And FYI, I’ll continue using all of these products during breastfeeding. Terri is very conservative about what she’ll allow me to do/use during pregnancy/breastfeeding so it will be a long while until my skin sees anything heavier duty!
GET A FREE CONSULTATION WITH TERRI
If you’re interested in working with Terri on your skincare, she’s offered a FREE consultation to my readers in addition to 10% off your first service and/or product purchase. Don’t live in Charlotte? Don’t worry! Terri can do email or phone consultations and get you all set up with a skin care routine that works best for your needs. Her email address is [email protected].
Okay, that wraps it up! Let me know if you have any specific questions that you want me to answer.
Did you switch your skin/body care products while pregnant/breastfeeding?
Any deodorant recommendations for me that are a little more natural but effective!?
I did not receive compensation from Carolina Facial Plastics for this post but they do provide me with complimentary skincare just to be 100% transparent!
I’m also due in May, and have been neglecting my skin while looking for something safe to use. So, thanks so much for this post! I have been using Native deodorant, and love both the scent and its effectiveness.
Primary Pure is the only aluminum-free deodorant that has ever worked for me. Get the tea tree oil or lavender scents for extra antibacterial action ??
*Primally Pure
I’ve been needing to switch my skincare routine up a bit lately thanks to the chilly New England weather. Ugh! I 1,000% recommend Native deodorant. The scents are so fun and it’s crazy effective with no funky ingredients. I also like Primal Pit Paste *but* I like the formula of the Native better personally.
Check out Native Deodorant! I started using their products while I was pregnant and love them
I jumped on the Schmidt’s bandwagon a few months ago and I LOVE their deodorant!! I used Crystal natural brand for years but it was never great for CrossFit/working out but Schmidt’s stops my armpits from sweating like crazy 🙂
You turned me onto Carolina Facial Plastics years ago when I was pregnant with our first son. Terri is amazing (knowledgeable and conservative in her approach with pregnancy and skin care) and I still use Glowbiotics four years later while still nursing our second. They are wonderful products and I can’t recommend them enough!
I love Native deodorant too. It’s the first one I’ve tried that actually works when I sweat.
Schmidt’s is ok but feels a little gritty and if it isn’t warmed a little, it’s a bit abrasive. I definitely agree with a few others here. My favorite is Native deodorant. I have a seasonal pumpkin spice scent that is to die for, but they have some other fall scents on their website right now like apple cinnamon 🙂 there is a 10% off code too if you google native deodorant so it makes it like $10.80 (free shipping) for one.